PHYSICALITY – From the Mouths of Babes (Rebound Gal)

It’s the final night of Body Confidence Week on the blog – huge thanks to all the Experimental Daters who’ve contributed 🙂 

In my original post about Body Confidence I touched on my own fears about potentially raising a daughter in the future and having to instil a healthy relationship with food in her in spite of adverse messages she will no doubt be surrounded by.  

Here Rebound Gal returns to the idea of children and attitudes with food, in relation to her job as a nanny.

Miss Twenty-Nine xxx

As part of Body Confidence Week, I’ve considered my relationship with weight, and the history of my body.

I’ve lost weight a few times in the past, both the right way and the wrong way.

I wouldn’t say I’ve ever had an eating disorder, but I definitely have tried a number of weird and wonderful diets.

Most of these diets consist of basically starving yourself, not teaching yourself to eat healthily and as soon as you return to eating normally, which for me, then, was not great, you put all the weight back on!!

I know now that healthy is the way forward and the thing that makes the difference is exercise!

Who would have thought ?!

It’s been very hard for me to find a method of exercise that I like. I need to be told what to do! I’ve spent hundreds of pounds in gyms that I don’t go to. Even more on weekly trips to personal trainers.

This time last year I found my exercise calling, I go to Barry’s Bootcamp in Euston and I love it!

As a result of the regular exercise, my body is the fittest its ever been.  I regularly run 10k races in just under an hour now. I also have so many amazing new friends that have made this health kick so much fun!

So that’s my body confidence!

The topic of Body Confidence also got me thinking about some of my experiences at work.

Working with children as I do, especially when it’s within a family, I witness children growing up and learning about the world around them.

Having spent three years looking after two little girls, I noticed just how much they picked up from me and their mother whilst we were talking about diets and exercise.

I remember one day in particular when the 3 year old said she didn’t want to eat something because she didn’t want to get fat. She was 3!!

It really made me think about how I spoke in front of them. I made sure that, when I got ready to go to the gym and the end of the day, the message I gave was that I was going to get healthy, not to lose weight.

I also remember reading this blog.

I don’t think that you should never tell a little girl she is beautiful, but I do think that you should build her confidence in every area so she doesn’t see perfection as a goal.

I know that’s what my mum did for me, and I think that’s why I am how I am.

I quite often don’t wear any make up, it’s not something I need to feel confident. I can go out for the night with just a coat of mascara and be completely happy.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t love make up! It’s just not an essential thing. I remember losing my make up bag once and being most upset about the actual bag being lost, not the make up!

I haven’t always been super happy. But I’ve found my happy place now and that’s all that matters!

Rebound Gal

xx