?Mommy, what?s a calorie"?
I was in the middle of an intense workout, having (I thought) left both my sons upstairs under the supervision of their dad. But unbeknownst to me, my seven-year-old had followed me downstairs at some point. Absorbed in my weights and my own labored breathing, I didn?t realize he was there until he spoke up.
But calorie" Who said anything about calories" For a moment, lost in the haze of exercise-induced endorphins, I was at a loss, both to where the question had come from and how on earth I should answer it.
I?ve always tried to raise my children in a body-positive household. You?ll never catch me complaining about the size of my thighs, or jiggling my tummy, or worrying about how my arms look when we have impromptu dance parties. I don?t wear makeup. I don?t dye my grey hairs away. And I?m trying hard to stop taking my glasses off every time I snap a selfie. So when I say I don?t exercise to lose weight, it?s the absolute truth. I exercise to keep my body strong. I exercise because it gives me more energy. I exercise because it helps my moods stay balanced. I exercise because it helps me sleep better.
I?d never really thought twice about doing one of my exercise videos with my children in attendance. To be honest, I?d always sort of mentally patted myself on the back for it. I took obvious joy when they practiced yoga alongside me, and didn?t even complain when I was edged off my own mat.
What a fantastic, healthy family I was ra...