Women tend to follow habits (good or bad) of their Mothers..

MommaSherryB

Face it, we shared our bodies with our Moms for approx 9 months....we share some of her DNA. It is almost impossible to not pick up habits from her. After all, she was our first role model. The thing that was hardest for me to do early on was to ever identify any negative habits that my Mom chose. I think this is fairly common for most people but especially if they when you are younger. I have a large family and we lost our mother when she was only 54 due to cancer. She seems like a saint to this day. We all love her and try to honor her as much as we can and cherish the time we did have. That being said, I have had to do some serious soul searching to identify negative habits that I picked up as a child. One thing us southern girls have always been good at is FRYING! EMOTIONAL EATING, DESSERTS, SWEET TEA and DOING TOO MUCH FOR OTHER PEOPLE, ETC. I dont fry much anymore, but when I do, I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This has made such a difference. I sweeten my tea with Stevia....I dont drink any carbonated drinks, my Mom could kill a 2 liter in one afternoon flat...
I am taking better care of myself and encouraging my family to pick up after themselves, and get up to get their own snack, etc. Doing too much isnt loving them better, even though thats what comes natural to some of us. Thats the way Mom did it. I look back and our Mom was like a slave even taking her husband and childrens plates to the kitchen when done, the cleaning the kitchen after wonderful meal she worked over. No wonder she struggled with weight. The time that she was doing all that cleaning up, she could have taken walks and stayed in shape. I cannot go back and take a walk with her, or clean her kitchen, or hear her voice....but I can honor her by making healthier choices with my husband and child. I think that alot of Moms sincerely didnt know how to be healthier, and didnt have the resources that we have today. And her mother died young as well, which left her without a solid support system. Us girls who dont have mothers alive, need to stick together and support each other. Our Moms would be proud. That is where the healing truly begins.....



***We also need a discussion on GOOD things our Moms taught us****

carolanne84

Some of the neg things are:
-Fatty guilt ridden foods like fried pork chops, homemade biscuits and gravy, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, tv dinners, frozen pizza with cheese and meats added to them, ect
-Sweet Tea
-if I didn't like what was cooked to make something else, which is why i have such a picky palate today I think

some of the good things:
- Never wear make up too young, i wasn't allowed to wear make up till i was 15 or 16 and was always told to wash my face and get all the make up off.
- Manners- respect for people older than me, never cause a big scene in public, and always say please and thank you. Which i taught my children from age 1 and they listen my two year old will say thank you and your welcome all the time.
- There is nothing wrong with playing outside when its warm enough to be out.

Im sure there are more for each category but I can't think of it right now lol.

LisamarieBond14

My mum's food habits were something of a crutch to me for many years. She's never been big but as she's only around 5ft tall she struggled to maintain a weight she was happy with. Her way of dealing with the weight was simply not to eat. She'd survive on a slice of toast and a few cups of tea a day and would get super skinny and look ill.

When I was a teenager, I developed hips, and they're pretty big hips, but I wasn't really overweight, just thought I was because of my hips! I would go all day without eating and then have a small sandwich or a little pasta with baked beans in the late evening. I got obsessed with calorie counting and weighing myself. It's taken a lot of courage for me to start counting my calories and having weekly weigh-ins for MFP but I'm hoping that with my partner's support and our promise to only weigh-in once a week, I can stop myself becoming too obsessed!

MommaSherryB

It takes alot of courage to be open and real about yourself. I really respect and admire that you not only see things that you want to work on, but are doing it. I understand what it is like to be around people who can be rigid on any topic....because we learn as children one extreme or the other and cant find a happy medium. Moderation is not something familiar.

My Mom and Dad both ate whatever they wanted and took in way too large of portions of desserts. My dad has always been super skinny, but my Mom was obese. Even though they both ate too much of the wrong kinds of foods, it had different effects on their bodies. It has taken me many years to learn to stay away from sweets. I can eat as much of vegetables and lean meat and maintain my weight, but carbs/sugars put weight on me fast. I cant tell you how happy I am to have found what works for my body.

I know you will do the same. Thanks for the open, honest post.

Louisianababy93

Lol, i won't budge on real sugar in sweat tea! I just can't do it!

Steph_in_FL

My mother went from stick thin when she got married to almost 200 lbs. at one point. I've followed her pattern, but I'm determined not to let it destroy my health like she did. I'm turning it around a little late (I'm 60), but at least I'm turning it around. My saving grace was she DID teach me to love raw fruits and veggies, and there were so many free for the pickin' in the south! I lived on wild plums, blackberries, dewberries, passion fruit and such in the summer. There was always someone who had peach, pear and pecan trees. I am thankful for that, because otherwise, I'd be over 200 by now.

MsipiGRITS

Agree with the OP... There aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done, especially if you are also a working Mom!! So, we need to stick together or collapse! )

MelisRunning

I hope that my children will look back fondly of their childhood. They were taught to respect their elders and people in authority. They say, "Please" and "Thank you" and "Ma'am" and "Sir". They are both adults now and seem to be well rounded individuals of whom I can be proud!

My MIL has had a profound influence on me as an adult and I look upon her as a mother figure now. I try very hard to emulate her example in all aspects of my life. I am thankful and fortunate to know her.