Earlier in the spring, I decided to work on becoming healthier. I am walking daily or doing some other online exercise video and I am keeping track of what I eat with the MyFitnessPal app on my phone. These things have helped me lose about 13 pounds so far. It's been slow and steady weight loss and I know from experience that's the best way to lose. I have eliminated almost all dairy and gluten in this process. I feel a lot better and I have not been hungry which leads to crazy cravings and the like. Anyway, my goal was to wear a bikini on the beach during our vacation. I can't recall that I have ever worn a bikini aside from when I was a child maybe, so there are parts of me that have never seen the sunshine. I wanted to look my best for my beach debut so I got the bright idea to get a spray tan. Note to all you wise women out there.... NEVER get a spray tan. I had hoped I would have a natural looking tan but, on my skin, it turned a freakish orange color and made my family members stare with the most concerned look I've ever seen. My brother who is 7 was rendered speechless!! That's when the panic set in. I tried not to look at myself and hoped the beach sun would improve my orange hue. However it went down hill from there. The sand scrubbed off most of my feet tan and my knees were soon scrubbed off too after a couple rough waves sent me skidding across the ocean floor. By day 2 of my vacation, I was frantically googling how to remove a spray tan. The suggestions ranged from bathing in lemon juice to peroxide (no thank you) to using a soapy rag and sugar scrub in a hot bath. This option seemed most reasonable and least painful, so I ran with it. With a quick prayer and the hottest water I could stand, I began my quest to remove the spray tan. It looked much like I was rusting in the shower, but, thankfully by the end of my sugar scrub most of my tan was gone.
Here's the lesson I learned.... I am much happier just being myself, white belly and all. When you attempt to be someone or look like someone you are not, it's weird...kinda like that look my brother gave me. I'm not going to be the most tan person around because I am not going to lay in the tanning bed or ever get a spray tan again. I want to be healthy and have my body serve me well, even if my skin is very light. I am very aware of what kind of body issues I want my daughter to learn from me. Both my kids will ask me about what they call my weird diet that makes me eat salads and lettuce sandwiches, which happen to be my own creative recipe. We discuss the fact that I am trying to improve my health by making better choices about what I eat. I also prepare them healthy meals and allow them to have treats from time to time, like most moms do. I, however, am older and you gotta work with the body you have to take care of it and keep it healthy. So, what I learned from the spray tan is be yourself, love yourself, take care of yourself... and it's better to be white on the beach than it is to be orange....
And just in case my memory starts to fade, here a shot of my two toned leg.
~Tara
No comments:
Post a Comment