Comments Rule!

OK...I promised a pre-marathon post, but it's going to have to wait. We'll see whether my husband survives 26.2 miles with only 5 weeks of training under his belt, and THEN we'll decide whether his method works or not. Maybe I'll be posting how TO train for a marathon rather than how NOT TO train!

I'm actually supposed to be packing right now, but my kids are sleeping and I'd rather take a few moments to share with you some of the AWESOME stuff we've gotten from our fitalicious readers this week. I feel really humbled by the sincerity of your advice, your thoughts, your insecurities, etc. I love that we're all working from the inside out...because who we are inside matters most...and makes us more beautiful on the outside! Anyway, in case you haven't read the comments, you should...cuz this is just a snipit! (And yes, Michael, feel free to comment on the comments!)

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With regards to healthy eating, and getting our kids to eat right, y'all gave some much-needed (for me, anyway) insight!

Michael said: (from his experience as a missionary in Honduras) Kids will eat what everyone else eats ONLY when there aren't any other options. There wasn't a single picky eater down there. When they know there's something else, of course they're going to want it.

Kimberly said: I try not to make food an issue. We have an open cupboard policy, but I want the kids to feel like they are the ones making the healthy choices and that their mom isn't forcing them to eat that way.

Christie's not afraid to throw away any uneaten birthday cake the day after the celebration. "I don't feel it's wasteful because we don't need to eat something just because it's there, and somehow, nobody seems to miss it."

Kristin's theory on sweets: We have dessert probably once a week, and my kids have to eat all their dinner to get it. I don't see this as a reward. I see it more that I'm teaching them that the healthy dinner is most important and if they don't get all the nutrition from the dinner, then they can't afford the sweets.

Erin said: Kids watch us! They watch us weigh in. And when they're toddlers it's fun, but when they get older, they think they have to go on a diet too. So be careful that you say you are eating healthy to be well and strong; not to be skinny or because you're too fat. So we have to be careful what we say!! So what's my point? Moderation...but don't freak out about it...be happy!

Rachelle reiterated the BALANCE and MODERATION theme: My 3 year old knows that I do buy treats, but she also knows that they are not to pig out on whenever she wants. I also don't want her to have an unhealthy relationship with treats and sweets because she will probably grow up and pig out as soon as I let her, so...I guess we (us lucky parents) need to find a balance.

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NOW, ONTO THE REEEEALLY GOOD STUFF! ON SELF-ESTEEM, and FEELING BEAUTIFUL FOR WHO WE ARE:

Here are three women who have had to overcome some SERIOUS stuff with their bodies, but are truly beautiful on the inside and out...

Evelyn said: After two misscarriages, numerous surgeries to have kids and two kids... my body is just not the same! It's so hard for me, but I honestly think my honey likes it better this way...I work on me so I can be that for him and we're both happy with the outcome!!!

Erin (and I don't know what to cut out, so I'm just posting the entire thing) said:

Seriously folks, I'm the queen of deformed bodies! After a masectomy, reconstruction, (yes, my stomach IS my boob)my body is one giant road map leading to no where.

I think one's true character is discovered when you look in the mirror and have no hair, no eyebrows or eyelashes; your face is fat due to the 40 pounds you've gained from the steroids your taking so the chemo doesn't kill you, you're missing one boob and you look at your husband and go..."Wow babe, I'm sexy!" I guess you just embrace what you've got and realize that beauty comes from the inside out.

And trust me people, that's hard to say when your reflection stares back some face you don't even recognize! But it's true. Life is about LIVING not being worried about all of our faults. Eat right, exercise, stay healthy and let the scars be happy reminders of all the fun things we've accomplished in life.

I still have a scar on my leg from a hiking trip to a beautiful Hawaiian waterfall. I love that scar...every time I look at it I remember how much fun that trip was!

So each stretch mark can count for each year we've celebrated motherhood. Each wrinkle can remind us of all the laughs we had with our families and our saggy boobs can remind us that our kids were once tiny babies and how much fun it was to cradle them in our arms. We need to teach our kids, (especially daughters) that beauty is the person that you ARE, not the person you SEE.

And a first-time commenter, Tina: I have struggled with self esteem my entire life. Feeling like I wasn't "good enough" to make parents happy or want me etc. And unfortunately when I put on weight after having children, I wondered what could possibly be attractive to my husband.

But, the awesome thing is. He loves me. I guess I am lovable.

So why don't I love myself?

I have an awesome scar from my birth defect on my stomach that is literally a deep crevasse that you can lose a finger in....OK, so not THAT deep, but I have struggled with the way my stomach looks, especially in a skin tight, wet swimming suit.

But you know, that scar represents life to me.

I am alive, and that scar reminds me every day what a gift my life is.

Behind that scar is scar tissue. It almost looks like an inner tube, only partially inflated, is stuck right to my stomach. Yes, the hole in the middle and everything.

Anyway, I have struggled with self esteem so long and so much but I am with Erin, I have to find my inner beauty and it shows on the outside as well. We aren't all supermodels. But we are "Hot Mama's" because we are moms who love our kids and do our best to be our best.

I guess that when we know who we really are, and WHOSE we really are, we can always find something to love about ourselves because of whose image we are created in.

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So way to go...a Trace Adkins song turned into a Young Women-esque lesson!

Have a fabulous weekend. Do something for YOU! We'll be back Monday (unless my sister's more motivated than me to blog on the weekends...)