The heavy topic.

Today's Runners' Lounge Take it and Run Thursday topic is Running and Weight.

Weight is such a heavy topic. People have issues with it.

She's resorted to stating the obvious. Times must really be tough.

No, not tough, exactly. A little stressful, sure. I'm getting ready to head out of town for four days --sans toddler and husband. So I'm beyond busy and my nerves are a little frayed. But you've found time to play countless rounds of Word Challenge, haven't you? OK, yeah. I have. I consider it a distraction. A little stress relief. But my stress is not the point, here. We're talking weight. Well, then, get to it. And please say something worth reading. No one wants to be bored . . .

I'll do my best.

As I was saying, weight is a heavy topic. I've tried mightily to ignore the scale, to pretend that my weight just doesn't matter to me. Only, it does. I watched the scale inch up while I was pregnant and, after giving birth, I wanted those 34 pounds gone. Immediately.

For the most part, they are and it didn't take all that long for them to go. When I first started running after Conal was born, though, I was still carrying some extra weight and I didn't like that at all. But, running helped me to lose it and soon enough it was gone.

I am not what society or the running world would consider to be the perfect weight. But, it works for me. The weight I am now is where my body wants to be. My body works. It carried a baby for 9+ months. It gets me where I need to go. It runs fairly well. Sure, if I lost a few pounds I would undoubtedly be as fast as Deena Kastor. And now she's resorted to lies and exaggerations, people! But, I can't obsess about a few pounds. I have to live my life and I firmly believe that if you obsess about everything you put in your mouth (not that I don't believe in healthy eating, because I do) and every calorie that you are burning, you are not going to live a full, enjoyable life.

Since I have so little creativity today -- Really? -- let me resort to reprinting something that Diana wrote on her site. She recently posted about body issues and ended with this:

A wise woman (ok, my mom, but she was very wise!) always told me that no matter what your size...you are at someone's goal weight. Appreciate that and let that motivate and guide you. You are already at a goal weight, the rest is gravy :)

That is so true.

Appreciate your body, it's full weight and all.