My Body

Posted on by under Life

Health&Fitness

Isn’t it crazy how much influence the opinion of others has in regards to the way we see our body, the way we feel in our skin?

If you have followed me for a while you know that I post about my healthy eating and workout plans on occasion. I had made big plans for the end of this year but my body and my mind did not play along the way I had thought they would. I’m still on it and I will not drop my goals or let the fact that I have not reached my ideal weight discourage me. As with many things I’ll simply keep moving forward.

I read a fantastic post today about the way we see our body and the way the opinion of others can get to us. In a way I could have written it and I think many of you out there too. I bet when you read it you will relate to it as much as I have.

It’s true, for some we will always be not right. We will be too tall, too short, too skinny, too fat, too pretty, too ugly, too fast, too slow, too smart, too dumb…

Reading it reminded me of my own insecurities and struggles. It reminded me of going on diets before visiting my mother just so she couldn’t tell me yet again how much weight I’ve gained and to make sure I keep my weight I under control. And you know what? I ever heard her say “you lost weight” or “you look good” over the past years. I always “looked tired”, “exhausted”. It was always mentioned that I’ve gained weight, even if I’d shredded kilos.

My body was not good enough for her. I always wondered why. My body is my body.

The post reminded me that it’s not about them. It’s about us. If we are comfortable in our body we can decide to stay the way we are. If we have a healthy weight but are not toned and are happy with it, it’s okay. If we are skinny and feel good about it, it’s okay too. We matter. Not their way of seeing us.

What it all boils down to is, that we are healthy. We can’t be healthy though, if we always feel we are not good enough.

The journey from couch potato to Super Woman is a long one and we can do it if we believe in ourselves. So leave those voices where they belong: On the outside! Focus on what’s important and that is you, your feelings and the way you want to be.

And then, when you have decided on which way is the right one for you to go, tackle it! One step at a time. Not for them. For you!

21 thoughts on “My Body”

  2. Accepting ourselves is such a struggle for so many of us and somehow we need to retrain those damaging voices in our heads or tune into different voices which encourage and embrace us instead. Life’s too short.
    xx Rowena

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  3. Be the best “you” that you can be… healthy matters. I was moved by her comment to not compare yourself to your former self. That’s a great reminder about perspective. When I reached 130 lb, at 5 ft. 6 in., I was sure I was fat. As if !! Great post, Sandra. All the best in the new year. ☺

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    • Crazy, right, how we put so much pressure on us. We simply can’t look the way we did when we were 20. Our metabolism is different. It doesn’t mean that we have to give ourselves up but it also means that we can make a decision about how we want our body to be and how we feel comfortable. Yes, I thought the part where she talks about comparing yourself to yourself was really touching…

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  4. So much truth in this post! I have gained quite a bit of weight since the third child was born and I have for the first time ever felt insecure about my weight. The thing I have come to realize lately is that I really don’t care what I look like, but how I feel. I’m talking health and energy wise. I have felt sluggish and tired. So I have started drinking more water , eating healthier is coming and hope to begin some exercise. The last one is harder for me, but I want to be healthy for my kids.. right now, I don’t feel healthy.

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  5. Wonderful message. It’s very important to remember that other’s opinions don’t matter. It’s only your own voice that counts.

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  7. I think that Mom is the first role model for girls when it comes to body image, followed unfortunately often by peers, media, and other outside influences. Even now, at the age of 61, I still start the day way too often by telling myself I need to get my fat ass out of bed. I have finally reached the point, now, where sometimes, but not often enough, after I get out of bed, I can drown out that first thought with the “right” attitude and just behave as a physically and mentally healthy person for the rest of the day.

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