A few months ago I sent out an email to my subscribers asking them what topics they wanted to learn more about. I gave them a variety of options, such as sports conditioning, injury prevention, things they can do at home, fat loss, healthy lifestyle tips … but 85% of the replies were “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get rid of my belly”.
Insert HUGE eye roll here.
Why are we so conditioned to put so much pressure on ourselves to always look different to the way we look now? Are we THAT bad? What’s wrong with saying “I like my body, I’m proud of my body, I’m happy with the way I look”? You don’t have to say it out loud (although I do recommend it!), but we can at least steer ourselves away from the negative self talk and the constant punishment we put ourselves through.
Why do we have to be so negative?
I totally understand the struggle of trying to look a certain way, always trying to lose weight, look leaner, and fit into some ideal body frame. I get it. But what’s wrong with being able to accept our bodies the way they are AND have some realistic goals to work towards. For me personally, I’ve always liked my body. I’ve also struggled to fit into any normal (ha, normal ??) sized jeans that can fit both my ass and my waist, I struggled through my teenage years to fit into the skinny cargo pants that all the other girls were wearing, and I’ve struggled throughout my entire adulthood to find bathers that fit my ass and my chest (thank you mix and match!). My body is not ideal in terms of department stores, online shopping, or any clothing retailer with that little section called “sizing chart”. That sizing chart is a load of BS, by the way – how can someone be both a size XL and a size S ?? It’s grade A bologne.
It’s Grade A Bologne
– Veronica Corningstone
While my size may not fit the typical sizing chart that society demands of us, I am also quite body positive and proud of my body. Sure I can dissect it and tell you 100 things I hate about it… But I could also dissect it and tell you 100 that I love about it! It’s my body, and there’s no changing what genetics gave me. I put on muscle when I train more and eat well, AND I put on fat when I don’t train and drink more beer. Now that I’m heading towards the end of my 30’s, I’m finding it much easier to put on fat, and harder to get leaner. It’s not as easy as it used to be, and so is life!
I don’t think it’s wrong to have a goal of losing some body fat, but let’s keep it realistic. Most of us want to have a little less jiggle in the middle, but do we have to hate on ourselves so badly all the time? A lot of my clients are fairly average sized individuals. Some are leaner, and some are little rounder. I never suggest that someone’s goal in the gym should be to get smaller. I prefer to gear clients towards getting stronger, having less pain, moving better, and having more energy. As a side effect of their training, I know their body composition is going to change. They’ll get firmer. They’ll jiggle less. They’ll feel better. And in turn, they will look leaner and fitter. But I’m not ever going to suggest that this should be their primary goal. Life is too short to be so superficial.
Life is too short to be so superfcial
