Hello readers! I hope you are all staying safe, happy and healthy. I must attribute today’s post to a very good friend of mine who gave me a much needed pep talk the other day. This friend is getting married (whoop whoop!) and her bachelorette party is coming up this weekend in Vegas. I am over the moon excited for her and cannot wait to celebrate this awesome milestone with the Bride Tribe.
However, despite my excitement, the thoughts that have been consuming my mind leading up to this week’s adventure are less than positive; “OMG I am not bathing suit ready for this”, “I have not reached my goal weight and am not even close to doing so”, and “Damn it, everyone else is going to look so much better than me, I’m a whale right now”.
As women, we put so much emphasis on our physical appearance we forget that what our body looks like is only a small portion of who we are as a person. Many women can relate to the internal feeling of dread and embarrassment that can consume us before a special trip. Especially a trip that you have had months to get in shape for, but let the time slip through your fingers without making any progress.
Selfishly, I told my friend that I was in a funk and am feeling embarrassed about seeing her and other friends that I have not seen since gaining almost 90 pounds. I went on to detail that I felt like a failure and had no business writing a healthy lifestyle blog when I felt like a complete fraud for not being able to get my own weight under control.
Without hesitation, and despite everything she has going on, my friend took the time to really help me through this feeling of inadequacy. The response she sent literally brought tears to my eyes and immediately helped to turn my thoughts from negative to positive.
Know your worth ladies! You are more than a number on a scale, you are more than the size of your jeans and you exist in this world to do so much more than diet and lose weight. We need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to look like the women we see on social media. No matter how strong minded you feel you are, the images of perfectly trim waists, thigh gaps, and voluptuous booties absolutely have an impact on your self-esteem (even if it is subconsciously). It is important to realize that many of the photos you are seeing have been manipulated and altered to look perfect. Kylie Jenner, and those alike, have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to look the way they do. If you have that kind of money and want to buy your body, by all means do what you have to do. But for us normal women who are not billionaires, we must protect ourselves from the idea of unattainable beauty.
You are beautiful just the way you are. Your curves are beautiful. Your stretch marks are beautiful. Please do not forget that your body is just one aspect of your being. We all need to learn to see beyond the image in the mirror and focus on all the other amazing characteristics we bring to the table. Just because you are not where you want to be in your health and fitness journey does not mean that you are unworthy or incapable of greatness. You are worthy of love, you are worthy of success, and you are valuable just the way you are.
I plan on having a fabulous time this weekend, and most importantly, I plan on making sure my friend has a fabulous time. And to do this I cannot let these negative feelings control me. We need to embrace who we are and where we are in our journey. No matter the size of the pants or the plumpness of the FUPA, go out there and make sure you are living your best life.
