Our society has long been obsessed with this image of a skinny women. Long legs, very slender, little waist and a pretty face. Now that is all very good if you were naturally born this way, I mean absolutely no disrespect to those that were. I am talking about this obsession we have as a society to always desire that body type. Women want to be that. Men want to have that. And in reality, we are all born and built so very differently. We were born with different body types and physiques, different colors of hair and eyes and all come from different backgrounds. We are all capable of changing our bodies through proper exercise and nutrition. However, not everyone will be able to look like the girls in the magazines or the fitness star on Instagram. Our bodies are built differently and even if two people were to follow the exact same exercise routine and eating plan, their results would most likely not be the same. Unfortunately there are those who sometimes take it too far trying to achieve results. We have all seen girls (and boys) through social media or real life that are starving themselves to get thin, working out twice a day and only eating an apple. Or they are avoiding eating all day long, only to binge and eat everything in sight in the evening, causing most to purge what they've eaten.
I myself went have been subject to the cravings of wanting a thinner body, and throughout high school and college struggled with bulimia and binge eating. I had months that were okay, I wouldn't feel the need to harm my body in such a way, and then something would trigger me and it would happen again.
I am sharing this to let you know you are not alone. That everyone has their struggles with one thing or another, be that body image, food cravings, time management, etc. It took be years to finally find a healthy balance, but I can say that every experience I have ever had, good and bad, made me into the person I am and am continuing to become. Stronger, wiser, healthier, happier and so much more positive and mentally balanced.
I have recently seen such a positive growth towards the perspective that we should aim to be healthy above all and strong. Skinny is no longer the star of the show. Women and girls everywhere are rising up and making it known that we will no longer strive only for this image associated with perfection, instead we will be satisfied with our progress and keep going. We will no longer starve ourselves to be skinny, instead we will eat nutrient rich foods that fuel us for our workouts and help us gain lean muscle. We will no longer put others down, but be uplifting and encouraging of each other. We each have our own story to tell, our own journey to share and it is important that we keep encouraging each other. We each have the opportunity to help someone everyday by writing a kind message, making a phone call to a friend in need, cooking a healthy meal for friends and family, etc.
When you make the choice to change your life, get healthy, beat your eating disorder, find a mental balance, and lose weight it will take a great deal of self-discipline, motivation, courage and dedication. But you are strong and capable of doing just this! Everyday you have the opportunity and the ability to make a change and work towards your goals. I believe setting goals is important and then finding a healthy balance to achieve these goals. It will be your healthy balance and not anyone else's. I believe that it is important to have realistic goals that will not harm your body along the way. And I believe that surrounding yourself with like minded people will absolutely help you on your journey. Share your knowledge with others and they will share theirs with you. It's Win/Win.
Each day I choose to fight those thoughts in my head telling me I am not strong enough or thin enough and I go out and do my best. I exercise to get fit, but above all to be healthy. I lift weights to help with fat loss, but above all to become strong. Each day I choose to work towards a healthier version of myself, and I choose to be #StrongNotSkinny