Real life, Real Bodies

Recently I have taken notice of the images that appear in the name of fitness on Facebook and other social media posts.  As someone who has worked very hard to maintain a positive body image and pass that on to an very impressionable tween daughter, I am here to say, ENOUGH!

Take a look at this:

First of all, yay for her. Seriously,  I'm very happy she looks this great.  That body is rockin, and I and I have no doubt she works her but off to get it, but we all know that the picture isn't the whole story.  We live in an age where where retouching, hoto-shopping, and great lighting make all the difference.

That's not even what bothers me.  If this were an ad for a sports-bra, I'd be like whatevs....

What bothers me is the wording.  Ummm...no, I can't.  Trust me when I tell you that I am surrounded by people who work HARD and eat pretty damn well.  They don't look like this. They have cellulite, they have wrinkles, they have saggy boobs, they have stretch marks.  They do not have this body, they have a body that has lived life.

The message here is,  YOU are not working hard enough, YOU are not eating clean enough, YOU are not strong enough.

What is even more bothersome is that the people posting these images are not models, or even everyday people hitting the gym after work .  It is the people in MY industry, the personal trainers, the gym owners, and fitness gurus.   The people who are supposed to be in the business of making people healthy and strong!

Are these images really drawing people toward a love of fitness and health?  Or, does this make the idea of of healthy life seem even more impossible to attain?

I am just so sick of this idea that perfection is what we are after.  The saddest part is that we keep perpetuating the notion that if we work-out a little harder, eat a little less, and punish ourselves more we will get THE body...then...lo and behold, we will finally be happy.

I have struggled with my weight since I was ten years old.  I have been a lot heavy, a little heavy, and in the past few years have seen the scale read some pretty low numbers.  Guess what, it didn't change how I felt about me.  At my heaviest all I wanted was to be thinner, at my lightest I lived in fear of not maintaining that number.   Through a lot of prayer and reflection I have finally come to understand that this body does not define me.  I love working out, I love being comfortable in my jeans. I love the way it feels to run and  play on the beach.  But if I don't remember that this is just a body, I will never find real joy.

In his letter to the Phillipians, Paul says it like this.  "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned  the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

In her blog, Shauna says it like this.  "I know what it is to feel fat, and I know what it is to feel skinny.  I have learned the secret of lasting joy, whether eating cupcakes or ricecakes; whether I exercise every day or not.  God is my source of strength and when I look to Him, it's all good."

So, even though "I can't", I remember that HE can and I relax a bit in my imperfection.

Peace Out.