Howdy ya’ll!
I never really know if that is an “appropriate” intro for a blog so I just go with my gut and wing it haha! I hope you are all ready and willing for another dose of on my thoughts and dare I say feelings on some really important happenings in the world today. This topic  may not be as important as say the economy or the political unrest our country is facing right now but I do feel it is an important issue to address for my particular generation and generations growing up in the world today.  I have and currently struggle with my own self imagine and what popular media shows as an “ideal body,” I feel it is a common occurrence in women and have a long list of women in my life who I can use to back my claim.  I am not going to bash anyone or encourage anyone reading this blog post to so but I want to offer some reasoning as to why following “thinspiration,” “fitspiration,” or anything that is portrayed in popular media today as the got to be image of desirable is something I no longer participate in paying any attention to.
As mentioned earlier I’ve spent many years of my existence idealizing other women’s bodies. For years I wished, hoped, and prayer that my body would somehow take on the shape of a tall, beautiful, Victoria’s Secret model. As a I teen I would flip through the pages of magazines and think to myself, “why as my legs so much bigger than her, how does she do it?!” Â This type of behavior continued until the popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumbler, Twitter, and Youtube came into my world and really showed me what stander of beauty I would never live up to. Â I can remember scrolling through the images thinking “wow, I’m so gross or my hair never looks that good.” I was constantly comparing myself to an image, a very edited, unrealistic, or stage image of what I should be.
When the day came and I decided I wanted to change my life for the better, no longer living in an unhealthy/unhappy body. I often used social media and “fitspiration” accounts as motivation and/or something I’d compare myself to. Now looking back I wish instead I would have listened a little more closely to my own voice, my own body, and my own journey. This is why I hope to offer you some reasoning and guidance on how to unfollow your unhealthy obsession with “fitspo,” “thinspo,” or whatever you’ve been using to measure yourself with. If you’re thinking to yourself “I don’t do that,” good for you but I can almost guarantee, you are in a state of denial because it’s in human nature to compare oneself to others around. Without comparison how do you know what the norm is or what is safe or what is danger? I am not scolding you here for being human but I do want you to open your eyes. These images of fitspiration and health have been very altered either to sell you a product or a belief.
- “Comparison Is the Thief of Joy“
Theodore Roosevelt said it best and I truly believe this. Comparison steals from your individual and uniqueness that you offer to the world. The years I lost comparing my body to imagines that were cropped edited, photo shopped, and filtered I will never get back. Yes, this makes me very sad looking back on my younger years and the struggle I put myself through by comparing to these images and other people. When we compare we lose ourselves in trying to fit or trying to belong, by daring to be different we grow. This growth is were true joy comes from. Â So by unfollowing people or programs that made me think things like “I wish I looked like her or I wish I was as successful as him,” I removed the temptation to compare myself. It had nothing to do with that person, I just refused to continue stealing my joy.
2 What Is Good For Them May Not Be For You
I often see Instagram models preforming work outs with thousands of followers commenting, I tried this and… or people asking them to show what they eat in a day videos. I am not knocking your obsession with what these people but I am going to tell you that their bodies are not yours. So their diet and exercise program that they follow will probably not work for you because well you’re probably not preparing for a photo shoot or a runway show. And if you’re attempting their workouts be careful please! Some of these movements maybe unsafe for you and I know I sound like your mom but really!
3 What Happens Behind The Scenes
So this is a biggie and for a long time I was in denial myself but after a few eye opening experiences I realized things are not as they appear. A lot of what it takes to “make it” as a fitspo or model or whatever is portrayed as “healthy,” is often really unhealthy. When we follow these people and idolize  their bodies we often ignore whats going on off camera.  Fat burners, plastic surgeries, unhealthy diets, and dare I say steroids are sometimes the means by which these “healthy” individuals get to your screen. So again comparing yourself to an image of a “healthy” individual who is currently eating 1200 calories a day, spending 2-3 hours in the gym, on a cocktail of injectables, who had a tummy tuck after their last child isn’t really fair, right?!
I don’t aim to offend but to help! I have been a religious follower of many ‘fitspos’ and ‘thinspos’ in my life and I really just want to pull the wool off your eyes before you waste another second of your life thinking you’re unworthy or unhealthy because you don’t look like so in so.. Life is way to short and beauty is something that fades overtime so realigning your perspective towards living a healthier, happier life is way more important than looking like your favorite fitness model!
Until next time guys, stay Motivated!
Alicia💛