My journey tends to focus a lot on weight loss but also a lot on fixing myself mentally. Although I have changed a lot mentally I still tend to forget that there are people on this journey that are facing the same struggles from different angles. Imagine if you will that you are 5’10” and weigh 99 pounds…many of you like me look at this scenario and think “wouldn’t that be great”. Most of us are well aware that this ratio is just as unhealthy as being 5’10” and weighing 299 pounds. However imagine you were the 99 pounds again and you still felt that you were fat, whenever you look in the mirror you see the 299 pounds. It is very hard to imagine how this would feel when it is more typical to struggle the other way. When really this feeling is probably about the same, it is about being unhappy with your body image no matter what the size difference. What I find different about this is the support system is hard to find. Everyone is trying to lose weight its just what we do. When you could stand to lose a few you hear the snickering in the background about the fat girl/guy, have you ever stopped to imagine this from the “skinny person”? You see the 99-pound person with a strenuous exercise routine and shopping the diet and health food and you think seriously? You have got to be kidding me why on earth would this person be here? Do you stop to think that this person is just as unhappy with their body as you or maybe even more so? I typically don’t I am to busy thinking about myself and how great I think it would be to need to gain weight and that I am jealous and disgusted that this person can’t be happy with themselves. But isn’t that really where we all are? A while back I wrote an article “Stop trying to be Skinny”, this is a prime example of when in our mind skinny just keeps getting smaller the closer we get. So who is to blame? You know we always want to blame someone, society maybe? Sure it is plastered everywhere…TV, magazines, the Internet etc. Truth is it doesn’t matter whose fault it is that we think this way, we are the only ones who can change it. This has to be changed from the inside out and just like I have said before with your health, when you get your vitals in line the weight will follow, when you start believing in yourself and feeling good about yourself the rest will follow. I feel like I have made huge strides in this area. I am not exactly sure what did it for me or when I started feeling good about my body. If I think about it the part that makes me proud is that I have some muscle definition and I have never thought of myself with muscle definition. No I am not talking like body builder type, I am talking if I flex my bicep it actually changes shape. Does this mean that is what will work for everyone? NO. A lifting routine is a good idea for everyone just because the fact is that as we age our bodies lose muscle mass naturally. Positive thinking could be a huge step for you…each morning instead of looking at your body and pointing out what you feel is flawed, tell yourself at least three things you like about your body. Eventually this will come easier and maybe even happen with out thought.
Next time you see the “fat” or “skinny” person that may be struggling with image offer some encouragement and not judgment, you could be just what they need to get started on a road to confidence and happiness. Even if that person is looking at you from the mirror.
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