Living in a health and fitness crazed world, it’s almost impossible to look in the mirror and love what you see. Feeling comfortable in your own skin can be a battle, and requires serious effort. Unfortunately, this realization hit me at a young age.
The pressure of having a “good” body began at the age of 3 when I started ballet. I was constantly being told to stay fit and lean, being that it was all that surrounded me. My fellow classmates would even be asked not to come back to ballet because of their physical appearance. When I was 8, I would worry about eating my bag of Ruffles before practice, worrying that a teacher would catch me and think less of me.
Photo courtesy of express.co.uk
If that’s not bullshit, I don’t know what is.
I’m sorry, but who is anyone to ever dictate what I should eat, or can’t eat? If I’m happy with who I am, who are you to tell me otherwise? It’s judgmental people and a negative society that instill this self-doubt in us, but why?
From being exposed to body shaming by others at such a young age, I quickly realized how important it was to be comfortable in my own skin.
We live in a world where our perceptions of health and beauty are skewed. We see models work the runway during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and we can’t help but wonder what it must be like to look like that (or what it’s like to have abs).
The toned, lean bodies of models (both male and female) on social media are what bind us to this unattainable notion of beauty and cause people’s obsessions with “clean eating” and health crazes and diets (vegan, paleo, etc.)
Everything we see and try and attempt to mimic is filtered, edited, and photoshopped. We have to accept that there’s no way to get to that physical state. Even Instagram models like Essena O’Neill, who make their lives portraying this perfection we seem to strive for, are coming out revealing how fake their lives truly are.
How can we ever reach a point to where we’re happy with what we see in the mirror if we’re conditioned to feel as though we are never going to be good enough, pretty enough, or fit enough?
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
If we try to achieve society’s unachievable standards, we’ll never be happy for ourselves. I have an alternative. Do as I do, and embrace what I like to call a #TreatYoSelf mentality.
I’m so tired of hearing absolutely beautiful people, inside and out, saying they feel “ugly” or “fat,” causing them to restrict themselves from food, social outings, and opportunities. And this is all because they’re worried that they won’t be accepted for who they are. Listen to yourself, that’s insane. You’re perfect just the way you are.
Let go of that preconceived notion of what beauty and health seem to be and realize you must treat yo self, in order to fully love and accept yo self.
Rough day? Eat that entire box of Velveeta. Failed a test? Go get a tub of Ben & Jerry’s.
Never let what others see as “beauty” hold you back. Because, quite frankly, they’re wrong. If you want to take a bite of that pizza, do it. While you’re at it, finish the whole damn thing. And if anyone ever judges you for doing so, they’re most likely dealing with some demons of their own.
Remember that health is not what you see in the mirror, it’s what you feel. You may think that having abs or ridiculous biceps makes you healthy, but that’s not all it takes. It sounds cheesy, but it’s what’s going on in the inside that counts. In order to truly be healthy, you must prioritize both your physical and mental health over your appearance. If you feel good, that’s all that matters.
If you treat yo self, and choose not to give a f*ck about what other’s think, I promise your body confidence with blossom. Lemme tell you, I’m preachin’ from experience. I rarely ever say no to food, and if I do, something’s wrong.
GIF courtesy of foodandnewyorkcity.com
If you restrict yourself from food, you restrict yourself from happiness. ‘Nuff said.
Keep eating and indulging. And remember to always #TreatYoSelf. Join the movement.