I feel like anytime I go on Pinterest, I see a whole slew of posts about “losing weight fast.” I see workout breakdowns to “Get Gigi’s Body in 2 Weeks!!” I see diets that list what foods you can eat to “Lose 5 by Next Friday” – And ‑ shocker! — They’re mostly liquid based.
I used to be a health pinning fiend. Ah, heck yeah, I wanted Carrie Underwood’s leg workout. You bet I want a tighter, firmer Victoria’s Secret Angel-worthy booty. Miracle Soup that will make me drop two dress sizes? Sign me up!
I tried to shove and squish myself into this tanned and fit, 20-something that I thought everyone wanted me to be… what I had to be. And then I realized, I am a 4’11” pasty, Irish-German roots girl with a lot of junk in the trunk and up top. Spoiler alert: I will never be that tanned and mega-fit 20-something.
It took me many, many, many breakdowns in fitting rooms, glaring at the body in the mirror that wasn’t what I wanted. Angrily storming out of the dressing room, out of the store, and back home. I was so unhappy with my body. But I was doing everything they told me to do! I was eating right! I was exercising! WHY didn’t my body look like the girls on Instagram’s top page!
Because that’s not my genetics. I have curves. My mom has curves. My aunt has curves. My grandmother has curves. My entire family is curvy. I mean, I know I finished my science gen-eds, ensuring me to never have to open another textbook (thank you, Digital Media Major) but I’m pretty sure 9th grade genetic lessons are still nestled in my brain.
My unhappiness with my body and how I look stemmed from the Internet and what I followed on it. This is how I overcame it.
Unfollow thinspo blogs.
If your Tumblr dashboard looks like a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, unfollow it. Remember: These tall, thin, tan models have a unique body shape. Good for them for being built that way. I’m not. Be realistic with yourself. Looking at pictures of an unrealistic body shape for you before you go to the gym is just going to be a setup for failure. You deserve more.
Learn what you’re putting into your body.
Stop counting calories. You know those comparison pictures of a Twinkie to a giant pile of 400 peppers slices? Obviously very much like those elementary school math problems but they make a point. Fast food isn’t good for you. Plain and simple. There’s hardly anything redeeming about it. Even products that say they are “Low Fat” or “Reduced Sugar” should throw up a red flag – it’s chemically loaded, defeating the purpose of being healthy. Don’t follow diet plans on Pinterest that have barely any real substance. You cannot survive on a Lemon Water diet. Even with juice-based diets, you’re destroying your insides. Don’t trust “Doctor Oz Proven!” diet plans. If you want a diet plan, consult, in person, your physician. They’re legit.
Allow yourself to treat yo’self.
It’s okay to eat a cupcake. You’re not going to clog your arteries by getting a McD’s hamburger before class when you’re in a pinch for food. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be enjoying food. Stop hating food. There’s plenty of recipes online for healthy alternatives that taste the same as your favorite dessert item.
We’re the Internet Generation. We have tiny computers on our person at all times. It’s easy to be sucked into the pseudo-health culture. When everyone and anyone is able to post on the Internet, you really need to be careful of what you trust.
You deserve to be happy. You deserve not to hate your body – you only have one and it’s unique. There’s literally no one else that has your body.
Also remember, not everything on the Internet is bad. Reading fitness blogs is a great way to start into a weight loss goal. Food bloggers are a wonderful way to: A) master your home cooking (which is usually way healthier than anything frozen); and B) learn what’s really in food. Look for positive fitspo blogs with quotes and people of many body shapes that focus on health over weight loss.
Here’s some of my favorites:
Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth
Be happy. Be beautiful. Be you.
HCXO.