Happy Weekend!! I hope I’m finding you with a steamy cup of coffee and some great weekend plans!
Today’s guest post comes from my great Fitfluential friend, Tamara! We have SOOOOO much in common (trainers, group ex teachers, moms, knitting – no not knitting) and it has been a real pleasure getting to know her through Tuesday Trainer! Her post today ties in nicely with my post from yesterday! Take these words to heart!
Oh and Travis is guest posting on Monday.
Yep – you read that right. Travis! Don’t miss it!
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No more body part bashing! You’re more than the sum of your parts
They’re all around us.
Images of beautiful, thin, perfect-looking bodies. Bodies without muffin tops, cellulite, wrinkles or floppy triceps. Women with upturned noses, perfectly symmetrical breasts and tight, little ‘apple bums’.
Tell me, when was the last time you saw ‘cankles’ or ‘back cleavage’ on the cover of a magazine? (Congratulations if you don’t know what these terms mean!)
Not a day goes by when I don’t hear a personal training client or group fitness participant complain about some body part or another. Even the women (yes, it’s predominantly women who indulge in body part bashing) who are fit and lean and muscular are dissatisfied with something about themselves.
Why can’t we see in ourselves what others see? Why do we view our bodies through a microscope?
Do we really think that our children, friends, spouses and significant others look at us and notice the imperfections? (Of course they don’t)
Would we tolerate it if they did? (Hell, no!)
Why then, is it okay for us to criticize the things that make us unique and beautiful and lovable? (It’s NOT okay and it needs to stop)
Not only is it boring to listen to (I have stopped seeing friends who perpetually self-criticize), it limits the activities that we participate in (‘I can’t go to the beach; I don’t wear a bathing suit in public’) and ultimately, reduces our enjoyment in life.
The next time you feel the urge to criticize your own body, remember this quote:
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts” Aristotle, Metaphysica
And then, drop and give me 20 pushups; nothing short-circuits negative thinking quicker than physical activity!
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Tamara Grand is a personal trainer, group fitness and indoor cycling instructor, clean eater, mother of three and knitter extraordinaire. She blogs about fitness, food, family and (knitting) fiber at http://fitknitchick.com. Connect with her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/fitknitchick_1) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Fitknitchick); she loves to meet other healthy living peeps!
Amen to that! I must remember this post whenever I feel insecure about anything about myself!
Amen! I work with college students, mostly girls, and I hate it when I hear them being so critical of their bodies! I try to be a good role model, and tell them how beautiful they are when I can.
Thanks for having me over today, Lindsay!
I’ve loved reading everybody’s responses and hope that we’ll all carry the self love talk with us into the upcoming week!
xo
Great Post! When I self criticize I try to remember just like you said, others are not looking at me in a microscope, so why should I. I’m not perfect! Thanks for the pep talk! :)
oh my goodness! What a fantastic post! Whenever I am trying to help others with developing a better body imagine I always tell them to focus on the WHOLE image they see. Not bits and pieces! It always works!
Love this. People get so focused on individual body parts they want to alter. Just enjoy whatever exercise you do and know that you are working to improve your health. That’s really all we have control over.
Great points! I agree that if our friends/family were criticizing us, we wouldn’t put up with it … so why do we do it to ourselves??
She’s spot on! Love this!