Body Image - it's all perception

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, so I figured I'd ramble to my blog readers about it!

Women are often so hard on themselves, in many areas, but especially their looks, figure, appearance, etc. And I'm no exception.

Growing up, I always felt awkward because I was taller than everyone else (and also weighed more). By the time I was in college (other than a one year weight gain, which I lost), I was pretty comfortable with myself. I still had issues, but wasn't a constant wreck about it. I spent the bulk of my twenties worrying about that 10 pounds, or something about my face, or my figure, etc.

Throughout all of these times, I was active, not overweight, and pretty fit. So, looking back, I want to yell at that girl. I want to say, "You are an idiot! Quit whining about something that doesn't matter!" But, alas, my older self wasn't around to help me out...

By the time I hit 30, I was so much more comfortable with my body, and myself. I mean, seriously. I've often passed that along to my younger friends, letting them know that your 30s can be a great relief, where you just accept your body.

Here are some of the realizations I came to:

* My legs may not be super skinny, but they are strong. They allow me the ability to run long distances, and to run faster.
* My chest might be small, but it enhances my petite upper body. Also, I don't have pesky double D's impeding my running.
* My waist is small, allowing me to wear a small dress size that would NEVER be my actual pant size. EVER. And I never have to do sit-ups!
* My butt is large and in charge, but it also provides strength in my running.
* I'm tall. Get over it. The bonus of my height is that I can gain a few pounds and no one really notices - there's more room for it to hide!

The point is, I figured out how to NOT obsess about my body. And it sort of happened naturally. When I look back and think about the time I wasted worrying about it, it irritates me.

Now, does this mean that I don't still have setbacks? Of course not. Like, right now, I would like to lose maybe 5-10 pounds. I don't NEED to lose them, but I'd LIKE to. And I'd like to lose them from my thigh/butt region, as no other area has put on weight (of course).

Here's the funny thing...I'll be thinking, "ugh, I've got to get with the program...and lose this butt!" Then I'll run into my good friend Lacey, who says, "OMG, you are SO skinny! I can't get over it. Your legs, everything, you are just skinny!"

I always tell her I'd like to have her around at all times. Isn't it funny how her view of me is completely different than mine? Sometimes I see gigantic legs/butt in the mirror, when in reality, they are probably totally normal (and skinny, to my friend). To be clear, they are not skinny, trust me. But, they are likely pretty normal size.

Our minds can distort things to the point that we drive ourselves crazy. I am striving to keep the negative voices out and focus on the positives. I'm healthy, active, and nowhere near obesity.

Here's to all of us loving ourselves and cutting ourselves a break!