We women come in all shapes and sizes…What body-type (shape and size) are you? Do you embrace that or are you at war?
Is “embracing your body” REALLY even possible?…It is…
“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” (as well as uniquely made)
For a long time, that verse from Psalm 139:14 has been one of my favorites.
It speaks truth that, you and I—we are wonderful, just as we are…
BUT, why is it so hard to actually believe?!
Us woman come in all different fabulous shapes, sizes and types.
I’ll never forget learning about the “thumbprint phenomena” when I was about 4-years-old.
As part of my art project of the day, Ms. Skinner instructed all of us wildly creative, finger-painting Picassos that we would be painting flowers for the day.
And not just any flower—but thumbprint flowers—using our own thumbprints, in paint, as the center of the flower.
One by one, she and the teaching assistant walked around, helping us smudge our thumbs in yellow or black paint and press our thumbs to the paper.
Smudge.
Peeling away my thumb from the paper, Ms. Skinner stated, “Look at that! Do you see the lines in that little smudge?”
Nodding my head, ‘Yes,’ I acknowledged my marvelous masterpiece.
She went on, “Did you know that NO two thumbprints are alike? Your thumb print—and all those lines in it—are ONLY yours, and no one else in this world has your same thumbprint,” she said.
Shaking my head, ‘No,’ I acknowledged I had no idea of this little fun fact.
From then on, I’ve KNOWN I am uniquely different—and I am wonderfully made just as I am…BUT…BUT, BUT, BUT!!!
While we all know that every BODY is different, sometimes…it’s hard to accept.
“If I just lose 5 lbs.…”
“If I just gain 10 more lbs. of lean muscle.…”
“Why can she eat whatever she wants and it goes straight through her?”
“Why do I workout and eat well, nourish my body with real food—but nothing changes!?”
“What if I looked like that?”
“If only I had a little more definition, then I’d be happy…”
“I’ll show them what I can really look like…”
“I just have to work really hard on my diet or exercise the next 30 days, then I’ll feel confident in my own skin…”
“Watch out—I’ll be the one who got away…”
“The girls on that show (or Instagram post, or happy hour event, or sorority/Junior League function) are so gorgeous…I just need to ____ (wear my hair that way; get those earrings; dress like that; tighten up my diet a little bit more; make exercise a daily routine; etc.”)
Ahhhhhhhh!
Enough already!
Seriously…at some point or another, if you want to keep any sense of self-acceptance AND peace about you…you have to TURN OFF the noise, quite frankly.
Put your foot down…
And STOP listening to that annoying buzz in your head telling you anything BUT:
You are wonderfully and fearfully made.
Recently…I had to tell my head, “ENOUGH!”
That inner critic still likes to point its finger at me on occasion, and whisper sweet nothings in my ear (literally: NOTHINGS!):
“You’re too thin!” “Life would be so much better if only you had a little more curve.”
“You don’t have a butt.”
“You’re so weak (compared to other girls who can press, squat or deadlift twice that much!)”
You get the picture.
I call this “dangling carrot” syndrome—
Whether we aspire to be…
- Fitter
- Stronger
- Leaner
- Toner
- Hotter
- Healthier
- Happier
- Better
- _____ (You fill in the blank)
No matter what it is…there is ALWAYS going to be something more, or better, or something else to attain.
Phew! It’s exhausting.
Instead of hating on our bodies so much…what if, instead, we really LEARNED about our bodies? Everything from…
- Our body type;
- What type of exercise makes us feel empowered, positive and strong (and what type weighs us down);
- Our own food/gut sensitivities and the foods our bodies actually can handle—even if conventional diet wisdom tells us otherwise (i.e. maybe your body CAN handle rice or oats—even if you are told ‘carbs are bad’…or maybe a little dirt actually never did hurt—and you actually like and enjoy some coconut-milk ice cream from Lick on occasion, etc.);
- The boosters in our lives that give us energy (i.e. spin, yoga, coffee dates with friends, sunshine, the great outdoors, country music, early mornings, etc.);
- The passions that make our spirits come alive;
- The check-list, to-dos, obligations and mandates that suck our soul;
- The proper balance of foods our own body needs
You get the picture.
What if instead of putting on our blinders and going to war with our bodies—and feeling like strangers in our own skin…we chose, instead, to give ourselves a BIG hug, accept and further develop healthy, loving relationships with our own beautiful selves and souls?!?!
So…today, here’s your call-to-arms:
Press MUTE to your inner critic today—that little voice, inside you, that’s become so commonplace that you’ve forgotten IT’S NOT YOUR OWN VOICE.
Put your foot down, and, instead, think about getting to know YOUR own body.
We are all unique and beautiful and because of this, what might work well for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best option for you.
A deep understanding of your own body and what works for YOU is vital (for self-acceptance and quality of life).
Need some direction in figuring this out?
Whip out a scratch piece of paper, journal or Word document and answer these questions for yourself:
Body:
My “body type” is most like (Circle):
Ectomorph – People with this body type tend to find it difficult to gain weight, either muscle mass or fat. They are slim in build often due to having a fast metabolism. Keeping their workouts focused more on resistance training to help build and shape muscles, without burning too many much needed calories, often works well for people with this body type.
Mesomorph – People with this body type tend to have naturally athletic builds and can gain and lose weight with relative ease. They find it easier to gain muscle definition and weight than an ectomorph. A combination of resistance and endurance training often works well for people with this body type.
Endomorph – People with this body type tend to have a slower metabolism. They gain muscle and fat relatively easily yet find it harder to shift weight. Incorporating a higher level of endurance training, along with some resistance training often works well for people with this body type.
Next up, answer these questions…
- My body feels most alive when I get this much sleep ____________.
- My body does not feel well when I _________________.
- Some habits I have been thinking would make me feel better and be a healthier person are: __________________________.
Food
- My favorite foods are ______________.
- My body does not have positive reactions when I eat these foods ______________.
- My body responds well when I eat these foods _____________.
- Foods that I enjoy that are healthy for me are ___________.
Fitness
- Some exercise or fitness routines I FORCE myself to do are ____________.
- I lost track of time when I am doing THIS type of exercise ___________.
- Fitness that is not centered on ‘fixing my body’ looks like this _____________.
- As a kid, I loved to do these physical activities _________________.
- Some things I’ve been wanting to explore in fitness are ______________.
Passions
- I feel most alive when ___________.
- If time was not a constraint, I would do these things on a free Saturday _________________.
- Things I love to do—regardless of money, include: ______________________
- My dreams and ambitions as a kid were _____________________________.
- If I can be anything when I grow up (today), I would be _______________________.
Obviously this is NOT an exhaustive list of questions…but hopefully it can get you moving in that direction to genuinely know you ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.