Pinterest and Body Image

Why do women feel so badly about their bodies? I have talked to women who can't tell me even one thing that they like about their body. Not even one! Why? Because our culture is broken. Women are objectified and used for marketing, and if we don't look like those photo-shopped, nipped and tucked, or even the naturally tall and thin models, then we aren't lovable and we aren't accepted. 

 The hardest part about this is that we keep this merry-go-round turning by buying the magazines with the headlines of "Lose 10 pounds in one week",  we congratulate people because they finally fit into size 0 jeans, we compare our butt to the girl at the gym who obviously has a totally different body type, and we pin those pins on Pinterest with the half naked lady with the perfect body with a quote that says something like "Look in the mirror. That's your competition." 

The more we hate on our bodies the more they hate back. You might be able to beat your body into submission and make yourself lose 30 pounds. But then, when the diet is over, you will find yourself consoling your sad, beaten body with a carton of ice cream, or something more addictive and maybe even dangerous. The only true way to find health is to learn to love and appreciate the body you are in and stop comparing yourself to the models in the fitness posts and magazines. 

I am reposting this Facebook status update here because I feel so strongly about this! :

"I just noticed that ALL of the pictures on Pinterest that popped up when I was doing a fitness search had one thing in common, every photo of a fit body on there was exactly the same body type. It was like they used the same body over and over and just changed the skin tone and clothing.
She was tall, very thin, with a gap between her thighs, and lots of photoshop to remove any skin imperfections, wrinkles, cellulite, etc. How many of us women could actually have a body like that even if we worked at it every day? Maybe 1%. Where is the diversity? Where is the appreciation of body types like mine: short, sprite-like, and muscular. Or like my friends that have different DNA that makes them softer and curvier in the most beautiful ways? Why are we trying to change ourselves to become someone we are not? We should be striving for the healthiest version of ourselves, not to look like the girl in the magazine. It's like telling an apple to look like a banana.

I really appreciate our individuality and how each of our body types is different. Our blueprints are different.

Ladies, no wonder we all feel bad about our bodies. Only 1% of us could make it onto a Pinterest fitness motivation photo that is supposed to be the "ideal" body. Our culture is teaching us that THAT is what we should strive to look like! Don't listen to that CRAP! If you have that body type then that is wonderful, but I know I could never look like that, even on my skinniest, healthiest day; and honestly I don't want to look like that. It isn't me. I'm not built to be like that.

Embrace your bodies ladies! They are beautiful and unique! Don't fall for the cultural messages that tell us we have to have their version of a "perfect" body. You body is perfect! It is beautiful! It is YOURS! Love it and take care of it!"