Body Image

In the past few days I've noticed a lot of people writing on their blogs about body image. Women, of course. Beautiful women who are uncomfortable in a body I am trying to obtain... isn't that silly?

Aren't we all just so silly?

I read these posts shaking my head.... How can these women think they're undesirable, overweight, chubby, too big for a bikini - or the worst one - dreading having to wear the "mom suit" at the beach. That one hits me on a personal level.... because I'm not a mom, but I cover my body with what these women deem a "mom suit" - they are afraid of looking like me.

ouch.

Talk about a sucker punch to my ego - not that it was their intention, but what I dont think women realize is that if they are in the "normal" weight range on those god-awful BMI charts, they have absolutely nothing to complain about. (fun fact: I am in the morbidly obese range because of my height, yet I am capable of 5K mud runs, swimming and boot camp workouts 4-5 days a week - those BMI charts are bullshit) These women don't see that they are completely normal, beautiful in fact, and that they should rock the hell out of that bikini, and nobody is going to judge them otherwise.

I see this pattern, mainly in the naturally thin women. These women had it easy growing up. They could eat all they wanted and not gain an ounce, while chubby-little-mess Erin had to sit in the corner wishing she could have that ice cream they were eating. I've never been thin, I've been unhealthy trying to be thin, but it's just not in the cards for me, and I get that. But when these bloggers type their woes on their blogs about their struggles with the 15 lbs they can't seem to shed to get back to their High School weight (are you effing kidding me?), I have little pity for them. I have been eating salads my whole adult life to look like these women do AT THEIR HEAVIEST, and they don't see that their insecurities hurt other people. Love your body, please.

I just wish this body image pandemic would be laid to rest. I know it will be an ongoing struggle, with fashion and advertising rubbing skinny 15 year olds in our faces the rest of our lives, but can we at least try? Can we just love our bodies for as long as they answer to us and give us what we ask? Movement, life, the ability to run, swim, hike, surf, play sports.....

Is it too much to ask for that?