Body image. It's a sensitive subject, but in my experience all women are affected by it to varying degrees. It frightens me how focused our culture has become on our bodies and their perceived imperfections. As a mother of girls, it's a concern that ranks pretty high on my list of what to teach (or NOT teach) them.
I am not sure how my own mother managed it, but I feel like she instilled in me a pretty solid confidence in myself and a healthy sense of my own body. I often joke that I wish I obsessed a little bit more about my weight or being in shape because I'd probably look better. And while a bit more obsession might lead me to a thinner self, in truth I am very grateful for the peace of mind I have in that area. Because when fed, I have found that obsession is not too strong a word--it can spiral out of control pretty quickly.
Don't get me wrong--my post-baby body is going to be tough to accept. (Which is just one reason why this post struck a chord with me). And though I certainly will work at getting fit and being healthy, I am not going to let my feelings about it overwhelm the other priorities of life. I've avoided it (for the most part) my whole life, and I refuse to give in to it now.
If you have a minute, read the post I linked above--then read the embedded link in it. There are some great things to think about. We each wage a mental battle against the subtle worldly messages that bombard us every day. How do you avoid getting sucked in? I'd really like to know.
6 comments:
This is a great post and one I have recently been thinking about. I worry about my daughter and her worries about body image. She over worries about her body at 11 because she has twig skinny brothers and she isn't. She even talked her to doctor about being on a diet. Of course the doctor told her she had nothing to worry about and as she hit "womanhood" her body would change, etc. It really saddened me that she was worried about it at her age though. For me, I know it is important to be healthy so I need to worry about that about more for myself, but I have never really cared about my size or my looks per say. I do know the world does care though, and that if I want to be taken seriously and respected I need to conform a little more in regards to my weight. Great topic worthy of much discussion.
Funny, this has been a topic on my mind too. ;) Currently, I have a few friends who are totally too comsumed in acheiving their "perfect" body. While I totally admire the desire to be healthy and look good... it seems to be more of an obession with their body image rather than being healthy and the natural benefits of it. It is only sad to me because really they are beautiful just the way they are and they are constantly stressing about it. They insist on wearing the swim skirt, not to be modest, but because they have a tiny bit of "jiggle".
I also have many family members both in mine and Weston's families who have had plastic surgery. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it is great if people want to better themselves and feel more confident about how they look. I really don't care what people decide to do... But, as I look and see how common boob jobs, lipo, botox, etc are becoming it worries me because I think idea of what a "normal" female body looks like is becoming distorted. I teach young women and I hear the comments they make about various ladies in the ward and they compare themselves to them (not realizing that they have had work done). I worry that falling into the plastic surgery trap, really is becoming detramental and I can see how it makes them feel less beautiful and peaceful about how they are naturally.
How do I avoid thinking too much about my weight? I don't own a scale.
It's hard to obsess about a few pounds plus or minus when you don't know if you have a few pounds plus or minus!
How do I avoid feeling bad about my appearance? I don't spend a lot of time looking in the mirror!
Seriously! It works! (though I'm sure Ginger would be aghast at how I look when I leave the house most days...!)
This is a hard one for me, because I think I know where my body image problems come from, but I'm not sure how to fix them. I always admired how you seemed to avoid obsessing about your body. And you are sooo beautiful. Radiant, really. This is definitely one of my weaknesses and something I need to overcome. Thanks for getting me thinking.
i am still expecting to wake up some mornings and find my pre baby body. most of the time i don't obsess, but lately it has been on my mind more than not. Last month I broke my scale just by stepping on it. Not having one has helped.
I also don't keep a scale, but mostly I have so much else that I'm involved in at any given time, that I rarely have time to even think about my post-4-babies body... Despite my mom's best efforts to give me a fat-complex, it's been something that I have mostly banished thanks to my wonderful husband's compliments... Oh, and running and being healthy helps tons too. Even if my shape isn't what it used to be, I feel strong and powerful and mentally healthy just from the daily burn of running.
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