Enough is Enough.

Enough is Enough.

Enough with comparing ourselves to other women.
“That woman has a smaller waist than me”.” That woman has more toned arms”. “That woman has a prettier bone structure.”

Who cares?

You know the funny thing is- that woman you’re envying is sitting there thinking the same about you- “That woman has prettier hair than me.” “That woman has clearer skin.” “That woman has a prettier eye color than mine.”

The fact is, it’s time we stopped glamorizing other people’s “better” traits than ours and stopped diminishing what makes US beautiful. It’s time we stopped thinking we’re inferior just because of our genetics. It’s time we stopped trying to shrink ourselves into submission, hiding in the background of photographs so we don’t appear “fat,” and endlessly scrolling Pinterest “gym motivation” photos and hating ourselves in the process.

Enough is enough.

It’s about time we stopped letting society dictate our worth is based only in our appearance. I just watched a FANTASTIC documentary entitled “Miss Representation” that really affected me in a large way. Here is an amazing quote I took from it:

“We need strong women role models who are in the media BECAUSE they did something, because they’re doing GREAT work. NOT because they have the most “bangin’ body” or they’re the “Sexiest woman of 2013.” They’re the best philanthropist. They’re the best in the medical field. And it’s not about the way they look. It’s about who they are inside.”

Wow. Powerful, huh?

It seems all we hear about in the media in regards to women these days about celebrities’ weight loss, who is getting their pre-baby body back the quickest, who is developing cellulite, what plastic surgery so-and-so got, etc. ad nauseum.

Enough is Enough.

If it seems like I’m mad, I am.

I’m also sick of seeing people have negative reactions to women lifting in the gym “Ew, so masculine.” “You’re going to hurt yourself.” and my favorite- “Don’t get too bulky!”

Heck- WHAT IF I WANT TO GET BULKY!? WHAT IF I THINK MUSCLES ARE BEAUTIFUL!?

I in fact, do happen to think muscles are beautiful.

Because muscles represent strength. Empowerment. Health. Wellness. Nourishment. POWER!

But that’s not glamorized in our society. No- we CAN’T have women have MUSCLES. Wouldn’t that be THREATENING to the MEN!?!?! MEN don’t like women with MUSCLES!! (Not true, by the way. Ask my fiance 😉 )

Sadly, women with muscles aren’t as celebrated as women with thigh gaps or prominent collarbones.

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Now if the above is naturally what your body tends to look like, then that’s awesome. ROCK IT! This post is NOT about looking down on women that are naturally thin. Far from it.

But the point here is- most girls/women just simply aren’t genetically predisposed to look like this. And instead of just recognizing, “Hey, these women are gorgeous but you know, I am too even though my thighs don’t touch!-”

You have girls looking at images like this, CREATING images like this, CREATING anonymous twitter accounts to form bonds with other girls on starvation diets so they can finally be “beautiful,” “well-liked,” and one of the “popular” girls.

Enough is Enough.

According to this article, ONE in FIVE girls aged SEVEN to ELEVEN say they’ve been on a diet.

Did you guys read that correctly? How sad. When I was that age all I wanted to do was play outside. I didn’t care how I looked.

It seems this problem is only getting worse and worse.

Enough is Enough.

“If women spent more time helping a sick neighbor, or volunteering at a homeless shelter, focusing on how to use all their energy to solve some of the world’s problems-if they spent a tenth of the time thinking about those things than they do thinking about their WEIGHT- I mean, I think we’d solve all of the world’s problems in a matter of months.”
-Katie Couric

Now, clearly this is a fitness blog so I do, naturally, place a high priority on health and fitness. However, it’s not to conform to what society “wants,” but it’s because it’s what’s best for my body, makes me feel amazing, and honestly there’s just no better feeling than throwing heavy weights around with wild abandon.

I believe there is a healthy balance that exists regarding  getting fit and self acceptance. People will try to tell you can’t love your body as well as getting fitter in the process because you’ll be satisfied with “mediocrity” (Yes someone told me that once.)  well that’s just a load of trash. 

Get healthy BECAUSE you love your body. Accept yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others. Focus on getting your mind right. Stop teaching your little girls it’s okay to talk badly about yourself and other women’s bodies. Stop feeding into celebrity tabloids. Stop feeding into the “I AM A WOMAN SO I MUST SHRINK MYSELF INCESSANTLY” mindset.

Stop shrinking- start growing. Grow your positivity within. Grow your strength. Groing your kindness to others. Grow your muscles by EATING enough food, not starving yourself.

There is a better way.

Enough is Enough.