Body Image. Those two words can send shivers up your spine & make your tug your shirt down. Or, for some, that phrase spikes your confidence and gives you an extra pep in your step. Sometimes we all need a little bit of help with body image and how we see ourselves no matter how self confident we are or we may seem.
Hollywood and media seems to have this notion that there is a one size fits all solution to health and that simply isn’t true. I’m passionate about positive body image and health. Healthy looks different for every and health most certainly does not equal skinny. Just like on the flip side of that, being skinny does not mean that you are healthy!
One of the reasons that I started this blog as well as named it Be Fearlessly Fit, is because I have struggled with body image most of my life. I’ve also struggled with fear and a fear of failure. If you’re anything like me, which, if you’re reading this, you probably are, you struggle with that body image and you might be wondering if you’ll ever reach your fitness goals.
Want to know something crazy?
I grew up in a home that nurtured body image positivity and being a confident woman knowing she’s capable of achieving anything she wants to. It was really in high school when I really started noticing how I didn’t look like the models on magazines.
Recently I read a book that has changed my perspective on myself! Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst talks about rejection, how to handle it, and how to “live loved”.
While this book isn’t necessarily about body image, the message is totally applicable to what we’re talking about. I highly recommend you checking out her book, which is a very good read and very encouraging.
Lysa has changed my perspective on myself; she said on page 126:
“There is an abundant need in this world for your exact brand of beautiful”.
I love that! Now, I don’t personally know Lysa, but if someone talks to her before me, let her know that we’re now best friends because I just love her! Which brings me to my one simple rule about body image:
Be Your Exact Brand of Beautiful
Lysa said it wonderfully. The world NEEDS your EXACT brand of beautiful; not what the media says is beautiful.. Again, the world needs you and your brand.
There is not a one size fits all to body image. PERIOD. We are not built the same, we’re not MEANT to be built the same. We should not be on the search for skinny, we should be on the hunt for healthy and strong bodies.
I truly do not understand the movement of body shaming. If you’re not sure what body shaming is, it is basically where people are shamed/made fun of for how they look and how they are shaped. This doesn’t just go for overweight women. If someone is made fun of for “being too skinny” or “her butt is too small” anything of the like. That is body shaming and guess what?
It. Is. Wrong. Period. If you have been a victim of body shaming, my heart goes out to you. Know that you are not alone for having been body shamed. If you are the one doing the shaming, shame on you. Put your self righteous self back in its place and realize that you’re not perfect either. At the same time, maybe you need to ask yourself why you’re shaming this person. Is it really about them? Or is it about how you feel about yourself and you need to do some soul searching and love yourself?
Hear me when I say
That anything I say, I say it with all of the love in my heart. We must band together as women and love on each other and lift each other up. This is a crazy hard and horribly mean world. I have recently created a Facebook community just for women where we can lift each other up and I can provide you with daily fitness tips and tricks!
Real Talk
When we as fitness models pose for our professional pictures, we are posing to make our body look the best it can. It is our job! That is not everyday life. As I’m sitting here writing this, my stomach has folds, I have a csection scar and a lump of scar tissue that is visuble.
Plus, I’ll admit- I’m a little bit hunched and I probably have my RBF going a bit. I posted this picture to my Instagram and both are me. That picture on the left? That is legitimately me. Yep, it is my actual face. The picture on the right? That is also me. My fair has been professionally fixed, and I was having professional photographs taken. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to keep explaining for you to see the difference. 
What’s my point?
My point is that while we all love looking at beautiful pictures of beautiful people, I guarantee you that they don’t look like pictures on the right when they wake up in the morning.
My pregnancy with my son was extremely taxing on my health and overall weight. I worked very hard for as long as I could to keep my health in tip top shape for both my unborn son and myself. Long story short, my weight, blood pressure, etc got out of control and I struggled with my body image for months and months. My reason for telling you this is, I’ve been there, I’ve struggled with my body image and I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to live ashamed of the body you live in!
I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times and I’ll say it a million more – strive towards being healthy and strong. The scale doesn’t say the same thing it did before I had my baby, but I am stronger and I believe as a whole, healthier than I was even before I had him.
Remember to Encourage Each Other
What’s my point? My point is, that each and everyone of us are made wonderfully and uniquely. Can you imagine if we all looked the same? How boring!
Don’t listen to the voice in your head that says you have to look a certain way. Remember, the most important thing is that you are healthy and that you are comfortable in your skin. Being too thin or overweight can be damaging to your health, however, if you’re reading this, that means you’re working towards your ideal health which is the right path.
No matter where we are on our healthy lifestyle journey, be encouraging to each other. Don’t point or make fun. Love on each other. Enough hate, lovelies. More Love..
Here’s the bottom line
I believe in you. Yep, YOU! Don’t forget that you are beautiful. Not only that, you are strong. You’re also unique. You are YOU.
Own it, love it, flaunt it.
*Be Sure To Pin For Later!
Hey Amber – My name is Heather Creekmore and I’m the author of a christian book on body image (yikes!) that may also be right up your alley. It’s a lot different than the old “it’s what’s on the inside that counts” Christian books that dominate shelf space, too. If you are interested in checking it out or doing a giveaway with one – let me know. The book just came out last June but I’m doing a relaunch in April to encourage women before swimsuit season begins!
Oops -forgot the name of the book, it’s called “Compared to Who?”