I've been doing some thinking. Or maybe just observing. Since the explosion of Instagram, as well as the handy technology of cameras on phones, millions of pictures are constantly being uploaded onto the internet. And who really cares about privacy anyway? From my meager little kitchen, I find it amazing that I can access some Hollywood celebrity's twitter or instagram, instantly becoming that much closer to observing what happens in their daily lives. Exciting, I know!
There are also trends too. Selfies. Food shots. Throw-back Thursdays. The ever-annoying hashtags that make grammar nazis like myself die a little every day. And then there are the crazy work-out kings/queens.
If you read my previous blog post about working out, you might think I am aspiring to be one of those gym addicts. Honestly, to begin with, I couldn't argue against that. I'd love to have a six-pack! But as the pictures on the internet just kept popping up, I began to see things a bit differently.
First things first. The shaming. We know it well. Before and after pics are constantly bombarding us, showing us the drastic results of working out thirty times a day.
"Here's my eight week transformation!"
"Can't believe I looked like that before! So happy about clean eating and lifting weights!"
"I used to think I was fit. Boy, was I wrong!"
Don't get me wrong here! I am very happy that these people are cleaning up their eating habits and working out. There aren't enough people doing it out there, considering the obesity rates and heart disease in our country. It's the underlying message concerning the before picture that gets me. Too often, I see girls who are a normal size or shape (which totally varies across the board and can range from super skinny, cellulite, wide hips, boy-shaped, huge boobs, etc. etc.) put themselves down. They say things like, "I am so embarrassed to show this photo" and all I can do is hang my head in shame. These women are not obese and yet, they think something is terribly wrong with looking the way they are. It has to be huge muscles and a tiny but toned torso. Thick obliques and the biggest biceps you could ever see on a girl. Strong is the new skinny.
What is wrong with normal? Absolutely nothing! What is wrong with working out? Absolutely nothing! But when we show the world that normal is wrong, that's when the danger starts.
Typically, when I happen upon a fitness freak--and I mean that in the kindest sense--their story is all about the workout. Between four to six days a week. Meal prep. Eating five to six meals a day. Protein, protein, protein. To me, this seems like a lot of work. And it is! But it's not a life for somebody, unless they are constantly training to be in competitions or a trainer at a gym. Can you imagine doing this for ten years? That's a heck of a lot of food, and a heck of lot of time at the gym. I don't know about anyone else with a family, but mine could not handle any more craziness where Mom is making separate meals for herself in addition to being gone a couple hours that might have been spent with my kid or husband.
Working out is good. Making it a lifestyle choice is even better. Making it the centre of your life? Well, that's a bit far, at least for most people. **If anyone reading this is making fitness their current life, please don't be offended by my comments. I am not here to criticize your workouts or goals. I am merely making observations about how the average person views this from the outside.
And now let's talk about the food. Clean eating. Awesome! Our country could get a lesson in proper meals and nutrition. But the shame comes in again.
"Had a doughnut. Now I need to double my work out to burn it off. Need to eat clean for the rest of the week."
Really? One doughnut is enough to send you into a mad workout frenzy? Lord help me if I ever feel bad for the doughnut and ice cap I treat myself to! This might be a problem if I ate them every day, but I don't! And I certainly do not think the rest of my diet needs to be centred balancing the "bad" foods I eat. Let's live a little! Food was meant to be thoroughly enjoyed. Savoured. Relished. Appreciated.
Some people do a great job of taking pictures of their healthy meals. Some do a terrible job. It can be really hard to convince the world that you are enjoying your food when it looks like you crapped on your plate and put some sauce on it. Mmm...that's some tasty sh*t!
I can readily admit that I shamed myself in my last post. So I gained some weight after I lost my baby weight and had stopped nursing. My jeans didn't fit very well. So what? It happens. Unfortunately, Hollywood likes to remind mothers about the women who have personal trainers come to their home the day after a baby is born to begin a workout routine. Stop showing pictures of ridiculously fit celebrities just months after birth as if it's normal. Some woman naturally bounce back. And some don't. It's okay that Jessica Simpson doesn't look like used to after now giving birth to two children in two years. To birth a child, a woman's body has to do incredible things, including widening the hips and stretching in crazy places.
All I'm saying is embrace your body, despite it's differences from the mould of society. Yes, keep fit, according to what you can do! But for the sake of yourself and the rest of the world who may see your progress, avoid the shame. As women, we are already severely critical of ourselves. Let's not add to that!
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