Disclaimer: As with any fitness post I write, anything I say about body image or body types applies to myself only. I have struggled with disordered eating and body image issues for years, and I think it’s important to be transparent and honest about it. Actually, it’s part of my healing and self-care to be forthcoming about it rather than act like everything is okay. Please understand, my thoughts are about me only and do no apply to women in general or promoting a certain body type. It’s just how I feel when I look in the mirror. Thanks for understanding.
Okay so…I’ve never wanted a butt. With beauty standards these days, I know that sounds weird, but I’m the girl who would love lifting then quit when her jeans started getting too tight in her thighs and butt. I’d gauge my fitness level off my thigh gap instead of actually feeling healthy and muscle gains. When I was in high school, I got made fun of for having muscular arms (I used to lift with the football team at lunch), so I think that had something to do with it going into adulthood. But anywho.
As we get older, we tend to lose muscle (sarcopenia) and elasticity in our skin, which has caused me to be more cognizant of muscle bearing and resistance exercise and not simply concentrating on cardio-cardio-cardio (elliptical queen at your service). It’s something of a mental hump for me (I literally just stopped lifting heavy a few months ago because I thought my thighs were getting too big), but again, part of my self-care routine is letting go of negative self-talk and feeling good about myself.
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