This post resonated with me. It is so true — women especially spend so much energy on hating what they see. They can be the strongest, prettiest women you have ever seen but if you ask them – they can show you a laundry list of things that they ‘hate’ about the way they look. What do to about it? I have no idea — I have the same issues even with the progress I have made. I am a fit and healthy woman but can still give you a list of all the things that make me cringe when I see pics or look in the mirror. We need to learn to be kinder to ourselves and realize that being fit isn’t a number on the scale —
She sees herself more negatively than she sees other people (all this body stuff isn’t rational, after all), at least that’s what I have always done. Other people were okay, but I was just awful. I still slip into that thinking sometimes when I look at less than flattering pictures of myself. Other people just took a bad picture, but I I must really look like that. Thinking of her wasting her youth on all that unrealistic cruelty to her own body made all my hurt and anger morph into pity and sympathy. I’ve been there, and thinking like that becomes way too normal. It doesn’t even feel weird anymore after a while; it’s just the way you talk to and about your body.
How is it possible that such a pretty little thing and such a tough Crossfitter could feel that way? What does it say about our culture that she would really avoid fun, active summer activities because she thought she looked fat in a bathing suit? How could all that negativity about her body be on her mind after doing a hard workout really well? I hate this about our world. I hate that she isn’t feeling how strong and useful and pretty and healthy her body is. I hate that there are so many women like her who feel that way every day of their lives.