Summer Mantra: Give Yourself a Break

June 30, 2007 10:00 am     Posted in Body  Jess - NYU g+ page

bikini-girl.jpg


By Jess

As temperatures rise and shorts, bathing suits, and skirts become less about fashion and more about necessity, it becomes more and more vital that I love myself. I must love myself because I’m not always the biggest fan of my thighs and stomach. I must love myself because I always think my arms could be firmer and my knees could stop looking so weird.

As I type this, I’m sitting at my desk in a bathing suit (living in New York has kept me far away from any type of swimming pool, but bathing suits are much more acceptable than a bra and underwear if someone were to knock or accidentally look into my apartment. Or if a stranger crawls through my window while drunk. This has happened. I am now always prepared), sweating and drinking water like a mad woman.

Any other article of clothing would be insane to wear at the moment, and thus, I’m forced to see my body in all of its flawed glory—and probably will be seeing it for the rest of the day into tomorrow, if NYC continues to bake me like a Christmas turkey. Since starting a new gym routine that includes lifting and more cardio, I’m more comfortable in my skin than I’ve been in a while, but even a size 4/6 looks less than perfect when one is sitting Indian style in a bathing suit.

But I won’t give in. I won’t give in to the nagging feeling that I should stop eating just for the day, or swear off anything with carbs, or run down the block to one of the 12 GNC’s by my apartment and grab a bottle of weight loss pills. I won’t give in, because I’m 24, and I’ve been down this road season after season.

I also won’t diet. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Dieting makes me sad, obsessive, and only works for a little while. If I diet, I’ll lose weight, but the weight I’ll become won’t be something I can maintain comfortably.

I’m normal for my height, have a good BMI, but must consistently fight the urge to freak out when I see an unflattering picture or a girl who is literally half of me. I have to fight the urge, but I do, because life seems too short to obsess about becoming thin.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m the only one out there who feels this way. What about you, lovelies? Anyone out there who’s at a normal, healthy weight and fighting to love herself that way? Anyone else refuse to diet? Anyone else sick of the Hollywood brainwashing? Let me know!

…Before my apartment completely turns into a rotisserie oven.

6 Comments on "Summer Mantra: Give Yourself a Break"

  1. Diana - NYU says:
    Sat, 30th Jun 200711:49 am 

    I'm with you on the dieting. A five found weight loss isn't worth walking around all day mentally calculating the calories you've eaten, will eat, and want to eat.

  2. Barb says:
    Sat, 30th Jun 200712:31 pm 

    I get obsessive too, with the dieting. That's why I don't do it anymore. Every day there are like 5 commericals telling me to diet, and I just want to throw my diet soda at the TV and scream "I AM NOT FAT! STOP TELLING ME I AM"

    …America needs to get off my back, ya know?

  3. Mallie says:
    Tue, 3rd Jul 20078:06 am 

    So many girls i know spend their days obsessing over food and that bugs me. I love my food too much to start charting down every calorie I consume. To me an ideal body isnt a skinny one, ive never been jealous over a skinny girl in my life…

  4. Leigh says:
    Thu, 26th Jul 200711:57 am 

    Yes, I feel like that a lot of the time. I think that it's all of those stupid TV commercials and ads that dipict the "perfect womens" body being 5'10" and 110 pounds. The thing with me is that I'm not SKINNY. I have a very athletic body and I will just never be stick thin, but when I think about it I guarentee I could out run, and out play, in any sport, all of those stick women. I mean I love to be outside and do tons of activities but when your skinny, and don't eat enough you have no energy to do anything and who wants a life like that?! So when it comes down to it, yes at times ( more then I like to admit) I feel the same way you do, but hey you live in NY!! Go out and get walking, but don't do it to be skinny do it to make yourself feel good. Feel good that your making a positive,healthy decision to better your own self-esteem and self-worth. Exercise releases endorphines which make you happy, so you'll benefit yourself in so many ways. Plus, you may lose a couple of pounds in the process, but in a good way. So cheer up!!

  5. Jules says:
    Mon, 21st Jan 20088:52 am 

    A lot of the girls at my school are tiny, and when I look at them I feel like a cow, but then I just go out and put on a pair of jeans that show my butt really nicely. I do a lot of sports and I also enjoy eating lots and lots of food (pasta, burgers, steak, etc.) which those stick-thin women can never do. It makes me feel a lot better. When I get really jealous when the eighty-pound girl starts making out right in front of me with the guy who's so hot he caused global warming, I tend to force my brain back to the massive linguini I'm going to consume after my 1.5 mile run. You have to focus on what your body can do, not what it looks like.

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