My fitness journey has certainly been one that has been up and down over the past few years. I’ve gone from being a fitness fanatic, to dreading the thought of going to the gym. I’ve yo-yoed back and forth between different gym and health club memberships, trying to find one that not just helps me meet my goals, but also makes me feel comfortable. Because ultimately, isn’t that why anyone goes to the gym, works out and maintains a healthy diet? To be comfortable in their own skin. Yes everyone can turn around and say that they work out for themselves. To lead a healthier lifestyle, and to improve their health, to not feel so out of breath when they are running for the train in the morning. But again, ultimately, it comes down to one thing. How comfortable are you, really, in your own skin? This post is all about Body Image.
It’s pretty hard to avoid all the controversy at the moment about the Protein World advert that has been plastered all over public transport stations over the past few weeks. With many people finding the advert not only offence, but demeaning to females, by questioning whether they are beach body ready. If you haven’t seen the advertising campaign, where exactly have you been? It features a super skinny model, literally crying out to be fed, somewhat showing off her own bikini body.
I must question, however, who defined what a beach body really is? Who defined what the criteria is for being bikini ready? Because to me, anyone can wear a bikini and look great, but in my opinion, looking great comes from feeling comfortable in your own skin. With adverts like that plastered in our faces, maybe it’s time we took a stand, instead of ranting on about these adverts, and questioned what gives these Company’s the right to classify a certain body type as a beach body?
I made these exact comments to a friend of mine a few days ago, who simply retorted my comments. In her own defense, she had made a remark saying how it was “Ok for me to makes comments like that” – justified by the fact that she thought I was slender myself. This comment itself really got to me. I do not classify myself at all as slender at all. For years, every time I went for a weigh in at the doctors my BMI always fell within overweight. However, I also do not classify myself as overweight. I work out almost 4 times a week, doing toning exercises at home on days when I am not at the gym. I tend to eat fairly healthy foods, falling off the wagon every so often, but hey, I’m only human. And to me, BMI is certainly something that should not be relied upon, and it definitely shouldn’t be something doctors dish out advice on. Scales, the Doctor, or anyone else should not define how you feel or see yourself. As long as you know, yourself, that you are comfortable and healthy, who is anyone to tell you otherwise?
As my mum has always said, the fingers on your hands aren’t the same (aren’t you proud I quoted you?!). No two people are the same. We should embrace all shapes and sizes, as long as we have the inner confidence to rebel against such adverts that are targeted just to increase sales for supplement products, that probably don’t even work.
If you aren’t comfortable with yourself or your image, do something about it, but do it for yourself. Not anyone else. To me, this is the one way we can all be “beach body ready”.
