Why is it in a world full of catch phrases, and where a word can having many different meanings, do we choose to take a word and make it negative? Not realising the impact those words have on our self esteem.
Why do the words “skinny” “fat” and “weight loss” have so many feelings around them?
How do the words “calorie intake” have you running for the hills with all the snacks you can shove into your mouth and a back pack all at once?
A long time ago I learnt that if I restricted myself in a food sense, I’d blow out. It was like someone told me there was going to be no chocolate left in the world and I needed to eat it all at once.
I also knew that my relationship with the scale was doomed. I knew I wasn’t ( and I know I’m still never ) going to be skinny. Im always going to be a curvy girl with my Maxine thighs and a booty.
So how did I change my thought processes? I HAD to learn to love myself through the process of change. We all know how I feel about #feelings etc. But affirmations and choosing words with meaning to me have become an important part of who I am now, and how set my goals.
I decided after a challenge i’d done in early 2017 that I wasn’t going to focus on the scales any more. That number didn’t define me, it didn’t make me strong. What it did was send me stir fucking crazy, and it wasn’t reflecting how my body was changing.
My journey was more about “weight loss” – it needed to be, for me to be successful in becoming a better version of myself. I decided that if I was going to continue on that I needed to talk about it as Health and Wellness. Not weight loss and size.
I was still human, I was going to have good and bad days food wise, and lazy weeks exercise wise, and my autoimmune disease would have me pull up stumps and modify and that was OK. Because I was more than my weight loss, I was dealing with all the bits and pieces that I’ve talked about before – you know those lemony pulpy bits.
I also decided I was going to change the way I talked about myself. It takes a while to get out of the habit. But I told myself I wasn’t going to call myself “fat” anymore. Nor did I want to be “skinny” to me, those words held no value. like skinny milk or low fat, high fat, low carb high carb. For me it was wholesome foods and exercise, as well as things that nurtured my whole well being.
I didn’t want to be some fucking slave to a fad, I wanted this to be my best relationship. I was over these buzz words. I still am, whenever someone asks me about getting started on this journey, I talk about it being their ” health and wellness” or making a ” conscious decision” I try not to make it about calories or weight loss. Sure there is a place for those words, and sometimes you need to track your calories, or talk about being calorie deficient. But those words can’t consume or define you.
Talking about yourself in a negative way, eventually has negative impacts and effects.
You have to celebrate the non scale victories, and the “firsts”.
Taking selfies of yourself for progress, or because you feel fly as fuck isn’t vain, its growth, recognising change, embracing this new you, like you’ve shed an old skin. Thats all so important to who you are as a person.
Its not defined by if you followed a certain insta famous or online program ( I’m not dissing them by the way ) Or if you joined an 8 week challenge. Its defined by how you feel during and after, and what changes you’ve come to love through the process. Its defined by that first moment you say ” fuck I feel / look good ” its that moment where you make a conscious food choice for the betterment of your health, and not because its “low fat” or low carb”. Its defined when you have chosen how you’re going to love yourself. How you’re going to take words and make them positives and not negatives. That’s when you know you’ve grown past the meaning of a word.
The picture I’ve shared with this blog, is to hopefully empower you to feel change. Its not easy. This picture wasn’t even easy to take. I had to be convinced to send it, because as my ever important self love guru baby brother said. ” Dammmnnn Gina, you look fly as fuck and hot! Look at all your hard work paying off”
He was right, it has been hard work and consistency – not perfection. Just trying to be better every day. Just concentrating on me and my journey, and if I help someone along the way thats amazing. It has nothing to do with fads and buzz words. Its sweat and sometimes tears ( Yeap I’ve cried at training ) sacrifices and smart choices. That’s what gets you where you need to be.
Them Thighs 