This weekend a group of us all took our kids to the water park. And maybe it’s just me, but even in how far I have come in loving my body, swimsuits are just not something I love.
Okay, that’s putting it nicely. Real transparency is that I HATE being in a swimsuit.
It’s like all of the confidence I have and feel gets lost in me checking out how much cellulite I actually have, or the hips that carry an extra 10 pounds, etc.
Have you ever been there?
And what do you do about it?
These are 3 things I did and I hope can give you some ideas if you run into this in the future:
- At the beginning of summer I bought a really cute suit. Not one from Target that is made for a 16 year old, but one that is designed for a momma who has a few extra pounds. This way, aside from the cellulite I felt SUPER cute and it worked with my body shape.
- I STOPPED looking at my backside. Seriously, it’s not like looking at it was going to make it change or go away. So why torture myself? The more I looked at it the more I was bothered by it. (This is an instance when I think ‘ignorance is bliss’ rings true)! If you find yourself obsessing about a part of your body you don’t like- just stop looking and thinking about it!
- If cellulite specifically is an issue for you, do some research. When you know that it’s almost as genetic as freckles are you begin to see that it’s more normal than airbrushed magazines want us to think it is. Over 80% of women have it- no matter their size!
The most important thing I did? I chose to not let the baby weight I am still carrying ruin my day with my family and friends. The truth is- no one cares about my body. Shocker right?!
But you know who did care about something?
My boys.
And I had to make a conscious decision to choose THEM over the crazy hate/insecure/comparing garbage that was going on in my head.
My decision was to be free. To be with my boys and run free and wild with them in this amazing body that gave life to them. This body that allows me to hold their hands and wrestle them until they admit that mommy is the winner. This body of mine that is fighting stage 4 kidney disease and healing when it was told it’s not possible.
Instead of letting my body define me, I let who I am be shared by my body.
This may not be a step by step plan to get healthy like many of my posts, but you know what I’ve realized over my years working with women?
If you can master the MIND, the rest will fall into place. If we don’t learn to silence the negative story we hear when we look in the mirror, then no matter how fit we get it won’t change how we see ourselves.
So my prayer for us is that we would see ourselves through eyes of appreciation, and I hope this will encourage you in your journey to Body Confidence like you’ve never known!
With love,
Sarah