Well, maybe I shouldn't say that it amazed me.....it basically just confirmed my beliefs, but it was still eye opening to see it performed right on my computer screen. This video just reiterates what we should all already know, and if you don't this, allow me to educate you: What we see in a magazine, in advertisements, commercials, you name it: ISN'T REAL!!!!!!! Did I just blow some of your minds? I should think not. For those of us within the weight loss journey, this has been a well known fact. My question is, if this has been a well known fact, or truth in my book, then why do so many of us do these horrible crazy fad diets and kill ourselves for not losing a certain amount of weight in a week? Why do we punish ourselves? Why do we say negative or diminishing things about ourselves and our appearances? Why can't we accept a compliment, wholeheartedly, without making a joke out of it? Why? Why? Why?
When it comes to my videos on Youtube, I get quite a few comments on each video. Not a whole heck of a lot, but just enough to let me know that there are people out there watching, cheering and rooting for me to reach my ultimate goal. But every so often, I get a comment that makes me want to reach out to a person, and really have a heart-to-heart conversation. Sometimes I get comments that say things like, "Man, if I could just look like you, I would be totally happy with myself...." I will readily admit that this type of a comment is ridiculously flattering and I do appreciate it, but I want to say immediately to this person, 'why don't you love yourself just as you are?' I know, I know...its all so much easier said than done.
When I had my "wake up" moment (see the 1st post to this blog 'My Story') I too, hated myself. I was angry, I hated the way I looked, I hated myself in general. Every time I looked in the mirror, I wanted to cry or smash it into tiny pieces. I'm going to be really honest with you all right now. When I was in middle school, I had an eating disorder. I would often starve myself until I felt light headed, and as I was involved in sports...this was not such a good idea. I actually remember one day at home, my Dad asking..."Hun, did you eat dinner? You look a little pale.." Then I begrudgingly sat down and ate my dinner, while feeling guilty the entire time for the calorie consumption. And why was I doing that? Because at that point in my life...I thought the only way I could be worthy of attention, love, friendship, etc., was if I looked as thin and as pretty as Joey on "Dawson's Creek". IT SIMPLY ISN'T ATTAINABLE!!!!!
A while back, my Dad asked me something that really made me think. He said, " I'm proud of you for trying to become healthy and lose a little bit of weight, but I have to ask, why do women put so much emphasis on their looks? Aren't there other things about themselves that they could take pride in other than how much they weigh or how pretty they might appear to others?" WOW. Of course, I came up with an immediate defense..."DAD! You just don't get it!" (Yep, there's that teenager in me). "Its so much more difficult for women. Its a double standard for us. We have to be pretty and intelligent." To an extent, I did have a point there. But I think the point my Dad was making was much more pensive and observant.
Does it really matter that some of us will never be able to wear a size 2? I'm one of those women! No matter how much weight I lose, my body will never be below a size 8 or 6. Its just the way I'm built! But does that really matter? NO! I repeat: NO! IT DOESN'T MATTER. And why doesn't it matter? Because there are SO MANY other things about me that make me a wonderful person. WE ARE NOT DEFINED BY THE SIZE OF OUR PANTS OR A NUMBER ON OUR SCALE!!!!!!!
If you're reading this and thinking, 'Oh yeah, easy for her to say..she already lost a lot of weight and likes the way she looks...' then I have a challenge for you. If you're reading this, and you're thinking you could NEVER love anything about yourself, then I've got a challenge for you. The challenge is this: you send me a picture of you, or a short video introducing yourself and telling me a little something about yourself, and I'll send back an entire paragraph full of wonderful traits and characteristics that not only make you BETTER than any model or actress out there, but DISTINCT from them in many ways (many positive ways). Its a simple thought that most of us were taught in grade school, but, consider this:
If we were all the same, it would be an awfully boring world...wouldn't it?
I adore the Dove video. The scariest thing I see is the British music press is this ridiculous over photoshopping of people is now happening to the rock stars I love. They're starting to look as plastic as those models.
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