Going the extra mile. Isn’t that what all our teachers have told us about our effort in school? Or maybe what our parents told us when we were just kids, running around no caring about others feelings and telling us to “go that extra mile” to help someone else? What does going the extra mile mean to you in your daily life? Does it include going the extra mile to build up yourself and your body image?
People these days base their health on their weight and whether they conform to society’s ideal of “beautiful” and “perfect”. They count calories, diet and weigh their selves on a scale. With every pound they lose they feel “better” until they realize they need to lose more. If you’re a certain height and a certain weight you’re “obese” or “overweight," and that is so discouraging to so many people in our society. In a world surrounded by fast food, junk food, and poor lifestyle choices it’s been hard for people to work on their health.
Some people use scales and weigh themselves and use that as their motivation; lose a pound, then another, and then seeing that number drop is encouraging, but some people feel that it isn’t the right path for them. I know it wasn’t the right path to encourage myself. I used to weigh myself every day and if I wasn’t a certain weight, I didn’t eat because I was obsessed with a number and not my actual health. Now I base my health off of how I feel about myself and how I feel inside. In my opinion (opinion, this is not fact) I believe that health should be based off ones love for their selves and their image of their selves. If you love yourself, you will treat yourself right, you will eat the right foods, work out and become the way you want to be. I’ve given up on what society says is “beautiful” and I’ve started focusing on what makes me feel good about myself and what keeps me motivated to be the best me I can be. Since I have started running again my brain fog is gone, I crave fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and I’ve started to cut out a lot of the “bad foods” from my diet (currently still working on that one). I never weigh myself, I don’t pay attention to the negative people anymore, and I feel better. I push myself to be better and go the extra mile to work on myself. My self-image I don’t think has ever been better. There are things I want to work on, but because I want to.
A few weeks ago I went to the Circle, Atlantic beach with a big group of friends. I wore a high waist bikini, and I felt like I rocked it. As I passed a few strangers my age as I headed to the water I heard “why is she in that, does she not realize she looks fat and ugly”. I doubt they knew that I had heard them. At first, it really hurt my feelings, but as I thought about it, I realized so many people have negative on looks on people who are super curvy or are born that way. People don’t stop and look at others positive attributes. It's truly sad that people in our society can get hurt if someone calls them ugly or fat but then turn around and say harsh things about someone else’s appearance. No one is perfect. Some people were born short and curvy, others tall and skinny, and everything in between. Now that I really look back I’m not bothered by the situation because I have a positive body image of myself. I know where my insecurities are, and I’m going the extra mile to work on them. What will it take for you to go the extra mile?
I want to help other people find a better image of their selves through my stories, experiences and throughout my continued healthy body image journey. I felt my last article on body shaming got a lot of positive feedback and so many people texted me and had good conversations about their body shaming experiences. This week while writing this article I’ve been thinking how others are going the extra mile to be healthier, happier people and create a more positive body image for their selves! So I’m asking for your help. How do you go the extra mile to improve your life and your self-image? Comment, message me on my social medias, text me, etc. and let me know your stories! With your permission, I would love to do a follow-up of this article about you guys, my readers, who are absolutely amazing!
Until next time,
Megs;*
