Winter is finally over, and spring is in full bloom. It’s usually about this time of year that women living in the upper hemisphere start shopping for summer attire and planning vacations. There are barbeques, parties, and days soaking up the sun at the local beach, all designed to make fun memories. However, before that point, there is also the dreaded “bikini check,” and most women know how that goes. Those winter pounds have found a way to pop out over last year’s bikini bottoms! This doesn’t mean, however, that the only option is to throw in the towel and plan on spending the entire summer at home with the air conditioning. In fact, a matter of only 24 days, as well as a healthy dose of self-determination, can spell the difference between fit and flabby.
The problem is that women in today’s society have trained themselves to think that if they are not a certain size and shape, they should think less of themselves, or even be uncomfortable in their own skins. How has this been allowed to happen? Well, if there is one thing to learn along the journey of body image issues, it is that this mentality begins with oneself. Despite the media, women must come to a point where they decide how they feel about themselves, and stop letting everyone around them dictate what they think of both themselves and the reflection in the mirror.
This is a story about Becky. Growing up, Becky was called short, fat, and pudgy. Eventually, this is what she came to believe that she actually was. Yes, she played sports, and in her teenage years she donned a bikini to sit next to the pool. However, in her subconscious, Becky always considered herself to be fat. She was not actually fat, but this belief shaped her life and haunted her until about four years ago. Becky turned 35, and
was absolutely miserable about it. She didn’t feel 35, but her body felt 70. She was, by now, 30 pounds overweight, as well as out of shape like never before. She was busy taking care of a family of 5 children, concentrating on being a wife and “super mom.” One day, however, Becky couldn’t take it any longer. She finally broke. That Thanksgiving, she found and read any information she could find that would help her finally reach her goal weight. At the same time, a body-building trainer found her blog, approached Becky about training with him, and recommended competing in the fitness competition he was putting on. Becky thought he was crazy, but nonetheless, in February of 2010, she started on her weight-loss journey. Eventually, she did not compete, but for the next two years, the trainer stood by her side, helping her to keep herself accountable for what she ate, thought, and did with her body. Becky did originally train to compete, but found that, in her circumstances, the upcoming competition took her back to the vicious cycle of never being satisfied with what she saw in the mirror. She always wanted more, her mind telling her that she wasn’t good enough. She eventually decided to take a year off, in order to quit worrying about what she saw in the mirror, and to learn the art of self-love. She believes that it was ultimately this choice that rid her of the self-consciousness and insecurity from which she’d previously suffered.
Becky thinks that, first and foremost, women must love themselves internally, because this transmits to outer beauty. In fact, if a woman is engaged in a cycle of self-loathing, she is likelier to engage in unhealthy physical habits, such as emotional eating. The only way to fix this problem is to stop the cycle, once and for all.
Get a Bikini Body for Good!
By Becky Christensen Phillips
Photo Credit: Shlomi Cohen