Look In The Mirror

This post is for everyone out there, but I know in my heart it is going to speak more to women... and I hope that my thoughts on this subject come out right.  No offending.  Just truth (for me at least).

It is SO EASY to get caught up in our body image.  The thoughts and the subsequent mental torture we put ourselves through is just not fair.  I'm too fat.  I'm too skinny.  I don't look like that.  I look good.  I look bad.  I look great.  I look unhealthy. 

Whatever it is we are telling ourselves, we all have a distorted view of ourselves.  And can I just say it.... IT SUCKS. 

This post is going to end up more than a vent than anything, but I think the most important thing I can get across here is that YOU are not alone... I am not alone. 

So a couple years ago, when I was unhealthy, overweight, sad... I looked in the mirror and didn't SEE any of that.  I thought I looked okay.  I didn't view myself as overweight.... which, yes, I guess is a good thing.  But you see, I was lying to myself.  And hurting myself without even realizing it.  Looking back at the pictures and really examining how I FELT on the inside at that time of my life... I wonder how I could have ever thought that where I was physically and mentally was ok. 

I am sure we all know someone (or maybe that someone is you) that when they look in the mirror... they see the same person they have seen all of their life in that reflection... even though there have been changes.  They don't see the added weight, the loss of weight, the happiness or the sadness... but it is there.  And life goes on.  Accepting this norm. 

I guess that maybe I have the opposite problem that most people have.  I never saw the chub.  I just said "this is me, this is who I am".  Again, not trying to offend anyone, and yes I know that it is good to have this mentality... SOMETIMES.  But when my physical health was in a slow decline... this is not ok.  I need to look in the mirror again.  Look closely. 

What do I see now?  Well I see someone who is fit, and athletic looking, skinny but not too skinny... I still see areas that need improving.  So when does it stop!?  When do we stop looking in the mirror and seeing a distorted body image!??! 

• A great example of this... a few days ago a friend of mine showed me a video she had made of herself doing a bonus workout for her challenge group.  When she set her phone down and backed away from it in the video I said "wow!  Look at you skinny mini!"  Now, I see this friend all the time.  And, yes in person she is skinny... and athletic looking... but her reaction to me saying this is kind of what prompted me to write this blog today.  She was shocked and said "REALLY?  I don't think so".... um what?! 

So, again... where does it end?  Maybe we should all just be happy to look in the mirror and think we all look and feel ok but staying physically healthy is just as important as how you feel mentally... and yes I say feel because how you FEEL on the inside makes what you LOOK like on the outside shine.  I am so much happier now than I was before, but clearly I still see those problem areas in the mirror.. I maybe need to reexamine what is going on in the inside that makes my mirror distort to me what other people are actually seeing.

What do you think you look like? 

Body image issues.... it is a vicious cycle.  So, once again... you are not alone.  Do you look in the mirror and hate what you see?  Love what you see? Or do you struggle with seeing the real you? 


My advice.... stop looking in the mirror!  Ha!  It's true.  Like an epiphany.... let's work on ourselves from the inside out.  I think we will find a clearer picture of what we "look" like on the outside this way. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog!  ~ Joslin