Reality

Body image. It doesn't seem to matter if you're a great parent, a good friend, or a kind person. When you walk into a room full of strangers, they aren't going to notice those things about you. They are going to size you up from your appearance. There's too much pressure from the media telling us what we have to look like in order to be a successful member of society. Am I starting to get gray hairs? Are those wrinkles forming around my eyes? Is my skin starting to sag? We constantly torment ourselves with these questions, trying to form ourselves to fit into this unobtainable mold. The biggest problem perhaps, the heavy topic of weight.

It seems as though society can't make up its mind about what's acceptable and what isn't. We all sway between fad diets and purchasing coat racks that are in the shape of treadmills. Healthy people are becoming ill because they're not eating enough or are purging. Larger people get told to put food down while thin people are told to eat more. Is there a common ground? Is there a happy medium to the mess?

"Fat Acceptance" has such a sting behind it. It doesn't feel like it gives larger people much encouragement. It makes me feel like I should accept the fact that I'm fat and deal with all the problems that go along with it. That's not productive. I want to be accepted for who I am, yes, but who I am isn't a 'fat woman.' Losing weight and becoming healthier should be done in my own terms and in my own time. I should be accepted the way that I am, but don't accept me as 'fat.' Accept me as a good person who loves deeply, forgives easily, and cares always.

"Thinspiration" is even more damaging. Healthy people are taking things to extremes and for what purpose? It's scary that we're watching people literally waste away to nothing. Why? I don't understand the appeal of someone so thin they could fit into my toddler's clothing. It's not a track to a healthy lifestyle; it's exactly the opposite. I feel so sad for these people. No one should feel the need to take their bodies to these extremes.

"Fit is the new Skinny" is at least trying to bring weight loss/gain into a positive light. So many larger people only think about losing weight and getting thin rather than getting healthier, stronger, and fit. Still, there are people who've taken exercise to extremes, so much so that they've lost touch with who they are. Either way, this is far more acceptable, since we all could take steps to get healthier and reach a better fitness level.

Too many extremes are taken when it comes to looking good and being a certain weight and size. No matter what you look like, what size you are, be you and be confident in the person you are! You're not going to be able to reach the expectations of anyone other than yourself, so strive to be acceptable in your own eyes and don't worry as much about the rest!