There’s no denying that the fashion world has shifted away from traditional ideas of ‘what works for your figure’. Body positivity is now the dominating mindset and ‘curvy’ and ‘thick’ are the words to choose if you want to sound fashionable. This change is evident in everything from the clothes we wear to the way we talk about bodies. But while all of this is well and good, it can also cause a bit of turmoil in the fitness world. As much as we might want to embrace a ‘be yourself’ approach to life, there are still some workouts and diet regimes that work better for certain figures than for others.
The Best And Worst Of Both Worlds
If you’re familiar with the TV show The Handmaid’s Tale, you might understand what I mean. At a time when the world is trying to become more flattering, healthier, and positive, the show throws up a warning that this won’t always come easily. One of the main characters, Offred, is a Handmaid whose duty it is to provide an heir for the ruling family. Unsurprisingly, given the premise of the show, her physique is less than practical for childbearing. As a result, her fellow Handmaids tease her about her ‘useless’ body.
While there are no doubt many positive aspects to life in the post-pandemic world, it’s still not quite the effortless existence promised by the marketing campaigns for many modern pieces of fitness equipment. For those of us whose daily lives involve working out and eating healthily, this can mean feeling guilty about not being able to match the perfect Instagram post. Even those of us whose daily exercise involves nothing more strenuous than walking to work might feel discouraged from hitting the gym because we feel that the usual workouts don’t suit us. This can lead to a double-whammy of fitness denial. Not only do we not feel that we deserve to be fit, but even when we do finally muster the courage to go to the gym, we feel deflated about how little we can do to work it all off.
The Truth About Working Out And Eating Healthy
Letting go of our guilt usually involves a good dose of truth-seeking. As we’ve established, the fashion world has taken a body-positivity turn, but that doesn’t mean that working out and eating healthy are a thing of the past. Far from it; in fact, they’re more relevant than ever.
When we’re faced with a choice between going to the gym or eating a chocolate cake, we often have to ask ourselves a tough question. Is this item going to make me feel better? More importantly, does this item enhance my experience of fitness? Or, does it make me feel better because it’s a familiar comfort food, but is it actually doing me any favors?
If we want to convince ourselves that going to the gym is worth it, we have to consider the benefits alongside the downsides. While it’s not a question of good or bad, it’s a question of factoring in all the inconveniences that come with working out.
On the plus side, going to the gym can help us meet new people, release stress, and feel encouraged about our bodies (even if we don’t feel like that when we’re there). At the very least, it’ll keep us motivated to stick to our diet plans. On the downside, it’s not always easy to get to, it requires a lot of self-awareness, and it’s not always fun.
So, it’s essential that we establish a rhythm in our life that allows us to work out and eat healthily. For some of us, it might mean getting up an hour earlier than usual to make it to the gym. Or it might mean eating healthily once a week and working out on the other days.
Get a Routine And Try New Things
If we want to lose weight, we have to acknowledge that it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a journey, and if we’re going to make that journey successfully, we have to be willing to commit to it and be consistent. That means getting a routine. Without a routine, it’s easy to get derailed by circumstances beyond our control (as in the case of the pandemic). If we want to lose weight effectively, we have to be willing to experiment with new things. This doesn’t mean that we should be reckless or try to take on too much at once, but it does mean that we should be open to new possibilities and not afraid to try something new.
For example, if we’re not feeling that running is working out for us at the moment, we shouldn’t be afraid to try biking instead. Or, if we’re sadly dealing with depression that prevents us from feeling that we deserve to be fit, we shouldn’t be afraid to seek professional help. The point is, we should feel free to try something new, even if it’s not what we’re feeling that week or if it’s not what we consider ourself to be fit at the moment.
Don’t Be Fooled By Social Media
While it’s a wonderful thing that the fashion world has embraced body positivity, it’s still not easy to ignore the injestions we hear from the streets or on social media. Even if we don’t always hear them coming, we know that they’re out there, waiting to surface, and it’s up to us to learn to ignore them. Social media can play a huge role in how we perceive ourselves and our bodies. It’s not that the social media stars are lying to us, it’s just that they have a point of view that we find attractive and therefore endorse.
If we want to lose weight effectively, we have to be aware of this influence and the role that it is playing in our minds. If we want to overcome our guilt about not being able to match the perfect post on social media, we have to remind ourselves that this is simply a means to an end. Trying to live up to someone else’s standards, whether they be set by a famous person or a friend or acquaintance, is tantamount to denying ourselves of what we need to feel confident in ourselves. Instead, we should be seeking to set our own standards and work towards being the best we can be.
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Working Out Doesn’t Have To Be Hard
For those of us who work out regularly, this might mean that working out is hard work. Even those of us who consider ourselves to be fairly fit might find that working out is a whole new challenge. Once we’ve gotten over the initial hurdle, it doesn’t have to be hard. With a bit of practice and some perseverance, working out can become much more enjoyable.