Lycra and Last Night's Mascara
This morning I woke up, scraped my hair into a ponytail and wiped the remains of last night's mascara from under my eyes. I threw on my running gear and decided to head out with Bear for a morning run along the river before it got too busy and there was a possibility that I would run into someone. Clearly I was a little optimistic as it was the busiest that I have ever seen the area on such a cold day.
One thing I love about having dog is the amount of people that you meet on a walk; people are so friendly and you never know who you are going to get chatting to. Today I met a woman called Suzie*. As I was running (jogging...slowly), Bear leapt on her dog and they began to have an incredibly energetic game of chase. So, I took a welcome break for a chat; little did I know that this woman would completely change my day.
Suzie* was fascinating. We talked for ages and for some reason the conversation moved on to body image. She told me a story about her two older sisters: one was slim and one was heavier. Despite having incredibly loving parents, Suzie* told me about how they would always comment on her sister's weight: "If only she was slim like her sister" and "Isn't it a shame that she thinks that she can wear mini-skirts?" Suzie* explained how this had stayed with her all throughout her adult life. We discussed why this was: when did we decide that a beautiful woman had to look a certain way?
As we said our goodbyes, Suzie* turned back to me and remarked "I just have to say, that you have beautiful eyes. In fact, you are gorgeous." Stunned and taken aback, I returned the compliment. She laughed and said "Yes, even with my rugby player thighs that I got from my father!" As someone who shares this feature, I told her: "As do I! But they are powerful and they help me to run further." Without hesitation, she replied: "See. Why can't we all think like that? Wouldn't we be happier?"
This got me thinking - yes, I think that we would. To say that I always think this way would be a complete lie. Despite being a "recovering diet addict", I have seriously fallen off the wagon over the past few months. I have an unhealthy relationship with food, with exercise and with my body. My confidence has been at an all-time low. But for a few moments today, this really was my mind set.
As I continued on my run, I felt strong and confident. I honestly cannot remember the last time that I felt this way. What is surprising is that I wasn't happy because I had lost weight, dropped a dress size or achieved a new PB on a run (in fact, my running was awful) - I was happy with who I was and what I looked like, right there and then. We are always striving for change and too often we measure our self worth by the scales or tape measure. Today I decided that what I need to change is my mind-set. As cheesy as it sounds, I cannot expect to have a healthy relationship with diet and exercise until I can accept myself for who I am, and appreciate my body for what it is and all of the amazing things that it has done.
When I stepped outside this morning, wearing lycra that clings in all the wrong places and last night's mascara stuck to my lashes, I had no idea that I was about to receive the most genuine and heart-felt compliment that I had ever had. Thank you Suzie* - you have made my Saturday and your kind words were the kick up the bum that I didn't even know that I needed.
One thing I love about having dog is the amount of people that you meet on a walk; people are so friendly and you never know who you are going to get chatting to. Today I met a woman called Suzie*. As I was running (jogging...slowly), Bear leapt on her dog and they began to have an incredibly energetic game of chase. So, I took a welcome break for a chat; little did I know that this woman would completely change my day.
Suzie* was fascinating. We talked for ages and for some reason the conversation moved on to body image. She told me a story about her two older sisters: one was slim and one was heavier. Despite having incredibly loving parents, Suzie* told me about how they would always comment on her sister's weight: "If only she was slim like her sister" and "Isn't it a shame that she thinks that she can wear mini-skirts?" Suzie* explained how this had stayed with her all throughout her adult life. We discussed why this was: when did we decide that a beautiful woman had to look a certain way?
As we said our goodbyes, Suzie* turned back to me and remarked "I just have to say, that you have beautiful eyes. In fact, you are gorgeous." Stunned and taken aback, I returned the compliment. She laughed and said "Yes, even with my rugby player thighs that I got from my father!" As someone who shares this feature, I told her: "As do I! But they are powerful and they help me to run further." Without hesitation, she replied: "See. Why can't we all think like that? Wouldn't we be happier?"
This got me thinking - yes, I think that we would. To say that I always think this way would be a complete lie. Despite being a "recovering diet addict", I have seriously fallen off the wagon over the past few months. I have an unhealthy relationship with food, with exercise and with my body. My confidence has been at an all-time low. But for a few moments today, this really was my mind set.
As I continued on my run, I felt strong and confident. I honestly cannot remember the last time that I felt this way. What is surprising is that I wasn't happy because I had lost weight, dropped a dress size or achieved a new PB on a run (in fact, my running was awful) - I was happy with who I was and what I looked like, right there and then. We are always striving for change and too often we measure our self worth by the scales or tape measure. Today I decided that what I need to change is my mind-set. As cheesy as it sounds, I cannot expect to have a healthy relationship with diet and exercise until I can accept myself for who I am, and appreciate my body for what it is and all of the amazing things that it has done.
When I stepped outside this morning, wearing lycra that clings in all the wrong places and last night's mascara stuck to my lashes, I had no idea that I was about to receive the most genuine and heart-felt compliment that I had ever had. Thank you Suzie* - you have made my Saturday and your kind words were the kick up the bum that I didn't even know that I needed.
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