Work With What You've Got

The facts: 
I'm 36 years old.  I'm 5'6".  Weighing at the doctor's office brings my bloodpressure sky high (not kidding).  I work out 5-6 days a week and have worked out consistently since college.

I am very honest with myself in the fact that I am not a woman with a small build.  I guess I would call my build a cross between muscular and curvy.  My legs are very muscular.  My calves are huge!!!  I'm that girl that can't wear tall boots that zip up the leg, because my calves are too big.  Guys would love to have my calves (and I would like to have their calves).  I won't even address my big thighs and ass.

I have never been a small sized girl.  I was referred to as "the big one" by my parents growing up.  They meant tall, but I heard BIG.  I was already 5'4" in 6th grade.  I've always had hips.  I never fit in "junior" sizes.  I went straight from girls clothes to misses sizes.  In my college group of friends,  there were two of us named Julie.  I was "Big Julie."  Again, the "tall" one.  Whatevs!

Since college, I've noticed over the years that my body will never be the size I want it to be---no matter how hard I work.  I try to live a balanced life and not exercise too much and eat in moderation.  I could always do better on diet, but am still convinced that I eat better than 93.75689% of Americans.

What am I getting at? 
I want to be a size 2 or 4 with long lean legs!  Doesn't every woman in America?  I want to look like the 22 year old airbrushed celebrity in InStyle magazine or the 16 year old supermodel.  Even though I consider myself fairly intelligent and reasonable, I still can't help but compare myself to these images that I see in the media and put myself down for not looking like them.

I am not going to go on a tangent about how the media causes women to hate their bodies.  Rather, I am going to share my new found philosophy on my body image issues......

I have to work with what I have. 

• I have a medium frame (not a small one), and I will never be able to change that. 
• I am naturally muscular, so I might as well give in and keep working my muscles.  (Women can only build 3 lbs of muscle a year, so I won't be able to bulk up too much.)
• My legs are bigger than most dudes.
• No matter how hard I work, I will never have a low BMI or percentage body fat.  My body is just not built that way.
• My arms are much bigger than when I was in my 20's.  It is true that fat invades your triceps in your 30's.  It sucks!
• No matter how hard I work, I will always be a bigger girl.  I will never be a size 2 or 4 or weigh 110 lbs (or 120 or even 130).  Muscle weighs more than fat, right?  Well, whoever said that can suck it (even if it is true).

What I do like about my body is....

• It is strong.  I kinda dig that.  I love being able to push my body to do better or more. I like that I lift a lot of weight for a girl.
• I have endurance.  I can work out at a high intensity for a decent amount of time.  The endurance helps me workout harder and longer.
• I am rarely sick.  I try hard to honor my body and workout, sleep and eat well (most of the time).
• I am coordinated and have a good sense of balance.
• I am flexible.
• I am in better cardiovascular shape than most Americans.  I could kick the supermodel's ass in the gym!
• I love being a Spinning coach and yoga teacher.  I think I motivate others to work hard.
• The most important thing to celebrate is that my body is healthy and it moves!!!!  I never take that for granted.  I am thankful every day for my body that moves.  Being able to exercise is a privilege.  Sometimes when I exercise or if I have trouble motivating myself to exercise, I think about those that can not move easily or exercise and remind myself of the privilege I have in the ability to move.  That will motivate your butt. 

Why exercise?  Because you can!!!

Most of us have our "problem areas" or things we want to change about our bodies.  We can put ourselves down about it or work with what we have.  And remember, there is always some one that envys the parts of our body that we dislike.

So, instead of focusing on what you do not like, celebrate what you do.  And celebrate your ability to move!!!

Work it, girl!  Shake (if you got it) what your Momma gave you.