Love Your Body Challenge – Day 18 8

Posted In Body Image

(Psssst! If you’re “late” to the challenge and just getting started, that’s OK too! Just go at your own pace! Start with this blog post and scroll to the bottom, and make sure you have what you need to complete the challenge and fill out the 10 questions you need to fill out before you get started. Then you can take it day by day at your own pace!)

Recap

Welcome to Day 18 of the Love Your Body Challenge! Hard to believe we are almost 2/3 of the way through the challenge. I’ve gotten so much positive feedback from you all about how your lives have changed since Day 1, it’s so rewarding and exciting for me. So thank you for participating!

Yesterday’s reason to love your body was:

“Because it’s connects me to an amazing groups of individuals – women.”

I discussed how we all search for community and belonging, and how the bond we share as women is absolutely incredible and unmatched. Most of you agreed. Here was one beautiful contribution:

“I have the most amazing women in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for them. Each one teaches me unique things about myself and who I want to be as a person.

My mom teaches me how to be calm, patient, completely selfless and forgiving.
My sister teaches me how to relax and take life a little slower.
My best friends teach me how to laugh and focus on what is truly important in life.

I’m thankful for amazing family I married into also.

My mother-in-law is generous beyond words and my sister-in-law has helped me find the fit girl inside.

Both have helped me find the girly girl inside too. Yeah, this body of mine has certainly connected me with some incredible women, and I am thankful that this challenge has helped me focus on that and not take it for granted.” – Wendy

I love it when I can tell that a reason really resonates with someone. Thank you for sending these in, and keep them coming! You never know… I might just feature your comment!

And now, Day 18.

Reason #18 To Love Your Body

18. Because it’s the perfect combination of feminine and masculine, for me.

I remember being a young gymnast and looking in the mirror pulling my hair into a ponytail and being positively disgusted by my arms. I could see my biceps bulging in the mirror and I was convinced that I had the arms of a boy.

I can also remember looking at magazines like Oxygen and thinking that the muscular women on the cover looked WAY too muscular.

As a young girl, I would have hated this picture. Now I love it.

Oh how times change.

After being in the fitness industry in one way or another for over 10 years, I’ve come to appreciate my well-muscled arms, defined legs, nice wide back, and my round and solid glutes. In fact, it’s these very characteristics of mine that make me feel uber-feminine!

In fact, I sometimes forget that many people in the world consider strength and muscle to be a primarily “masculine” trait. To me, it’s a positive human trait. Being strong and carry sufficient muscle mass shouldn’t be about your gender, it should be about your health and longevity.

But I digress…

I’ve come to the point where I absolutely love feeling strong, and love that my body looks muscular and defined. It’s just right, for ME, and that’s all that matters.

Mantra: “My body is the perfect blend of masculine and feminine for me, and that feels good.”

Repeat this (to yourself or out loud) 10 times right now, 10 times during your action step, and 10 times before bed.

Action step: Take 5 minutes to write down the things that you do in your life that make you feel whatever level of femininity feels good to you. Maybe you don’t like feeling very feminine, and that’s OK. Maybe you’re a super girlie-girl, that’s fine too.

For me it’s a combination of lifting heavy weights, wearing beautiful dresses, taking charge in my business, and being pampered by my boyfriend. All of those things contribute to me feeling very feminine and comfortable in my own skin.

That’s all for today! See you tomorrow!

FIND DAY 17 HERE

FIND DAY 19 HERE