Let’s Talk Body

Today, my abs are telling me that the workout I did yesterday paid off. So I decided to share my thoughts on a few things regarding body shapes and us.

Miranda Kerr owns the body many women dream of having.

To date, I don’t know anyone who is 100% satisfied with the way she looks. I’m sorry if I’m missing the guys out; I don’t exactly have a horde of male friends. There’s always at least one part that we could change about ourselves. We’re too tanned, too fair, too pear-shaped, too flabby, too fat. Or we have too much cellulite, too many stretch marks, too many never-fading scars. Our ankles are not slim enough. Our calves are too muscular. Our boobs are too big or too small. The list goes on. Even for me, I’m not fully happy with the way I look and so that’s why I work hard to achieve my ideal body.

I may be slim but it doesn’t come free. Of course, I have genes to thank but you know, genes only go so far where weight and body shapes are concerned. Everyone knows this, that proper diet, lifestyle and regular exercise are also major factors. I see nothing wrong with being contented with the way we look, even if we’re not magazine-perfect, so long as we’re healthy in mind and body. What I don’t understand, sometimes, is how some of us can complain about not looking a certain way when there are things we can do to achieve it.

Everything in life comes at a price. Be it a fancy car, a romantic vacation off the Maldives and yes, even the “perfect” body we all dream of having. To get to something Miranda Kerr-esque requires effort on our part and this does not include praying for a slimmer body (I’m assuming here that the ideal body shape for most of us is a slimmer one). To say that it requires hard work isn’t exactly right either. A proper diet and healthy, active lifestyle should do the trick. Isn’t there something else that works besides that? No, there isn’t. Stay off fatty foods (especially fast food) and load up on antioxidants. Take more fruits and vegetables. Do more sports, like roller blading, cycling or even hockey, whichever you prefer. The thing is, all these aren’t “hard work” because they actually keep you healthy and they are fun! I don’t see how eating healthily is “hard work” because you’re feeding yourself with nutritional food. I don’t see how doing sports is “hard work” because otherwise, we wouldn’t have loved P.E. class when we were young. And honestly, I’ve never seen anyone looking miserable while playing volleyball.

The point is, if there is one thing that you dislike, be it eating brinjals or going to the gym (which I personally find extremely boring and hamster-like), fret not. This is life. There are always alternatives to get to where you’d like to end up in. You just have to find them. When there’s a will, there’s a way – This saying isn’t for nothing! To be honest, my tummy was never always this flat. There was a period once in university when I was too caught up with work and other issues that I had absolutely no time to work out. So, weeks after I stopped my weekly routine (I’ll get to that later), my tummy started balling up. It was only after exams that I managed to get back on track again. There was also another time when I interned at a local firm and had breakfast at the compound grounds almost every morning. Merely a few weeks after I started, my tummy grew back again. I was eating too much oily food and not exercising enough!

So you see, it’s not that skinny girls have it all. We have our problems too and it’s just that we choose to do something to tackle them instead of letting them remain as problems unsolved. You have to make this a priority instead of, say, watching tear jerkers on MySoju.com. If you’re making up excuses for not exercising, you’re simply doing yourself a big disfavour. It’s always easier to stay in the couch and glue your eyes to the screen, that’s for sure. But nothing changes. If you want to see a better-shaped you, the solution is very simple: Do something about it! An encouraging word: Everyone I know who’s been exercising and keeping a watch on their diet in a bid to lose some extra weight has had success. Everyone. And not only are they fitter than ever, they are also happier in life.

To achieve a figure is one thing. It can be daunting to some but slowly and steady is the way to go. Be realistic. You won’t see results in a week but give it a couple of months, or even more, and you’ll be glad that you didn’t give up. Getting started is the most difficult part but it’s the case with every other thing in life – a new relationship, starting a car from stop, a new self-owned business, learning a new language. Once you gain momentum, though, you’ll find that starting was the best thing you could have done.

I was never the kind of person who’s happy with just being skinny and not doing anything else to maintain it. I can never go a few weeks without some form of exercise. My body physically rejects it (inanimateness) and I’ll HAVE to do something, even if it means hyperventilating and jumping around like a crazy cat in my own home. This is why I do pilates for an hour once a week. It’s not a lot but at least it’s something and it doesn’t stop there. I also try my best to stay off unhealthy foods and stock up on the good ones. Things like lard and the Asian favourite 3-layered pork are poison to me. Because I watch what I eat, I don’t need to do as much sports to lose excess fats. Pilates helps to tone up and strengthen the body without building bulk and this is what I like about it. I’m not sure about this and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think anyone can do too much pilates in their life. I’ve considered alternative exercise methods prior to this, such as playing floorball or running, but these are either sports that require teams (finding people to participate could be a problem) or just plain boring. On top of that, jogging for a prolonged period can lead to weakening of the knee caps and I still want to be able to climb stairs when I’m 60.

All in all, the thing is this: When you see a problem, you address it. Instead of avoiding it, try confronting it. It’s the only way you’ll see results if that’s what you’re looking for. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find changes initially because it will take time. Just keep going and you will get there one day.

TODAY’S RANDOM

I could sit by here all day (via {link url="http://teachingliteracy.tumblr.com/post/13369253866/interiors-porn"}Teaching Literacy{/link}).

Image credits: Akalol