My Ideal

I am currently taking a Women's Health Issues class in school, and hearing women talk about their ideal body and ideal weight made me want to write this post.


When I hear women talking about their ideals, I often wonder where they come from.  I know that many women feel that society places an ideal on all of us.  There are models and actresses who have these bodies that most of us will never have.  They have personal trainers, chefs, nannies to watch their children so that they can spend hours working out.  I always wondered why as women, we feel that we have to live up to this, even if we have never looked like them in the past.


For me, of course there have been times that I have said "I wish I had her [insert body part here]".  I think that's only natural.  But, as far as weight loss and fitness goals, I've tried to never compare myself to someone else.  I am very tall, athletically built, with hips that will be great when it's time to have babies.  Even within my family, my sisters have different body types than me.


Since I am working on watching what I eat and exercising, I have an ideal in my head.  The thing that is most important to me, is that I have an ideal of myself.  My ideal is from the end of 2004.  This was back before I gained the love, commuting, fast food, desk job weight.  I was healthy and active.  I felt damn good about myself, and was super confident.  I met Nick just a couple of months later, and really believe that because I loved myself, I was open to loving him, too.  I am ready to have that confidence back.


I figure I would share a picture of myself that has always been a favorite.  This was from Christmastime 2004, and it's been a picture of myself that I've always loved.  Nick used to carry a copy in his wallet.  I looked happy and healthy.  This is what I am hoping to get back to (and this is also what makes me contemplate dying my hair brown again about once a month...but that's another story).

Do you feel like there is pressure for women to look a certain way?  Do you have any tips for loving yourself despite the pressure?