Fit

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2315288/Female-sports-blogger-called-NBA-cheerleader-chunky-perform-comes-hateful-attack.html

 You can read the full article above, but basically a blogger criticized this cheerleader for her looks, and called her "too chunky" to be a cheerleader. And the blogger was a woman!! I am very disturbed that woman are still being judged more on their looks than their personality and character.

 Ladies, don't let others define you by your looks, but be judged on your character. I have received a lot of criticism for my looks over the years. First, I was teased as a child when at the time, I probably was 10 lbs. overweight. I was judged as not being girly enough because I enjoyed sports and doing atypical activities. As a teenager, I was sexually harassed, but back then that term didn't exist. I grew a backbone and told the guys off, but at the same time I let it bother me. I also received teasing for my weight and at that time I was 25 lbs. overweight. "Double Double chin chin and wide load" were a few of the names they called me. Yes you could call it bullying to a degree, but you know what? I don't blame anyone but myself. I could have been assertive and told the guys to buzz off. I let others get to me, and define who I was. I was an intelligent, athletic kid, but let others define me and it affected choices I made which who knows? Maybe I could have done better than today, but again I don't blame anyone but myself.
People will always make criticisms, opinions, judgments, and you can't control that. You can only control how you react to it. And the worst criticisms and judgments are the ones you make to yourself. If you believe you are beautiful or ugly based on your appearance, that is your problem. There are some things you can change, some that you cannot, but it is your choice as to how much value you put on appearance.
I've never been vain, and even with all the people criticizing my looks, as I got older, I have decided that I don't care what people say. I went through years of pain and negativity that I could have avoided if I thought that in the first place.
 I dress up when I want to, I put on makeup when I feel like it. I don't do it because people tell me too. You don't know how many times I've heard, "If you dress up and be more girly, and flaunt it, you'll find a man." Well frankly, why would I want those kinds of men, that are more attracted to my outer appearance than who I am inside?
I am flabby but fit. I have extra skin from my weight loss journey, and yes, I could have surgery, but my extra skin doesn't define who I am. I care more about being defined by my athleticism, my heart, and how I treat others and my overall character, not by my appearance. Yes I fall into social norms and I dress up for a wedding or special event, but in general I know I can be beautiful in shorts and a t-shirt or in a gown, because my beauty comes from within.
You can talk down to yourself for your appearance or embrace who you are right now. For me, my weight loss journey was to avoid heartache of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and a poor quality of life, NOT looks. I consider outer appearance as a bi-product to health and fitness.
For that cheerleader being criticized, I hope she doesn't let her opinion of herself be affected by that horrible excuse of a woman that judged her looks.
Folks, be sure to treat yourself with respect. When I look in the mirror, I am happy with myself. I still have health and fitness goals, but I am more concerned with improvement of strength and overall health, not what I look like. If people want to judge me and my training skills on my looks, then so be it. I'm certainly not going to have surgery for skin, to get a leg up in the training business. I want to help clients be fit and healthy individuals that feel good about themselves no matter what they look like. If people expect me to train them to a "perfect" looking body, they need to take their business elsewhere. I will guide and assist people towards a better life. And today, no matter what weight, size, health and fitness level, you ARE beautiful! Yes, we can make lifestyle changes, but treating yourself well and liking yourself has nothing to do with outer appearance. Remember, there are a lot of physically beautiful women that are miserable inside. I rather be flabby, fit, healthy and happy, then miserable and skinny!
I have to say, I'd be happy to show that blogger my flabby, fit skills in the boxing ring! But then again, that woman seems to be a self-centered, insecure person, who needs to learn what's truly important in life. And ladies, health and fitness is by far more important than looks!!

Barbie Has Never Represented Me

I think at a young age, I always knew I wasn't a part of the "girl" crowd. I hung out with the guys, mostly because I was active, enjoyed sports, and they weren't shallow or drama queens. Yes, I played with Barbies, but I tended to take mine outside, and throw her in a Tonka truck and have her go on some adventure! I also floated her on a shoe box in a creek after a storm, and lost my shoe in the process. Considering I was 8, I should be lucky I lost my shoe and I didn't get washed away!
Lately, they have been talking about the disproportions of the Barbie doll and the unrealistic body image it gives girls as well as boys. (Some boys think all girls should look like Barbie)
As a kid, I never really thought about Barbie as a role model. Maybe since I hung out with the boys, I missed girls talking how they wanted to look like Barbie. Maybe I just thought it wasn't me to begin with.
 Anyway,  I still am angry they haven't made an "off road" Barbie that gets all dirty and has her own quad to ride around. Ladies, you can be whomever you want to be and also by the way, you can be beautiful, no matter what body type you have, or what career you enjoy, or what sports you play.
You CAN be who you want to be, and still be happy. Pleasing others isn't going to get you far in terms of how you feel about yourself. I wear make up when I feel like it, and dress up when I care to, not because it is expected, because I am a woman. Be who you want to be!
Now back to unrealistic things. Ladies, if you think that your life is going to be like a Disney princess movie, then you will lead an unhappy life, unless you favorite is Mulan. Spoiler Alert: In Mulan, she fights for her dad, kicks butt, and gets the handsome guy in the end, all while she is mostly dressed like a guy during the story! The other Disney movies have a prince rescuing the girl and everything is perfect. Sometimes you need to rescue yourself you know! My whole point to this blog is that you need to realize that no one is going to rescue you but you and no one is going to make you beautiful but you. Beauty comes from within, and don't be jaded by the unrealistic so called role models, or airbrushed images. Be comfortable with your own skin. I take pride that I'm not vain and don't stress about flaws on my body. It took years to get to that point, and I sure wish someone was telling me when I was younger to not buy into society's image which is NOT reality. I can't help but laugh and also pity when women get all bent out of shape when they have a wrinkle or a zit. It's part of life, and I'm not one that will spend hundreds if not thousands on beauty products! Why not start a trend and embrace the flaws? Why not make those a fashion statement? Live to your own standards, not what others think. If more young ladies and women would speak up that those images are NOT who we are, then maybe those magazines wouldn't exist. If you look at women from the past, they had curves and were not airbrushed!
So ladies, just don't buy in to the unrealistic things in the world. I think I'll go listen to the Mulan soundtrack, "Be True to Your Heart"!