Struggling with body image

[Aveld]

Hi,

I am on my 3rd whole30 since August. I loved it so much I just continued going, with very few slips or breaks.

I am struggling to wrap my brain around the fact that I don't "look" like I eat. I have always ate healthy, now even more. I've been active since the beginning of time, played sports all through middle & high school, even played college soccer & ran track, and since college I am constantly doing workout programs, like insanity/p90x/running/lifting, and now continue with an intense yoga program in the morning for an hour.

I feel at a loss because I really want to look as healthy as I eat. Maybe that's vain, but all the hard work should have some benefits, right?

I am currently 5'7 weighing around 140, but I have bigger muscular legs and of course have pudge on my belly from having a child. I guess I just think if you eat healthy and are active, one would look more fit, my legs wouldn't touch when I walk, my arms would be more defined, I wouldn't continue to hold onto my baby pudge around my belly? am I wrong for thinking this? Has society given me these lies? Should I be paying more attention to portion control? I stick to the suggestions, if anything I eat a ton of veggies at every meal, but maybe not as many? I just think I need some feedback or encouragement that some people, even healthy ones, are built a certain way and will never be a stick, not that I want to be a stick, but maybe less of the meat that makes me so self-conscious?

Any thoughts would be appreciated... And again I'm not totally vain, maybe just more self conscious and uncomfortable in my own skin than anything.

Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

You may be over-training. A professional athlete who takes naps every day and spends hours doing "recovery" work may benefit from constantly doing intense workouts, but if you have anything like a normal life, maintaining a steady program of Insanity, P90X, etc. quickly burns off your reserves and starts to do bad things to your metabolism. Seriously, I bet you would start to look healthier if you reduced your training volume and eliminated some intensity. 

 

Historically, I spent my life over-training and then recovering from injury. I only learned the value of reduced volume workouts over the past few years. It is amazing how strong I have become working out no more than 22 minutes, 5 days per week. I am not killing it all 22-minutes. This is warmup, workout, and putting my kettlebells away in 22 minutes. 

 

Maybe you should meditate on this recent Whole9 article: http://whole9life.com/2012/05/rest-vs-recovery/

[missmary]

I am currently 5'7 weighing around 140

Aveld- I have a bunch of thoughts about this. Yes, society gives everyone the impression that a super-thin fat free physique is accessible and desirable, when in reality it may be neither. Your body needs some fat to maintain hormones and health. At 5'-7", 140lbs you would be considered to be at the low end of healthy according to the standard BMI tables. Although those tables are not the be-all-end-all, there is a good chance you would be healthier weighing more.

 

If you are unhappy with your appearance I would recommend two things. One is to take a step back and consider that your perception of your own body may be skewed. I bet you look great already.

 

Two is to reconsider your exercise strategy. If your current plan is too intense or too cardio focused for your personal context, it is likely that your exercise routine is creating stress (which leads to cortisol imbalance, loss of muscle tone, belly fat, etc.). You may be better off with a few shorter intense sessions like Tom describes, and long walks, easy yoga, etc. in place of Insanity/P90x or Running.

[Vian]

These links might give you some perspective:

 

http://www.boxrox.com/scene/2014/02/crossfit-chicks-the-paradox/

 

http://www.jensinkler.com/close-thigh-gap/

 

I also totally agree with Tom and Missmary

[peace_positive]

I have experienced many of the same sentiments for years. It's tough. But I wouldn't call it vanity. I'd call it "wth!!!???" Even when i was working out almost daily and doing a lot of things right (gluten free/dairy free), and my weight was great for my height 5'4" 113, i still felt like i didnt LOOK good, and i certainly didnt feel good or eat such yummy food. I'm on Day29 today, a lot of thigs have changed already, so I'm gonna keep pushing forward. Don't give up! I set my sights on being happy and healthy, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be happy with your body! Nothing! You deserve it just like anyone else does.

[akgal80]

I would consider adding Pilates to your regime. It's low intensity and great for tone and lengthening of muscles. I think as women, we do have a distorted view of what we should look like. Try to come up with a new image of yourself in your head. Think of all the positives that you have and let go of the negatives. You are active, healthy, a mom, a woman. All things to be proud of. Try resetting what you think you should look like.

[GLC1968]

Wow, my first thought was that 5'7" and 140 lbs is too light.  You need muscle!

 

1) Your legs may touch not because they are too big but because that is how your body is built.  I have muscular thighs and narrow hips, and there is no way I would EVER have space between my thighs.  Ever.  I'm OK with that (and shocked that anyone would use that as a gauge of fitness/health/beauty).  Let it go.

 

2) If you want to see definition in your arms, lift weights. Guess what?  I'm 3 inches shorter than you and I also weigh 140 but I have a healthy body fat level and lots of muscle.  My waist is 26".  I'm happy with my body even though the weight charts say I'm near the top end of my weight range.  I wear a 2 or a 4 and have visible abs and definition in my arms.  I don't think your problem is that you need to lose more weight - I think you need to add some muscle (and possibly even gain some scale weight in the process)

 

I think that if you change your body composition by adding muscle (which is not an easy thing to do) that you'll discover new found love for what your body can do and you'll appreciate it more.  That is certainly how it worked for me.