Photo by: Menno Groenmen
No two people look exactly alike, not even twins. Slight differences let us tell one person from another and recognize those we care about. We seem to spend our lives however, trying to look just like everyone else. Some people want to gain or lose weight even though their weight is within what is normal.
Much information is found that dictates what weight or how much body fat we should have. Obviously too much or too little weight is not healthy. This site is not about weight control. I firmly believe that people should try for health and accept that as a personal, unique and beautiful state of being.
Think about the people you have cared about the most in your life. Did you love them because they looked like fashion models? If that was the reason you cared about them, I don’t know if this site is for you. Most of us have the greatest care, fondest memories and most warm-hearted feelings for people who were beautiful souls. Kind, generous, and loving, those people are always remembered for who they are. True beauties.
Part of the reason we are so critical of our own appearance is, our looks seem to symbolize how we feel about the inner true person. If you hate the way you look, odds are you are not liking the person you are inside. Think about that and try to find why you don’t like yourself. Talk to people you can trust about the problem and you may see that are a pretty great human after all. Accepting what is inside, changing your inner self for the better is as important as any other healthy habit.
The next big realization is learning how very few people in the world look like models or celebrity stars. Look really close at those celebrity pictures. Bones should not stick out at razor-sharp angles. If you envy those chiseled cheekbones, understand most look that way because the face is too thin. Healthy bodies have somewhat a roundness, not angular appearance.
Now think about your weight distribution. There are several general types.
Photo by: M. B.
- Apple body types – weight and muscle appear larger across the chest, upper torso and arms.
- Pear body type – weight and muscle appear larger across the hips, lower torso and legs.
- Banana body type – sometimes thought of as an athletic appearance but often the result of carrying more weight around the waist. Also, most teenagers will have a banana appearance before their adult body type develops.
- Curvy – small waist in comparison to hips and chest measurements. “Hourglass” figure
Do an online search for celebrity body types. There is no “good” or “bad” body type. Celebrities large and small are beautiful in all body types. So why would it be something any of us care to know?
- Fashion changes from year to year, so don’t hate your body that doesn’t fit right into this years styles. Find clothes that fit you and wait for a year when styles change.
- If you find yourself thinking “gee, I would like to look the way I did in high school or college” you have unrealistic expectations. During that time in your life, your body was not fully developed. Not only will you spend your life frustrated but if you manage to lose that much weight you will pay with your health.
- In any given year, you can find successful, beautiful people who have your body type.
- A body type is something you are born with. If you are an apple, your friends will envy your chest size and you will want your pear friends round hips. The same thing happens with hair. Straight or curly, whatever the color we always seem to want it changed.
I happen to have a pear shape. My bottom half is a whole size larger than my top half. I could complain and stress about a “big butt’ however, people seem to think I am thinner and weigh less than I actually do. I will never have a big chest but I don’t care, I don’t have the neck and shoulder problems my large chested friends do and they have to buy more structured clothes to keep from looking heavier.
Knowing your body type helps in understanding why we look the way we do and helps us accept ourselves as being unique and okay the way we are. Seeing ourselves in the mirror should not cause stress or distress. Be healthy and don’t try to be someone else.
