"I've been underweight, I've been chubby, I've been skinny fat, I've been super lean, I've been at the peak of my physical fitness and then lost it all again. All along this journey, I've hated my body, loathed it, accepted it, then loved it, then hated it again, wanted it to be skinnier, then stronger, fitter, more flexible, and the list goes on...
So, I gained weight.
I know it. My partner knows it. My family knows it. My friends know it. Instagram knows it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one going through this. In fact, maybe you gained some weight recently as well?
There are many reasons why I gained weight; all of which are within my control. On the one hand, I have become less restrictive/obsessive and have truly given up the diet mentality for good. Yay! But on the other hand I have also been super stressed and anxious in recent months and as a result, my emotional eating track record has been through the roof. Nay! But regardless of why, none of these reasons need to be explained or apologized for. It is what it is.
I used to hate looking into the mirror.
Maybe it was because I didn't like seeing my uneven nose and un-chizzled cheekbones.
Maybe it was because I didn't like the way my hair fell flat along my face.
Maybe it was because of the extra pounds that I'd been carrying around with me and tried so desperately to rid myself of; a graphic reminder of my lack of self-control.
Those days are in the past and I have since then learned to embrace what I see in the mirror every day. But it was a long and hard journey...
Today, I've invited optimism and life coach, international motivational speaker and author of The Optimist In You, Jessica J. Lockhart, to talk about the complicated relationship most of us have with the mirror.
You look in the mirror. Your image looks back at you. But do you truly see yourself? Do you see your soul, your being, your humanity? Do you see the person behind the mirror? Most people don't.
