The Trouble with Girls

I've said it once and I'll say it again.  I'm sick and tired of the ridiculous "fitness" Pins I constantly see while perusing my Pinterest boards.  While yes, I agree that eating healthy and working out should be important aspects of everyone's routine, I do not agree with the condescending messages many of these so-called inspirational Pins portray.

As a young woman, I will admit that body image is a constant struggle in my everyday life.  What with stick thin Victoria's Secret models and photo-shopped bathing suit ads who doesn't?  Every time I look in the mirror I have to try hard to remind myself that God shaped my body the way He did for a reason, and that a picture perfect 6-pack isn't beautiful for everyone.  But damn, the media today is that monkey on mine and my fellow females' backs trying to tell us otherwise.

So today as I went Pinning behind the Control Desk of the HRC, I came across a list of reasons why you should "Do It", it I'm assuming to mean strenuously work out, diet, starve yourself...? I'll let you read the list and be the judge:

Do it for...

the stares

the whispers

the bikini

the collar bone

the hip bone

the thigh gap

belly shirts

cute pictures

sexy lingerie

YOURSELF

(Insert rant & rave)

I'm sorry, but are you f-ing kidding me?!  Essentially what the composer of this list is saying is that all of these things should be the most important to you if you wish to be attractive skinny.  

Because who doesn't want to be stared at and whispered about? 

And it's impossible to look bodacious in a bikini if you weigh over 120 pounds.  

And a thigh gap?  You're joking.  They say nothing is impossible....I beg to differ.  

On that note, guess we should all delete our Facebook accounts if you've got any photos up of you looking anything more than anorexic.  

And I know I'm a little modest or conservative when it comes to my views on sexuality, but I believe your man is the one who determines what sexy lingerie is defined as; and as far as I know that opinion is between you & him.  

Finally, yourself.  Now what's a better way to build up your self esteem than to tell you that you need to accomplish some sort of insane body type that will give you all these attributes to attain a sense of happiness?

Now, to play devil's advocate, some of the more realistic work-out Pins and healthy recipes are nice and encouraging, so I don't want you to think I'm hating on every diet plan out there.  And I also don't want you to take away from this post that I have an All-Star body image, because as I said before I'm definitely a bench warmer in that department.  But I just have to ask why?

Why do people think protruding bones are attractive?

Why does the media have to portray women as scantily clad stick figures?

& Why do we as women bow down to these skeletal idyllic images?

I'd rather see some images out there that encourage positive attitudes, realistic goal setting, and acceptance of women for who and what we are.  So why don't you put that on your board and Pin it.