Good morning!
I have an amazing video for you guys to watch this morning. Let’s just say if you are trying to find motivation to get excited about your workout today you just may find it here!
Eric and I are considering doing that for our try-a-tri. :tongue:
Onto break the fast.
Apple Pie Parfait Vegan Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup regular oats
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp each nutmeg and ginger)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 of an apple, peeled and chopped
- Banana soft serve: 1 frozen banana, 1 tbsp milk, 1/2 tbsp cashew butter
- Topping: Sucanat (or brown sugar)
Directions: Mix above ingredients with a whisk and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, make banana soft serve in the food processor. I added 1/2 tbsp of cashew butter at the end of processing to bring out a nutty flavour that would blend nicely with the apple pie flavour. For the topping I used 1/2 tsp Sucanat.
Simply Delicious!
Updates:
- Email notification for comments is fixed. Big thanks to Julie! You will now be notified again when your comment is replied to.
Sports, Exercise, and Body Image
Yesterday I made a discovery.
I was in the change room at the pool putting on my swim cap. I looked at my body in the full length mirror and I saw someone who was strong, healthy, and confident. I had a little twinkle in my eye.
It occurred to me that this was one of the first times that I have not felt self-conscious about myself in a swimsuit. I had no negative feelings trying to discourage me. Thoughts and critiques about the size of various body parts were not present in my mind. In the past, I could not put on a swim suit without feeling anxiety or being critical of myself. When I had to be in front of other people with a swimsuit on, I did not feel confident because I had all of these negative thoughts about my body floating around in my head.
Something changed when I started swimming laps.
The purpose of the swimsuit was no longer to flatter the figure or to hide supposed flaws or to boost or to nip or to tuck or to distract someone’s eye. The swimsuit now served a functional purpose– to help me swim and to carry me to my try-a-tri in June. The swimsuit was a catalyst for a stronger me.
One the first day of swimming I was nervous, not just about swimming, but I was nervous about wearing a swimsuit in front of others on a regular basis. I felt like I would be judged, but what I discovered is that the only judge I had to beat was myself.
Learning to swim again has helped me conquer my fear about wearing a swimsuit in front of others. When I put on my swimsuit, I feel proud, and I now walk confidently. I praise my body for what it can do for me (‘wow these strong legs are helping me speed up my freestyle’ or ‘What strong lungs you have’) instead of supposed ‘flaws’.
After making my discovery I wanted to tell Eric and hear what he thought. I asked him if swimming has improved his body image at all, and he simply smiled and said, ‘I don’t think I have looked at my body in the mirror for weeks.’ :lol: The simplicity of my husband never ceases to put a smile on my face.
Today’s question- Have you ever participated in a sport or exercise that improved your body image? What about a sport/exercise that you felt made your body image worse?
What an incredible video!
Running really improves my self confidence. It makes me feel strong and powerful. Unfortunately I have temperamental legs, so I can’t really run that much :(
That video was great! It just goes to show that if you put your mind to something and try really hard anything is possible! Very inspiring. I can’t believe they actually did it! Impressive.
And I’m so proud of you! I can’t want till I get to that point in my life. I’m not 100% there yet but I’m definitely on my way : )
xo
JOcelyn
Running has definitely changed my body image. I remember the first time I walked by a mirror in my shorty running shorts and was NOT embarrassed. Instead, I was caught off guard by how my legs looked — really strong. They were runner legs!
I pull those shorts on with a smile now because I know they’re showing off my hard work, not revealing my insecurities. :)
I so have to try one of your Vegan Overnight Oats…they look so incredibly yummy. ;)
Running had definitely made a difference in my body and in my heart and mind I keep a positive self image until I see the photo of myself crossing the finish line. I so admire the confidence you found in the locker room. Way to go!
Yoga has served as a fantastic body-appreciation catalyst for me. Practicing helps me appreciate and love my body for what it is NOW. It helps me get in tune with what’s going on. I’m still on the road to recovery from stress-eating, but helps me with that particular journey quite a bit.
doing yoga helped me with my self-esteem about my body SO much, but still i fight negative comments from the back of my head from time to time. i remember when i was running an hour a day with the ambition to run because it felt GREAT, i never bought new clothes nor spent money on beauty products. clothes became purely functional, like you said!
also: your breakfast looks great. i thought at first that sucanat at top was bee pollen though. haha!
I am so inspired that you have taken on this swimming challenge. That’s one exercise I just can’t imagine being good at!
Running has made my legs stronger and more toned and made me more confident!!
I saw competitively since I was 8 years old, so I literally grew up in a swim suit. I would run around all summer – some days never getting into real clothes! When I got older, and other friends would dread pool parties, going to the pool or the beach, I noticed I didn’t have those same fears. I was 100% comfortable running around in a swim suit. Which was slightly ironic since I was 50-60 pounds overweight. I honestly am more self conscious now at a normal weight wearing 2 pieces than I was overweight, just because I feel more pressure on my body to look good. But I seriously thank my parents all the time for raising us on a swim team!
Self confidence is a funny thing isn’t it? I have always been a very tall (5’11) slender girl, even when I packed on lbs, I still had a different frame than others because of my height. People view tall as beautiful and confident, but growing up my height was my biggest issue. Towering over boys and girls in the 7th grade, the most awkward years, never made me confident, it was the bane of my existence for quite some time. Those insecurites definitely followed me past my school years into teens and early 20s. Yet others always perceive me as confident because of my height. Many girls have said to me, “oh wow I thought you were an over confident snob before I knew you!” WHAT? ME? over-confident? nooooo. Many girls have said to me that they wish they were taller, that those inches would give them more self-confidence. Confidence doesn’t come with inches, it comes from within. Confidence doesn’t come from lbs (adding or subtracting), confidence comes from within. It took a VERY long time for me to feel comfortable with my body and my height. People will always look at me differently and/or judge me for my height. I think that is inevitable in this world. But I no longer judge myself for it and therefore have a much more positive body image.
I was prompted to comment by another reader’s response. When you look at someone and think oh they are beautiful, oh they are thin, oh they are tall, they must be so happy because I wish I looked like that…you are judging. As much as we think it might be true, self-confidence doesn’t happen by how someone looks on the outside but rather how they feel on the inside.
Running has done wonders for my body and my body image. Not because all of the hrs spent running tighten and tone my body but because the physical and mental strength I have accumulated to run 6 miles is empowering and beautiful. I look like I can run six miles because I CAN and thats something I never thought I’d be able to say.
I am definitely not totally confident in my own body yet. Exercising does make me feel good and strong. Except for spinning, when I tried it it hurt SO bad. I have absolutely no padding back there, the bone sticks out, so spinning is just not something my non-existant tush can handle! Now if only I could find an exercise where I lay on my stomach…I have plenty of padding there!
Girl. I have felt SO good since I started swimming. More confident. I feel so much stronger than when I was just running. It’s incredible. It’s definitely boosted my confidence too. We have kind of been on the same exercise routine lately…biking + swimming + some weights/strength training. I feel much more well-rounded and balanced. I can’t wait to bring running back into the mix slowly. I also realized no one is looking at me in my 1 piece judging. You can tell in the locker room the pool is a place free of judgement. I’m so glad to hear about your boost in confidence. I totally know how you feel. One thing I have noticed since biking is that my jeans are tighter on my legs..I was down about this at first, thinking, am I eating too much since my workouts have gotten harder? Am I gaining fat or muscle? I realized When I went to the gym yesterday and hopped on the stationary bike, I had the resistance level up about 2 notches higher than before I started riding outside on the road bike. Sometimes it’s hard to accept body growth, even when you know it’s muscle..but when I realized that I really am getting stronger I felt SO good! <3 this post
I will never forget the days of swimming in gym class in middle school. I dreaded it because like a poster above, I was so self-concious of my lack of chest. If only I could have known what I know now, and could have focused on the great things about my figure at the time! I think I was most comfortable in my skin in track and field. Us long distance girls would run in our sports bras on hot days and I remember feeling the camaraderie and confidence in our group.
Lately though, lifting heavy weights at the gym has done wonders for my confidence.
Angela – you are so cool! I love your posts because you are so honest and a fantastic writer; you know how to capture the essence of a topic and create a thoughtful discussion. Plus, I always feel motivated after reading your posts and continue to learn so much in terms of fitness and nutrition. Thanks so much for your work!!
Great post! You never cease to amaze me with your insight, positivity and honesty. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable in that way can be difficult, but so rewarding! I think the world needs more women like you who promote a healthy body image.
It wasn’t until I started training for my half marathon that I really started to notice how much exercise can change a body and a mindset! My legs have become so powerful and I feel like such a strong individual because of it. I can’t wait to try different forms of exercise and classes after my half and see how those while shape my body and my mindset!
I used to be a competitive pianist as well as a piano teacher and it made me love my unusually long ET-like fingers. Even quirky features become beautiful with use.
I think it’s the most healthy kind of self-esteem – the thoughts motivated by your own real and potential achievement as opposed to comparisons with others.
Congratulations on not being self conscious in your bathing. I competitively swam for over ten years and swimming contributed to my body image issues. All the other girls I saw with were incredibly tiny and fit unlike me. Putting on a bathing suit everyday only contributed to my self consciousness because I never ever looked like the other girls therefore the 2-3 hrs I spent in the pool everyday were pure mental torture. When I ran three miles for the first time in my life, my freshman year of college I finally felt good about my body. I’m sure I looked semi silly all red and sweaty (plus all the extra pounds I hadn’t lost) but I felt amazing and I had finally discovered my physical and emotional strength.
Great post Angela! I have always swam and I lifeguarded for several years and I think that it help me become vey comfortable in a bathing suit. I associate a swim suit with feeling strong and confident. Bikinis I have not quite gotten to that level with yet but maybe one day
I’ve participated in weight-class based sports since my teens (martial arts), and they have definitely had a negative impact on my body image and have made my disordered eating even worse. Aerobics and the friends I made in those classes also reinforced terrible eating habits (bingeing, over-exercising, rinse, repeat, etc.).
I have since cut out aerobics and aerobics friends, and have started doing yoga instead, and I am much happier and more in tune than I ever was with my body and my soul, both strengths and weaknesses.
I also attribute a lot of my positive body image to reading your blog. Even if I had to pretend for awhile, repeating the messages you pass along to myself has made me a lot happier with my body image.
Thanks