What they are NOT any more are a source of shame and embarrassment. After years of hating them, I just got tired. And I figure life is too short to hate a part of your body, which is really saying you hate yourself. (The main complaint I have is that they rub together and in the summer can cause reddened, sore skin and even blisters. To ease the "chub rub" I have a vast collection of bike shorts to suit varying weather conditions. So I manage.)
How do you feel about your thighs? Are they the part of your body you hate the most? Or do you have it in for another part of your anatomy - bottom, tummy, upper arms? Where is it?
Here's a suggestion. STOP. Just stop. Your thighs aren't the problem, you are. Not other people - you. It is what you believe other people think of your thighs that causes you angst. And you know what - they don't often think of your thighs (if they do at all). And if you are comparing your thighs to those you see in magazines, don't. Photoshop has been around for 25 years and our perception of reality has been skewed considerably as a result. See http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-culture/how-25-years-of-photoshop-changed-the-way-we-see-reality-20150220-13k2ey.html.
So I was delighted to see this article by Kat George on the Huffington Post. Go look in the mirror and get some acceptance. Love is the message.
10 Reasons to Love Your Thighs Exactly the Way They Are.
It's well-documented and generally accepted that women have a love-hate relationship with their bodies (and many men do too, but this one is for the ladies, especially because I happen to be a lady, so that's the body relationship experience I can speak to). It isn't good for our souls nor the way we see ourselves to be constantly bombarded with images intended to prescribe beauty to us, mostly based on the entirely false idea that every women should possess near-impossible proportions and near-unachievable flawlessness in order to be attractive. For every Photoshopped thigh gap dream sold to young girls by a media that fears and loathes a real woman, there are a thousand tears shed over a smattering of cellulite. It's a disproportionate rationing of perfectionist imagery to sadness caused, and it's not fair.
Now don't get me wrong: If you're naturally thin and beautiful or if you work hard and eat well and earn rock solid abs, then power to you. The point I'm trying to make is this: It doesn't matter if there's an inch of space between your thighs or if they mush together from your vagina to your knees. Either way, your thighs are beautiful because thighs inherently are beautiful (and useful and strong and a whole bunch of other amazing things that are wholly not dependent on their size nor shape). And it's high time we started celebrating our bodies the way they are, because we're stuck in them, and as the old saying goes, "If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with." Here are some reasons why you should love your thighs exactly as they are.
1. Because you have them
The best reason to love your thighs is because they exist. They are real. You can feel them. You can walk around with them. You can touch them and look at them and put them in nice jeans or show them off in cute dresses. Be happy to just have them.
2. Because they're makeshift mittens when it's cold
It's cold outside, right? Your thighs are perfect right now because when you're sitting around, trying to get warm, you can press your hands in between them and huzzah! Instant warmth. I also like to sit cross-legged on the couch with my feet pressed into the nooks behind my knees for some of that sweet thigh warmth.
3. Because maybe if you're lucky, you can jiggle them like this:
HOURS OF FUN RIGHT THERE!
4. Because they're good cushioning for when you're wrapping your legs around someone's hips
I mean, who doesn't want some padding between their thighs and the hips of the person they're thrusting the bits between them into?
5. Because someone, somewhere loves them
You shouldn't need validation from other people, but think about the fact that SOMEONE (or maybe even many someones) loves or have loved your thighs at some point. Public opinion can't be all wrong, now could it?
6. Because if you're ever facing off against a Bond villain, you could get them in a powerful head lock with your formidable thighs and save the day
What? It could happen.
7. Because they make bike riding more comfortable
Does anyone else get sore between their legs when they're riding a bike, or is that just me? Well, the thicker thighs you have, the more insulation you have to keep your bones and muscles safe from those painful bike seats.
8. Because have you ever heard Nicki Minaj complain about her thighs?
Every woman in the media is idealized to within an inch of humanity, but there are also role models who tend toward a slightly less airbrushed or supermodel-esque image. Look at them. Look how their bodies are shaped differently. Look at how Kim Kardashian was pregnant and huge and flaunted her body in tight dresses. Look at Nicki wobble her fatty bits. Look at Lena Dunham naked and shameless. Think about how you see these women's bodies as beautiful and perfect even though they're not like Gisele's and start to think about your own body the same way.
9. Because you deserve to be loved -- all of you
You deserve love. Your thighs, big or small, deserve love. Unless you're a cold-blooded murderer or torturer of kittens. If either of those are the case, please carry on with self-loathing. Otherwise, love yourself and your thighs because you're not only worthy of it, you owe it to you.
10. Because they're beautiful
Look. I've never seen your thighs. Chances are I will never see the damn things. But I can tell you one thing about them for sure: They're beautiful, and you should look at them every day in the mirror and tell them so. And then stick your hands between them, because it's freezing.
No comments:
Post a Comment