Workout Wednesday - Loving Yourself

I know I said I'd be talking about snacking today, however, sometimes the plan changes because the needs change. I'll talk about snacking in about two weeks. Today I want to talk about loving yourself, after all you're not working out and developing good health habits for anyone but yourself right?

re-created Nike ad

Yesterday while briefly browsing Pinterest . . . ok, not briefly, but anyway, I came across this photo. I was so intrigued, I clicked through to see where it came from. As I dug a little deeper I found out that this ad is not the original one done by Nike, but a recreation. The words were from Nike, but the photo was not, so I dug deeper and found the actual ad, which was run in 2005.

Why would I go through all that trouble? Because I can relate. Thankful that I've grown up in a milieu where the size of my butt has always been a big +. However, I have been in company where people were very self-conscious about it. Seeing this ad was refreshing. As I work out, I'm finding that many of my clothes are beginning to fit differently. A bit more snug around my butt and thighs. I'm ok with that and have adjusted my "hip target" accordingly. I'm not trying to be the skinny mini I was in college, but a rounder, healthier me. So I've embraced what's changing for the positive and continue to work on the areas I know can be better.

Nike actual 2005 ad found Here

The actual ad, to me, was even more compelling and beautiful. The website where I found this ad the first time was in an angry voice that Nike would "manipulate" us with ads that really speak to us so we could buy their products. . . I think it's great that curves are being celebrated. I'm not going out to buy Nike, but I must admit, just as I'm excited about Dove and may pick up their products before some others, I may pick up Nike before some others because their advertising talks to me.


Dove Real Women Ad Found Here

Say what you will. . . where I found all these ads were crying sexism and corporate blah blah blah . . . but it's about time we all took a look at our bodies and loved them for all the shapes and sizes they come in. I believe in being healthy, and your healthy may not look like my healthy, but as long as we're loving our bodies and feeling our best, what else is there?

Last week, for the first time since I've had my daughter (April 2011) I went to purchase a dress and felt it "lay" in a way that made me feel great! My journey continues even as I push myself and the workouts get harder. I have a goal. It's up to me to love my body at every stage.

What do you think of these ads or what they say? You can click through the ad captions to find the original posts. . . If you disagree with me, all the better...

If you're just joining the conversation, you can find all other Workout Wednesday posts Here

Next Week: Progress Update