All of us, in some way or another, struggle with body image issues.  Those of us who have lost a lot of weight (170 lbs for me) may be more prone to this than others?  I dunno.

As my weight began to come off, I would visualize in my mind how I would look with say, 5 more pound off.  Five pounds would reduce my poochy tummy or something to that nature.

The fact is, I am no spring chicken and the sand has shifted!  HA!  Even with all the weight I have lost, I am NOT going to have the nice firm body of somebody in the 30’s.  I accept that.

I should say I accept that UNTIL I see a race pic of myself.

UGH!

My legs are the spot at the moment that make me cringe.  If I have a race pic in just a sports bra and shorts, my tummy holds a close second.

Why are we are own worst critic?

My legs ripple when I run.  There is no other way to put it.  They are like a dimply dish of jello.  If somebody takes a race pic of me from the side, you don’t notice it.  It they take a race pic of me from straight ahead…boy, oh boy, ripples everywhere!

This causes me great consternation.

This past week, the race pics from the Coke 10K became available.  I opened the link, keeping my fingers crossed that they had taken the finish line pics from the side.

No such luck.  They were taken from straight ahead.  *groan*

What I did this time was different from what I usually do. In most instances, those pics get buried as far as I possibly can online.  I don’t want them to see the light of day.  This time, though, I shared this particular pic on my FB personal page.

Why did I do that!?!  Was I nuts!?!  (probably!  HA!)

No.

This is the deal…

I’ve worked too hard for too long to not accept myself for who and what I am.  This includes ripply legs.  Those short, stubby legs are powerful.  They have helped me cover many, many miles.  By burying those pics, I was insulting this powerful part of my body.  Without these legs, I wouldn’t be the runner I am!

Nope.  It was time to embrace those legs.

So, I did.

I posted the pic.  I am learning to love all of me, not just the parts of me that meet with the current social acceptable ideal of “perfect” (not that I have any parts that do that).

So, here is the pic.   Ripples and all.