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I Hate My Hips

Also might be "I Hate My Butt!", "I Hate My (insert least-favorite body part)!".  We hear the cry daily, from people of all shapes and sizes.  The most-discouraging, though, are often those who are really quite fit, and don't actually need to improve those body parts.  Why would someone who looks great, want to change anything?

The answer to that question usually lies in a couple of places.  First, of course, there is our own perception of our looks.  We're often our own most vicious critics.  The second place, however, just might be trying to live up to the expectations or desires, of someone else -- a husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/coach, sometimes even a casual acquaintance, or work-mate!  Today, though, let's just examine the first situation.

We are bombarded daily, often hourly or minute-to-minute, with images of people whom we are supposed to consider attractive.  Most of them don't really look much like most of us on TV, in the magazines, or movies.  Or at least, so we think at the time...  Challenge yourself to be embarrassed.  Go to the supermarket or newsstand, and buy some "Scandal Sheets".  Don't blush -- this is a scientific experiment (well, sort of scientific).  Take 'em home, open 'em up, and go through and find all the "candid" photos of Your Favorite Stars, taken in moments when they weren't supposed to be "on camera".  There are usually plenty.  Chances are, in a lot of cases, if there were no caption on the photo, you'd be hard-pressed to even identify these people, they look so little like their "stage" selves.  Could it be, that those relatively-normal-looking folks that you see in the "Globe", are really, in real life, not quite as glamorous and sexy as they appear on the Tube or the Screen, in full makeup, with flaw-concealing clothing instead of some K-Mart special?

Now, go to the local arcade, and get in a photo booth.  Get some shots, and put them in your shopping bag.  Now, hike on over to the mall, and look up a "Glamor Shots" place.  Get a workup done there.  Now, take the pictures home and look at 'em side by side.  Is this starting to make some sense to you?

Buck Nekkid In The Mirror
... after the shower, when the hair is wet, no makeup, no hip-or-gut-concealing clothing ...  That's often how we are when we make the decision that we don't look good!  Is that fair?  Of course not -- not even!  Wouldn't it be a lot nicer to look like the "Glamor Shots" pic, all the time?  Yup, sure would.  However, what we're dealing with here, is reality.  But a reality which might be a little easier to swallow, now that you've seen Your Favorite Stars in their au naturel state, eh?  But, that ain't all, folks...

You Still Want To Fix Something
... okay, so maybe not quite as vehemently, now, but still -- Bruce's biceps and Demi's hips are still better lookin' than ours, huh?  Well, maybe so.  But the whole point is, we no longer have to try to be Bruce or Demi -- we can be ourselves -- our own best selves, as good as our genetics and personal drive, can make us.

Fix something real.  First, your attitude.  Look at that person in the mirror, and find the good qualities.  Throw your eyes out of focus a bit, and concentrate on the humanity, instead of the lumps and wrinkles.  See that the person you're viewing is a good person, worthy of your love and respect, and the love and respect of peers and Significant Others, and you'll have taken a major step forward in that attitude.  And make no mistake -- knowing how to love yourself is a large part of being able to love others, and to accept love from them.  We all want and need that.  Acceptance.

Now, look at the other realities.  Maybe your hips are a little bigger than you'd like.  Maybe you do have a gut that's too big for your belt, or you're not quite as strong, agile, fast, whatever, as you'd like to be.  That's fine.  These are things which can be fixed with simple tools -- exercise, proper diet, sufficient rest.

All Things In Moderation
... Well, not really.  To get the best results in exercise, you have to go a bit beyond "moderate".  You have to work hard.  You need a level of determination which will carry you through, and you have to be having fun.  That's right, FUN!!  Now, food -- that you do in moderation.  Moderation, not only in how much you eat, but also in how little you eat.  Because it's entirely possible to eat too little, and to turn all that lovely work you're doing on the exercise floor, into a big waste of time.  You don't take on enough food, your brain needs glucose, gluconeogenesis kicks in, your Lean Body Mass (that's right, your muscles!) provide the glucose.  Guess What Burns Up??  Ah!  You got it -- those Muscles you're trying to build!  No fat goes away when this happens.  So be durn sure you EAT ENOUGH!

Is It Really That Complicated?
... sort of.  There's a lot you need to know to get on the track to Being The Best You You Can Be.  You can either learn it all the hard way, or you can get a Certified Personal Trainer to help you out.  Either way,  it takes work and determination, and you have to love yourself enough to provide both.  Stay tuned.  Next time, maybe we'll look at some other aspects...

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