Converts & My Butt

Posted: June 15, 2011 at 8:56 am

You know how I mentioned the unlikelihood of me making a green smoothie on vacation? Well, I lied. I lasted until yesterday and then I wanted to whip out the blender. I wanted to taste the power of green for myself and convince my family that spinach can blend into a satisfying, refreshing, and taste-bud thrilling concoction.

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At first, they seemed a little uncertain on what a spinach smoothie would taste like. Then, they said cheers and drank up!

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Verdict: I have converted two more to the green smoothie ways. Muahahaha! The world shall sport green mustaches from here on out. Or, at the very least – my family will. 😉

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I love showing others not to judge healthy options until they try them. I know the blog world has opened my eyes to trying a wide range of foods and has converted me into a lover of many things. Although Kombucha won’t be one of them. I draw the line at fungi floating in my drinks.

Alright, now I must dive into something a little more serious. That’s where the “my butt” part of the title comes in. Yes, that qualifies as serious conversation because I more specifically mean body image, the beach, and my butt.

On any given day, I feel great about my body. I think I look fit, strong, and healthy – which is all I hope for my body to look. I have confidence in what I have accomplished. I take pride in the way I care for myself and the dedication I take to my goals. I appreciate all my body can do, like rocking a 10K race and delivering my children. I can feel super self-confident, especially when put together in a cute outfit highlighting my favorite body parts, such as my legs and arms.

Then you put me in a bikini with my butt, about which I always feel most self-conscious, out in the open and I become a little more self-aware.

It will bring some of those old inadequate feelings back to the forefront. Having my body exposed in a bikini all day long will leave me critiquing myself and getting negative in my mind. Something about the beach, a location where I have many times in the past participated in some of the worst fat-talk, will have me longing for appearances and physiques of my past and feeling unsatisfied with my present. I’m not perfect. I still struggle with body image from time to time. I still sometimes wonder, “what if I had been tighter with my eating?” or “if only I looked more like I did X years ago”.

The key is to recognize those moments. To recognize them as the evil they consume and the lack of truth they possess. Instead of allowing those thoughts to consume me, I paid attention to them and thought about what triggered that reaction.

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Then, I replaced the negatives with positives. And told myself to suck it up and rock that bikini. My body can do pretty fabulous things. And it doesn’t look half bad in the process either…because healthy looks hot on anybody.

  • What moments/places trigger body image struggles for you?
  • PS: Stay tuned for a giveaway sometime tomorrow!

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82 Comments to “Converts & My Butt”
  1. I love your honesty. I have been struggling with my body image lately with an upcoming beach vacation – and I’m (almost) 6 months pregnant! The beach is definitely hard – especially when you are scantily clad for hours each day. But, you look amazing! And I definitely think reversing your thoughts with positive ones makes a huge difference!

  2. Ela says:

    I hope you’re having a wonderful vacation! You look beautiful and I love that you talked yourself through the body image stuff so well. I can be triggered any time I pass a mirror or reflective surface, so it can be a great mindfulness practice.

    Congrats on spreading the green smoothie message! But you really should try kombucha–it’s bacteria as well as fungus!
    love
    Ela

  3. Bari says:

    First off – you are absolutely rocking that bikini! But I can understand where you are coming from. I’m in the best shape of my life and finally bought a “real” bikini. I haven’t worn it yet. I still see everything that I think is wrong – saggy skin, stretch marks, 15 more pounds (which would probably make me look ill in all honesty). Our brains are definitely the hardest to change.

    2nd – I love green smoothies.

  4. vivoir says:

    I think you can probably take something very positive from those comments though- the fact that you even recognise them as ‘negative’ and not ‘fact’ is a huge reflection of how far you have come

    They aren’t the be-all-and-end-all. They are simply a passing feeling

    • Tina says:

      Thanks! That is very comforting to acknowledge and know. I didn’t think about that – the difference between recognizing them as feelings over fact. Great point!

  5. Last week at the beach I suddenly felt huge. I expected to be at my goal weight by now and instead ended up gaining ten pounds this past winter/spring. Last year I felt really good about myself for losing 20 pounds and this year my confidence has taken a nosedive. You look great, and you have a great attitude, keep it up!

  6. Amy says:

    This post has good timing for me. I just posted about Fat – Talk today and then came here and read this post – your honesty keeps me coming back!

    On another note, I think you look absolutely amazing.

  7. Lauren says:

    Oh goodness, I don’t think its humanly possible to remain unaware of yourself in a bikini. Doesn’t matter what shape or size, everyone feels a bit awkward 1/2 naked. Actually, I think I look better naked than I do in a bikini half the time.

    You look amazing by the way! 🙂

  8. Karen says:

    “Healthy looks hot on anybody” – great quote Tina!! I think it’s really great that you shared your love of green smoothies with others and they liked them : )

  9. Danica says:

    I too get extremely self-conscious whenever I’m wearing my swimsuit, and I hate when I catch myself getting caught in the “comparison trap” or wishing my body was different. I like your idea of simply, consciously replacing those negative thoughts that sneak into our minds with positive thoughts….P.S. You look fantastic-very strong! And I love that quote at the end: “Healthy looks hot on anybody.” LOVE IT!

  10. I think you look great. Thing is, no matter how much anyone else tells you, you still feel the way you do. The things that trigger me are the monthly friend time. No matter how much my mind says it is normal, I still see puffy, bloated, etc in the mirror during this time.
    Suzanne

    • Tina says:

      Thanks! I know I look strong and healthy and hate that those negative thoughts happen sometime like you have with the monthly friend. . I guess certain moments get the best of us, huh?

  11. Mandy says:

    Tina, you look great. Although I more than anyone understand the mental demons. I have them myself right now too. It’s a tough challenge I deal with every day when I wake up.

    Love that your parents had some green smoothies! I have yet to try it again since last week— but I will soon, this time with less spinach 😉

    • Tina says:

      Sometimes the logical just doesn’t match up with the emotional. I’m feeling MUCH better lately though. I just had to give myself a little reality slap. Hope you’re feeling better too!

  12. Lee says:

    I struggle a lot with body image issues when I’m with my family. Since I only see them a few times a year, I feel like they always comment if I’ve lost any weight. And if they don’t comment, I feel like they think I’ve gained weight. It’s really stupid and I know it is, but it happens every time.

    If you strain the kombucha, you’ll get rid of the floaters (as I like to call them). I do that sometimes.

  13. I think you look amazing! I completely understand where you are coming from, though. Beaches are difficult for body image issues, and mine definitely sprout up on vacation.

  14. Um. Did you have a baby recently? Wouldn’t know it. Thanks for discussing your insecurities and how you handle them. I think that there is that one part of our bodies for all of us–and in reality, we are our own worst critic and that one part actually looks much better than we perceive it 🙂 Love you.

  15. Pardon my language but, damn girl, you look amazing!

    I am too self conscious about my little chubs here and there to wear one…….some day:) hehe

  16. […] into a variety of topics (new fitness exercises, the Strengths Out Loud series, fun giveaways, body image talks, and random daily fun). I sure hope you enjoyed it […]

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