I know I caught your eye with that title, huh? Just hold on to your antsy pants a little bit for me to explain at the end of this post. I have some venting to do first.

Yesterday at the gym I did something to my back. I completed my hamstrings, back, & biceps workout. During deadlifts, I felt like I may have gone too heavy on my last set. Once I finished the set, I felt fine and completed my workout. Then, a little later on it hurt pretty badly to bend down to pick up Braedon. My back continued to feel more and more messed up as the morning went on. In fact, it hurt so bad I spent almost the entire day with a heating pad laying on the couch. Well, as much as that’s possible as a mother of two little ones.

I consoled myself with one of my favorite lunches – a sandwich with egg, goat cheese, spinach, and tomato with a hefty serving of mango, grapes and cucumber slices.

I also turned to natural medicine. Chocolate, of course. For my snack, I continued my love affair with Love Grown Foods granola and poured a small bowl of their Cocoa Goodness granola with almond milk and a sliced banana.

If only that really helped the discouraged feeling. Back pain always makes me so nervous because you never know how long it will affect you. I hope to feel better very soon!

Now back to the title of my post. I want to end on a high note and what better way than sharing about going topless at the gym? 😉 During spin class on Monday I ended up without a sweat towel. All of mine were in the wash and I figured I would just get one of the ones offered in the class at the gym. Well, the towels in class ran out and I was left with no towel. About two songs into the class, I was dripping sweat and constantly trying to wipe my face with my tank top. Eventually I decided to just say “screw it” and took my top off to finish out the spin class in my sports bra.

Normally, I would never think to do this thanks to worrying what others thought. Of my body. Of being dressed “appropriately”. And so on. It hit me though that in all honesty no one pays that much attention to others at the gym. I think we’re all concerned with our own workouts and, truth be told, our own bodies. I didn’t need to worry what others thought. All that mattered is I would physically feel comfortable managing to wipe away all my sweat.

Then, I got to thinking a little bit deeper. I sat in that class sweating away because I was challenging myself with a great workout. My body can DO great things. I should take pride in my body and its strength. That includes no embarrassment on working out in just my sports bra for this class. I feel good and that is all the confidence I need. That is all the confidence we should all need. I’m not saying you have to bare your belly, because I even don’t plan on habitually working out sans shirt. I’m saying not to worry about how you look. Worry about how you WORK. Let that fuel your confidence because you rock!

• Do you ever workout in just a sports bra?
• Any back pain remedies to share?

Just as every Sunday, I have republished another topic to lead us into another week on a positive note. Please enjoy this week’s topic of self-love reflection: the troubles in idolizing our bodies.

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How much do we really value our bodies? We may say we don’t, but when taking a closer look at our actions we tend to find differently. We may even claim we “hate” our bodies, yet we still obsess over them. We spend countless hours of our lives thinking about how our butt looks, checking our hair in the mirror, running our hands over our stomach, or trying to find the best tool out there to help us look good.

Taking care of ourselves and wanting to present ourselves in a suitable manner does not act as the root of the problem. Placing more emphasis on our looks than in our character opens up many avenues for self-doubt and lack of caring for our inner selves. In life, we should not have idols. I use the word “idol” to describe something we focus on more than necessary and that inhibits us from experiencing the things in life meant to fulfill us.

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Our bodies become idols when we can’t enjoy a night out with friends because we feel too concerned with the fit of our jeans. Our bodies serve as idols when we spend time in the gym to look better instead of feel healthier. Our bodies act as idols when we can’t comfortably allow a loved one to touch us without negative thoughts playing in our minds. Our bodies turn into idols when we have difficulty focusing on our work, surroundings, conversations, etc because we wonder if we’ll ever lose that last 5 pounds or look as good as (insert celebrity persona here). Our bodies are idols whenever we allow them to become the defining factor of our lives, instead of our relationships, passions, hobbies, and values.

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We lose the chance to enjoy life when we refuse to look past our bodies. I loved this quote that sparked discussion on my favorite radio show awhile ago - “Don’t look for yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself”. Your body does not determine you. It’s simply what you look like. What matters is what’s on the inside. So when you look in the mirror, or think about your physical appearance, don’t dwell on it. Simply look at it and move on (without forgetting the gifts of the body though ). When looking for yourself and your worth…look to the more defining qualities you possess.Your intrinsic beauty, what others see in you, what you give to the world, and more. Don’t let your body play the leading part.. It’s simply the costume for the star of the show. YOU!

What ways have you put too much emphasis on your body? Ideas on changing it?

Quote to Reflect On
You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. ~C.S. Lewis