It’s almost that time when jean shorts and sundresses are pulled out from the midst of your closet and achieving your “summer body” is all you’ve been thinking about. Pinterest boards and Tumblr blogs dedicated to fitness are becoming your daily go-to websites and achieving the “thigh gap” might be on your list of goals next to eating healthy and working out more.
I will be the first to admit that I have struggled with many issues when it comes to my weight, pushing myself to not give up until I had the best body, including the thigh gap. Why? Because that was what I thought looked good; models had it, other girls had it and I thought guys liked that. That was my mindset until I discovered that having a thigh gap was almost impossible.
According to Fitness Blender and many other health websites, a thigh gap largely has to do with your bone structure which is something you CANNOT CHANGE. To try and diet and exercise your way to a thigh gap is completely unrealistic. Only 6 percent of the women in the United States are naturally born with the hip bone placement that allows you to have a thigh gap (I’m serious — 6 percent!).
There are Tumblr pages dedicated to thigh gap photos for “thinspiration,” Twitter pages for celebrities’ infamous thigh gaps, and even a Wikipage with 26 steps to get a thigh gap. There’s nothing wrong with having a thigh gap! But there is something wrong with dieting to the point where you’re malnourished, excessively working out and hurting yourself in effort to reach a goal that is literally not possible for most bodies.
Look at this Tumblr page to show you the beauty of the curve. Beyoncé, Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence are great examples of women who proudly rock their curvy figures!
My point, ladies, is to tell you that you are absolutely beautiful whether your thighs do or don’t touch. There is nothing wrong with setting goals, improving your health and loving all things healthy, but stop being so hard on yourself! (I put this on my door as a daily reminder.)
Grab a friend and go to the gym; hold each other accountable! Invite people over and share a delicious, healthy recipe you’ve been dying to try. After all, we live in San Luis Obispo: Hike every trail that’s out here or grab a bike and cruise downtown. If you are doing something that is benefiting you, making you happy or is helping you stay active, give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself that you’re proud. It’s time that we stop bashing and judging ourselves, and embrace the beauty in our bodies.
Now look in the mirror and remind yourself that you’re beautiful, because you are!