Serena Williams once said, “I want women to know that it’s okay. That you can be whatever size you are and you can be beautiful inside-and-out. We’re always told what’s beautiful and what’s not, and that’s not right.” In my opinion, Williams has a good point. I love my body and I love how I look. But I can’t deny that other girls at the gym, with incredible figures, don’t make me jealous. It is hard to look at someone and not want what they have — it’s human.
However, the jealousy especially comes from the girls in the magazines. It can be incredibly hard to not feel envious when Cosmopolitan features stunning young women with incredible bodies and gorgeous looks. I am, like many my age, dealing with body weight and self-image issues, and it is a constant battle.
Media and society constantly show us who we should be and what we should look like. Celebrities go through endless plastic surgeries, body changes, total transformations, diets and cleanses like they’re an everyday thing — but these types of habits aren’t healthy. Losing weight should not be about the pounds, or even about what other people will think — it should be about you, and about creating a healthier body. It should be about being able to climb the stairs without getting tired and living a long life to be with the ones that you love.
Losing weight is difficult. It takes a lot of time to see progress and it’s an incredibly painful battle. You have to want it — and as corny as it sounds, you have to believe in yourself.
I guarantee you that that it isn’t as easy as riding a bike and working out will never leave you looking like a model. You will be sweating, you will be tired, and you will feel terribly sore, but you will be more energized than ever before.
So start now, because you have to start somewhere. Yes, you probably won’t know what you’re doing right away, and yes it’s going to be very hard. It’s going to take a lot of willpower and lots of motivation, but it’s worth it. If you stick with it, you will be able to succeed.
I want you to remember that we all come in different packages. We’re different makes and models, colours, shapes, and sizes. We’ve all experienced different things, and we are completely different people. No two humans are ever the same — sometimes similar, yes, but never the same. And that’s something we should be proud of. Be proud of the fact that we’re all different, all unique, and all special in our own way.
Tomorrow when you wake up, remind yourself just how beautiful you are, then give it a try, and push yourself. Be the healthiest person you can be, and love yourself in all aspects. It’s never going to be easy, but it will always be worth it.