I was in the gym this morning, working out and schmoozing with gym-friends. It’s great to have a little extra time on a Sunday morning, to not be in such of a rush.

Schmoozing with gym-friends, and two separate women, who happen to be my age or older and both in AMAZING shape, commented on their body or weight to me. “I’ve gained a few pounds,” said one. “I wish my stomach was flat,” said the other.

When will we stop? Women? People? When will we stop?

When will we stop beating up on ourselves? Or holding ourselves to extreme, and insane, standards?

When will we accept our bodies, and ourselves? When will we believe that however we are is fine, or at least fine enough?

I understand the mindset. I have a sense of where it comes from. As an ex- (recovering) anorexic, I know how easy it is to judge an “extra” pound on the scale, or the tightness of your pants. I know what it’s like to critique every morsel that passes across my lips…or doesn’t.

I hate that anyone is caught in this self-criticism. And when I see women (and sometimes men) whom anyone else would look at with amazement at the great shape they’re in, it hits me even more. They say that model-thin models sometimes think they’re too fat. Or are told they’re too fat.

Years ago when I had to ease myself back into eating – and enjoying – food, I used to look at a piece of Mississippi mud cake and think, “I could eat it and enjoy it and maybe gain weight, or I could not eat it and miss out and maybe get hit by a bus on the way home.” I know that’s drastic, but that’s what it took to break my warped thinking. But why, why, why are we taught, and why, why, why do we learn to berate ourselves, even when there’s nothing, and no reason, to berate?

I don’t blame these women. I don’t blame myself when my thought processes go haywire. I just see it and add it to my list of mindsets and societal standards that I want to change.

Let’s all just stop it. Let’s start a revolution of loving ourselves, of loving our bodies. Exactly as they are today.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please share this post with others if it resonates with you!