Share

Be the size you are

accreditation
Are you ready for bikini season? What a ridiculous notion, given that we are headed into winter – but is that the only reason the whole beach-body bandwagon so many advertising companies jump on is ludicrous?

This series of adverts in the UK sparked a wave of protest from women ranging from stating their displeasure via social media to vandalism. 

No matter your thoughts on the whole saga, the fact remains that real women are not happy with the campaign.

I think we have had enough, and we are standing up against the media-stipulated stereotype of body shape. We are sick to death of being told how we should look, and we are not keeping quiet about it anymore. Which is a good thing.

But is it all the media’s fault? Should we blame Victoria Secret for their #ThePerfectBody campaign? 

Or the #ImNoAngel folk for vilifying naturally slender women and implying that plus size is the only ‘real’ body there is? Will it change the way we feel when we look at ourselves in the mirror?

I struggled with body image for a long time, and always wanted to look like those bikini-clad models. The grass-fed-smoothie is always greener on the other side, so I tried every diet, every exercise regime and every form of natural supplement along the way to finding inner peace about my outer appearance.

What I learnt after a decade or so is that nothing works because it is all so outward focused. Only after realizing I had to be happy – truly happy – in and of myself to be happy with my reflection did I come to a place of body acceptance. I had a three-point epiphany so big and ground breaking it shook up my whole world:

1. Just Be The Size You Are.

I am 6ft tall and very broad across my shoulders. No amount of dieting or treadmill time would ever give me a frame worthy of runway standards, and so I had to accept what I am rather than chase what I will never be.

Once I decided to be the size and shape that I am when I know I am looking after myself (with occasional pamper sessions of pink champagne, pizza and TopDeck of course) then suddenly I felt happy with my wardrobe of ‘L’s, ‘36’s and Size 12’s. Rather than try to fit into a stereotype or a particular ‘BMI’ I realized I was what I was, and that was that.

Incidentally, the healthy range of BMI is 18 – 24…but how many women want to be 24? I always would have rather been 18. Which is crazy, given that 17.9 is classed as underweight, unhealthy and in need of ‘fattening up’. This is how flawed our version of our healthy weight has become.

2. Look after yourself, and eat, damnit!

Don’t ever starve yourself, and don’t ever binge. But eating healthy means different things to different people. Paleo or vegan, low-carb Mediterranean or high fat banting. I had to find what worked for me – which turned out to be no diet at all. I love food, all food, so I chose to eat – but to eat smart. (Funnily enough, when I made that choice, I lost a dress size.) I learnt that it’s not only about what you eat, it’s about how much and when.

3. Move

Exercise shouldn’t be such a mission. It shouldn’t be made up of slugs and snails and sweaty mountain trails (unless you’re into that). I realized the best forms of exercise are the ones that I will enjoy doing consistently and not quit.

Just like food, exercise means different things to different people. For some it’s as far away from a gym as possible. Maybe it means paddleboats, SUPs and diving. One friend fell in love with archery – which is pretty awesome if you ask me! You will never catch me on a bike or running a marathon, but I like to CrossFit, walk, do pilates and yoga. I mix things up to make sure I move my body and get my blood pumping regularly.

We as women are angry about feeling like we don’t have perfect bodies or that we will never be ‘bikini ad’ ready. We are at constant war, it seems, but only as we try to squeeze ourselves into another mold.

At the end of the day, I know it’s not what’s on the outside that matters – so I can laugh at the ‘real’ woman images, both big and small. Because I know what being a real woman means to me.

It means just being the size I am – then I’m as real as I will ever be.

Follow Pami on Twitter or read her blog

Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE