Skinny and happy with Photoshop?!

People who are following me for a while now, know that I would not post a selfie like this for no reason. No, I don’t want to show off my six-pack or my non-existing waist. I also don’t want to advertise a bikini brand nor do I want to force the world to look at my body.

Why did I post this picture then ?

In a world revolving around technology and daily improved software, conjuring the perfect body has become ridiculously easy. While I love to use Photoshop to edit light/saturation and color of my food images, I feel using it on bodies kind of provides a false image. Not only to the world and the people I am influencing but also to myself. Whether it’s something we see on social media or a magazine, we compare ourselves and it is a never ending game, hard to stop. What we can do against it, is showing the world the truth. When more women are showing how they really look and feel, more woman could relate and might be better understood without envy or comparison. There will always be these feelings of comparing and competition but at least, we can try to eliminate them.
This post is an approach.

„HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB“ – WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

Eat more real food and less crap

The first picture is edited with Photoshop.
This is not how my body looks. Did you recognize the difference? Have you ever thought about the fact that people are editing their pictures giving the world a wrong image about themselves? Maybe they don’t live the healthy and sporty life they pretend they do?

Let’s be honest here, we all know more or less what kinds of food are healthy or not. While it is not about separating healthy and unhealthy food and then restricting, it is more about balance and trying to substitute that chocolate croissant for homemade nutrition filled raw balls from time to time. (you can get tons of healthy dessert ideas on this blog! :)) you don’t have to substitute your daily dose of chocolate with an apple if you are craving something sweet. A healthy switch can be easier as you think. Do you know these days when you just had a plate of pasta and then you want chocolate, sweets, and more pasta? I know…Well, o be honest here there are days when I just think: “ ah screw it and then I eat crap.“ YES I DO! because I am not a person perfect and yes maybe that is the reason why I don’t look like the first picture above.  But maybe I don’t want to look like that. Maybe I am happy in the other picture with some inches more on my hips and without arms that look like I could not lift a pencil. (this is just a metaphor, I am not judging slim arms!) I am enjoying it so much to vary my days with smoothies but also chocolate and fatty mac n‘ cheese (cashew cream is da bomb!) I know that I am feeling better when I eat less processed food as it makes my blood sugar spike and pumps my body with unnatural ingredients. I try to cook and eat as plant-based as possible incorporating real, all-natural ingredients.

Don’t excessively workout or weigh yourself

Something you don’t see in this picture is that since I am eating more plant-based, my skin really improves and has this kind of golden glow now, which I really like! I don’t even have a scale anymore as I am not interested in numbers but in feelings. If your body makes you sad, maybe you should work hard to improve to the level as you can and then finally try to accept yourself.  I am not a person just accepting things I don’t like. I am working hard to be the best version of myself, but sometimes we are a little tough on ourselves and need to slow down. That is life. Sometimes we are motivated as a kid seeing an Ice cream truck and we jump in our workout clothes, hit the next mountain or dance like no one is watching. I LOVE THESE DAYS! 🙂 On other days, I actually wondering how I can actually run for 2 hours or do a 30 minutes killer HIT session. I think learning to accept these variations in life is the best thing you can do.

If you are not familiar with yoga or meditation this might sound strange to you. I love to do Yoga at every occasion by now. Whenever I feel hungry, just after I ate a proper lunch, I do some yoga.
Why should I do yoga when I am hungry? Well, sometimes we eat because of certain other feelings or inputs from the body such as being thirsty or sleepy, angry, pissed or demotivated. I figured that it helps so much to calm down, sit on the floor and just try to connect with my body giving him so relaxation time. Some years ago I might have gone for an excessive run or do hours after hours of weight lifting. Remembering that, I feel that I more harmed my body than helping him. Listen to your body!

Are you feeling energized and you want to go for a 10K run? HIT IT! are you feeling a little down, maybe injured? Take a walk or do a yoga sesh.

Your body will thank you. While I was on vacation in Hawaii I was sick and then I had an injured breast. I could not workout for weeks. Damn, the first week I tried to accept the fact that I had to take it slow from no one and I could not understand why me and why now? After one week of anger, hating and regretting myself, I knew it is in my hands and I can either give up and just sit inside being sad, OR I can try to find other things making me happy such as long walks and Yoga. I found a new different way of exercising and although I can’t wait to be back into my regular routine I am fine with my new „routine“

Remember to be grateful
Remember to be thankful for what you have. Your body is your temple and you are the person living in this temple. Only you would know what is actually the best and healthiest routine. Don’t get blinded by people posting their daily workouts on Instagram pretending to live on smoothies and 1 tbsp peanut butter per month.This is not real. You don’t know whether they speak the truth and if they do you don’t know if they are happy with what they are doing. Being fit, healthy and happy does not mean running to the gym every day, working out like a beast, and only being happy when you managed to not eat that chocolate that you actually want so badly. There is a thin line about being an inspiration and being a false role model.

So the next time you are looking at a picture or reading a text that is triggering you: think again, be grateful for your life and body. Learn from others and explore new possibilities as you go. Find your comfort zone and then challenge it. Talk to people and connect. And even if you’re still super-skeptical, try it anyway because what’s so bad about other people understanding you, laughing, being happy, and enjoying every moment?

The process to be happy is multi-fold: find things to be grateful for in all situations, be nice to others and shift toward positive people and situations.

Thousand virtual hugs to you reading this! You are enough <3