Thinspiration

Earlier this year, I had mono- it basically was the worst thing ever. Always tired, sore throat, no motivation, and worst of all... I couldn't exercise or do anything active until it was completely gone. This was for the fear that my spleen would explode upon intense exercise because then I would, well, die. Weeks passed, and then weeks turned into months and then finally I was able to be active.

There I was thinking back on all the Taco Bell, frozen yogurt, and frapps I had consumed before I got on the scale.... and to my demise I had gained a whole 10 pounds. Yes, that may not seem like a lot, but trust me I could tell exactly where it was on my body.

I felt disgusting- fat, bloated, overweight, chubby, and overall gross. What made this even harder was the fact that living in Southern California meant that I would be at the beach for the next few weekends. Some days when we had made plans to put on those teeny, tiny bikinis and head to the beach I didn't even want to go, for the fear of how I would look compared to my gorgeous, could be models, friends. It was an awful, empty feeling. (Which I know now was only from Satan.)

I returned back to Washington with my confidence complete with Swiss cheese type holes all over, determined to get fit. I found out quickly that mono has lingering effects of fatigue that can inhibit your drive and will to exercise. So, I thought that a way to increase this sense of motivation would be to look at other girls on the addictive site of "Pinterest" and other fitness blogs to try and jump start my routine. Soon, I discovered the saying, "Thinspiration," on the blogosphere and was fascinated by groups of pictures comprised by different women with the hope that by looking and comparing themselves to airbrushed and stick thin models this would then increase their chances of dropping 20 lbs and build up a healthy amount of self-esteem. I found it to almost be a cult following! Even I was interested, until I realized the depth of the psychological issues that came with pouring over thinspiration blogs....

Here are some pictures I found under the topic of Thinspiration:

After seeing these, this is when I knew I needed to stop feeding into the obsession of being thin, and rather into a healthier goal- meaning getting healthy.

However, as I started creating a healthier lifestyle, I thought of something... Instead of looking for thin-spiration, or fit-spiration, why don't I pursue God-spiration with as much zeal? Instead of focusing on such a shallow and sad goal, I could be fixing my eyes towards Christ pursuing something that is eternal. My body will never be perfect, no matter how many sit ups or lunges I do; there will always be something. However, Christ sees me as something that is perfect, untainted, and made in His image.

Rather than focusing my attention on outward appearance, I now strive to live a more Christ-like life... getting inspired by God's Word instead of models who need to eat a Chipotle burrito. What is the point of pursuing something so fleeting when we are saved by the Son of God and are given eternal life?

If you have any God-spiration for me... send it my way!