Let's be honest about the judgments of body image: it sneaks up, it whispers in your ear, it lies.
I've had an extended season of softness - which in itself is a pretty judgy thing to say, but let's say that walking my 13 yo golden retriever bestie on the regular does not provide the higher-intensity movements that I have enjoyed in the past. I've not just taken a softer approach, I've felt it.
It has been wonderful to let some lingering injuries heal and let's be honest - they are as healed as they're gonna be.
It's time for action.
For 2025, my word is FOCUS - and the focus is on my strengths - both the ones I have and the ones I'm cultivating as I grow.
FOCUS - STRENGTH - GROWTH
This morning I met up with my friends at Steel Athletics for the first time in a few months, showing up in long sleeves and pants... in Guam. This sun-phobic girl quickly realized it was too f'ing hot for that.
So, I questioned if I was really ready for it, softness in the middle and... peeled off my shirt. I sweated my way through 400m runs, renegade rows with pushups (those were a first) and squats.
At the end of the workout, I was thoroughly LOVING my body, for everything that it did during the workout. I didn't miss my shirt. In fact, I felt amazing (and amazingly in need of a shower).
The focus had shifted from my silhouette to my POWER, STRENGTH and how I was once again back on the path to GROWTH.
I took this photo to poke fun at myself for having walked in with the pants, the sleeves, and feeling soft in the middle. Yo, cut out that BS, woman. YOU TURN 50 THIS YEAR. OWN THAT SHIT.
And go back and have more fun tomorrow.
Body image is something that we continue to be aware of -- there are so many messages just BURNED into our heads about what our bodies can, should, have looked like. It's like finding yourself perpetually in a gap between where you are and some ideal that wasn't created for you, your unique body, your stage of life and by all means not for your mental health and self-love.
I consider myself pretty darn confident in my skin and yet, YES, I still feel the weight of body image and comparisons to years prior or other ideals outside of me. Let's normalize it: the experience. Let's offer ourselves a taste of self-compassion for the BS cultural bologna that we're unraveling. Let's talk about it out loud so we can finally say, "Yo, that cut out that BS, woman. YOU ARE AMAZING, ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, ALWAYS WILL BE, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SILHOUETTE. OWN IT."
Check out the Family in Focus with Wendy Schofer, MD Podcast!
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