Why I'm Not Embracing My Flaws in 2017

By Molly Galbraith

Note: After making this Facebook post earlier today I received a number of messages from women asking how they can share this with other women in their lives who don't have Facebook. I hope you know how much I appreciate your support and wanting to share this critical message with other women.

I was reading a comment from a woman on Facebook today who said she was on vacation but she hadn't taken her shorts off to get in the water to play with her kids because she's worried about what other people will think of her legs. Please please please don't miss out on your life because you are worried about the size of your thighs. Choose to embrace your whole, flawless body instead.

xoxo,
Molly

P.S. If you're an Instagram user and not a Facebook user, you can find the Instagram post at the bottom.

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Why I'm Not Embracing My Flaws in 2017...

A popular message often shared among women is to encourage each other to "accept" or “embrace” their flaws. These messages are well-intentioned and seen as supportive and inspiring for many women.

Me?

I'm NOT embracing my flaws in 2017.

Why? Because I'm not the one who decided they were flaws to begin with.

That narrative was handed to me as a very young girl. It's a narrative that made me feel self-conscious and like I was bigger than all of the other girls. It's a narrative that made me feel ashamed of, embarrassed by, and apologetic for my body.

"Get rid of your unsightly cottage cheese thighs!"
"Banish embarrassing stretch marks forever!"
"Trim and tone your jelly belly in 10 days!"

I agreed with this narrative for decades, and I let it run through my head like a broken record while punishing myself with intense exercise and restrictive dieting to fix those things the world told me needed fixing.

Not anymore. I’ve realized that I simply don't agree.

I'm almost 5'11" and weigh 170 pounds.

I have cellulite on my legs, stretch marks on my hips, butt, and breasts, and some jiggle on my belly — and the world constantly wants me to believe this is not OK.

But I won’t subscribe to someone else's standards and ideals for MY body.

So, instead of embracing what someone else determined to be a flaw of mine, I choose to embrace my whole, flawless body.

Powerful, most-read words from GGS co-founder @themollygalbraith. . . Why I'm Not Embracing My Flaws in 2017... . . A popular message often shared among women is to encourage each other to "accept" or “embrace” their flaws. These messages are well-intentioned and seen as supportive and inspiring for many women. . . Me? . . I'm NOT embracing my flaws in 2017. . . Why? Because I'm not the one who decided they were flaws to begin with. . . That narrative was handed to me as a very young girl. It's a narrative that made me feel self-conscious and like I was bigger than all of the other girls. It's a narrative that made me feel ashamed of, embarrassed by, and apologetic for my body. . . "Get rid of your unsightly cottage cheese thighs!" "Banish embarrassing stretch marks forever!" "Trim and tone your jelly belly in 10 days!" . . I agreed with this narrative for decades, and I let it run through my head like a broken record while punishing myself with intense exercise and restrictive dieting to fix those things the world told me needed fixing. . . Not anymore. I’ve realized that I simply don't agree. . . I'm almost 5'11" and weigh 170 pounds. . . I have cellulite on my legs, stretch marks on my hips, butt, and breasts, and some jiggle on my belly — and the world constantly wants me to believe this is not OK. . . But I won’t subscribe to someone else's standards and ideals for MY body. . . So, instead of embracing what someone else determined to be a flaw of mine, I choose to embrace my whole, flawless body. . . #GirlsGoneStrong #RR2017 #GGS

A photo posted by Girls Gone Strong (@thegirlsgonestrong) on Jan 1, 2017 at 12:09pm PST

Do you struggle with body image? Have you ever…

Felt anxious about clothes shopping or wearing certain clothes?
Dreaded going to an event (like a reunion or a wedding) — or even skipped the event altogether — because you felt too self-conscious about how you looked?
Found yourself not wanting to be in pictures or videos, or hiding behind other people in the picture to shield your body?
Scrolled through social media and felt worse and worse as you went?

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About the author: Molly Galbraith

Molly Galbraith, CSCS is co-founder and woman-in-charge at Girls Gone Strong, a global movement of 800,000+ folks passionate about women’s health, fitness, and empowerment. She’s also the creator of the The Girls Gone Strong Academy, home of the world’s top certifications for health and fitness pros who want to become a Certified Pre-& Postnatal Coach or a Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist. The GGS Academy is revolutionizing women’s health and fitness by tackling critical (and often overlooked) topics like body image struggles, disordered eating, menopause, amenorrhea and menstrual cycle struggles, PCOS, endometriosis, osteoporosis, pre- and postnatal exercise, incontinence, diastasis recti, pelvic organ prolapse, postpartum recovery, and much more. Learn more about Molly on her website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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