I feel SO much better when I exercise and work out than when I don't. I can say this with certainty as I just came off an 8 day vacation where we did NOTHING but eat and drink and be lazy. I feel like crap.

I feel great when I am strong, and when I can do a particular yoga move, or make it through a boot camp without barfing. The body image comes along with that. I feel good, so I feel like I look good. It's taken me a LONG time to get to that place mentally after 10 years of an eating disorder, but I try every day to make my body work for me... and to reward it as well.

I am still (at the age of 37) trying to shed years of eating-disordered thinking even though the eating-disordered behavior ended long long ago. As a runner, I try to remember that I am becoming stronger with each run logged, and that I need to eat to fuel that. I also have two daughters, and the desire to have them see their own bodies as strong and healthy rather than thin, plays out daily in my mind. I feel stronger now than ever before, and I am hoping that with each run, my desire to be a healthy strong role model squishes what is left of the part of me that wants to see the number on the scale drop.

When I'm able to walk and/or exercise every day of the week, I feel stronger and more confident in my body, yet I step on the scale and it still reads the same number. I feel strong when I can pick up two of my kids at the same time and walk across the parking lot with them, without feeling like I'm about to die. I feel strong when I can keep up with my kid's soccer game. But mostly, I feel strongest when I make time every day to exercise and clear my mind.

For me, my natural body shape is muscular, tending towards stocky. I used to want to be lithe and lean, but eventually realized that's not me. I'm happiest in my body when I am active and moving. That is the ideal body for me.

http://lessonsromtheendofamarriage.com

As I've gotten older my perception of what is ideal has changed. When I was young I thought that skinny meant healthy, but now as I'm in my late 20's I've realized through my own experiences that healthy is not only a physical condition but it is also a state of mind. In the past few years of my life I've gained a few pounds, but they have all been muscle as I've learned to take better care of myself and not let the number of the scale or size of my pants determine how I perceive myself. Feeling the strongest I've ever felt where my fitness is also functional is a very comforting feeling.

You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish with training and dedication. I am in the best shape of my life, but it didn't happen just because I wanted it to, I had to work for it. I have changed my ideal body from thin to strong and don't stress about the size on my tag anymore =)

I've always wanted a six-pack--mainly because it's the vogue thing to have. Reading this book was kind of a relief. You know, it's completely unnecessary the things we do to our bodies to fit the Hollywood image. Now, I'm just going to eat healthy and welcome my "slight" muffin top.

For a long time, my ideal body was smaller. Not weight-wise, but structure-wise. I wanted to be 5'7" not 5'9', and have my body proportions match that height. That's physically impossible, so I gave up on it around 16 or so. I've been happy ever since.

I just know that the body I have now is not my ideal ody shape and it will be changed,

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I always hated that I had wider hips than other girls. So what that I was thin? So what that I was strong and had lean muscle? My ideal body was the very epitome of unobtainable -- because my hips were never going to magically become less wide. My ideal body has changed. Today, my body is softer but still strong. Ideally, I would like to be lean but those hips? Well, they are perfect for a mom of two kids. I would like to see them again.

My definition of the ideal body has definitely changed from my twenties to now. Sports helped a lot, focusing on what my body can do, rather than how it looks. Also, I realized how lucky I am to be a healthy person living in a country where I have so many options. There are so many cultures where girls aren't allowed to go to school, and women are seen as property, not people. Worrying about the jiggle in my middle seems silly in perspective.

I love this post. My definition of an ideal body has completely changed now that I'm a mother of two girls. I used to think that a six pack and tight rear-end were ideal. Now? I want strength. I want to be able to use my body for it's supposed to be used for: life. Even though I'm still overweight, I'm also at my fittest. I run. I lift. I have energy. To me, it's never about the size. Strength = energy. Living life complication-free = strength.

This is a tough post as a 7 weeks into pregnancy body sits here reading it. :) I've yet to accept mine, but I don't hate it as much as I used to.

I felt strong until a few years ago. Then I started feeling weak and not capable because of my weight. I've worked hard and lost quite a bit, and I'm feeling that strength now. I am the weight I was 10 years ago, and I hated my body then. While I'm still not where I want to be, I'm learning to love my body as it is.

My definition of an ideal body has changed to some extent but for the most part I already had a pretty realistic grasp of what was physically attainable and what was not.

Feeling strong, or recognizing the strength of my body has never been something I even used as a measure of judgement. Even at my weakest I've always felt strong so it's hard for me to answer that.

It really gave me something to think about. The thought that just because you're skinny doesn't mean you're healthy has been a belief of mine for a long time; I have two aunts, sisters, who have always been an example to me. One weighed 98 pounds, "healthy" for her height and "ideal" according to the BMI thing. The other was "overweight" and deemed unhealthy. It always bothered me because I knew how they both ate, how much they exercised and what kind of health issues they had. Ironically, my 98 pound aunt didn't eat, never exercised and had so many healthy problems it was scary, while my other aunt worked fire lines, ran miles on end each morning and ate good foods and was in perfect condition. So I always looked at them as far as "just because you're skinny or 'fat' doesn't mean anything."

Although it was nice to hear someone else say it. :)

My idea has changed a lot. I used to focus on being skinny or fitting into a certain size, but now I would just like to get to a point where I am the healthiest me I can be. And part of that is working on building my strength and endurance so I can do more. I may never go out and run every day, but I'd love to have the strength to make it through a job once in a while without feeling like I'm dying!

My ideal certainly has changed! Having children certainly changed my perspective. Now, if I can have the stamina to run around all day getting work done, cleaning house, and playing with them outside then I feel good. We've recently started doing martial arts as a family - that's also changed my perspective. I want to be able to do it and not be so sore it hurts to walk! ( :

I feel like my ideal body is one that looks healthy. For me I would like to be a bit more toned, but still feminine. Feeling strong is a mental and a physical thing for me. For myself being physically strong is important, but being emotionally strong is even more important.

I also really appreciated this theme. I have been very thin, and I was also very ill at those times. I believe health is beautiful, but that many of our cultural ideals of beauty are quite unhealthy. We need to redefine the norms for female bodies, and cultivate health rather than certain traits, such as flat abs, chiseled thighs, and unnaturally large breasts. Something I believe we have lost is the concept of real bodies-- when was the last time you saw a real, live woman naked-- who wasn't a model or stripper? I think we used to have more situations, like bathhouses and such where people saw what other bodies really look like. Virtually all images we see now of human bodies have been altered or specially selected in some way.

Out of everything I read in the book, this is probably my favorite concept. I struggle to embrace it, but I do love the idea. I know I'm never going to be a size 2 or weight 120lbs or, as mentioned, run a marathon, but I can eat well, look good in my clothes, slowly jog a 5K with my kiddos, skit, and be healthy and active without ever seeing some dream number on the scale. Of course, this is much easier to write than it is to live it. ;o)

Since having my last child, I, too, have struggled with my body weight and image. But until just very recently, I am beginning to like Me for ME! I've come to realize and accept that I will NEVER have that lovely young body I once had. I've had my days, and now I am a mature woman. And I want to grow old with grace and dignity. :)

Great post!

~Virginia

I've always struggled with body issues, and I think this concept is one of the hardest for me, but one I need to adopt.

I've struggled with weight and body image for much of my life. Suffering from hypothyroidism has played its fair share in my weight and how I truly feel. There are periods where I feel strong and healthy, and other times where I feel weak and slow. But eating clean is probably the leading factor in feeling good. And regular exercise without over-doing it.

My ideal body has definitely changed. When I was younger I wanted to be slim, that was all. Now I want to run strong so my ideal is a body that can handle the rigors of training.

My ideal body has definitely become more relaxed. Being strong for me is definitely not running a marathon or hitting the gym every night. It's feeling good, feeling comfortable in my body, and staying healthy. Amen to nixing the idea of a "perfect" body!