Lunch today was fishy and fantastic!
I made myself a tuna salad bagelwich that included:
- 1 can tuna
- Chopped celery
- 1 1/2 tbsp. relish
- 1 1/2 tbsp. light Miracle Whip
- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Fresh green pepper slices were the perfect addition to this yummy plate.
Delish!
And now onto a more serious discussion…
The Comparison Trap
By now we’re all well aware that the images we see in magazines or on billboards are often altered, Photoshopped and edited to a great extent.
Check out this video to see just how much editing goes into the images we see every day:
Even though we understand how much images are altered, it’s hard not to idolize these images as “perfection” and strive to mirror this unattainable look.
It can be so hard not to compare ourselves to others… Our friends, family members, actresses, models, another woman simply shopping in the grocery store. Comparisons can occur anywhere.
In my opinion, this is one of the most detrimental things we can do to our self esteem.
It can be so hard not to look at others and wish you had their legs, their hair, their blemish-free skin. But here’s the thing: Those things you lust after are theirs, not yours, and you have a billion other wonderful things to offer. Someone, somewhere is wishing they had something you have… Your health, a loving husband, strength to handle a family crisis, a smile that can light up any room.
Comparisons often cause us to feel bad about ourselves and make us overlook our own wonderful features.
A couple of weeks ago, Lisa posted this question on her blog:
If you were stranded on a deserted island and would never see anybody again, would you want to lose weight?
I thought this question was a great one that will hopefully make people look deeper into why they want to lose weight if they’re constantly dieting. Are you losing the weight for you or for others?
I loved Lisa’s reflections on this question: “I only want to lose weight and have a better body when I’m comparing myself to others. To celebrities, to my friends, to wanting my boyfriend to have a ‘hot’ girlfriend. If I strictly compare myself to me and how I think I look and how I feel in my own body…then I think I’m perfect and don’t need to lose. I only want to lose when I compare MY body with someone else’s perfect body.”
Question of the Afternoon
I challenge you to answer the this question, if not in the comments section, in your own head.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and would never see anybody again, would you want to lose weight?
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I would definitely still want to be in shape and healthy. For me, it’s not about being a size 2 just so I can say to other people that I’m a size 2, it’s about taking care of my body and feeling good.
Awesome post! If I was overweight, I’d want to lose weight so I could be healthier. If I was at a healthy weight, though, I wouldn’t!
I was totally craving tuna today. But none in sight! 🙁 Maybe later this week!
Amazing question. I would probably be ok with the way I am right now …if I was on an island. Makes a girl think!
I dunno, on a desert island, I think the extra weight might help. I’d still want to be in shape, you know, to hunt the wild animals.
No one can truthfully answer this question because it’s such an extreme situation. If I were really suck on an island with no hope of ever seeing another person again, I’d rather be dead.
Comparisons are only a part of why I like to stay slim. This might sound shallow but I honestly believe that the better a person looks, the better you will be treated by others. When I’m having a good hair day and I’m wearing a flattering dress or a perfectly fitting pair of jeans… everyone just seems nicer.
My health would be the most important reason of all, but I wouldn’t care about appearance.
Whoa, I am so glad that you posted that video. I have never seen that before. I have done many posts about photoshopped pictures and that video really put things into perspective for me. To answer your question, I would definitely not want to lose weight or try to lose weight on a deserted island because it would all be about survival and taking care of my Body. I would be looking for food not trying to stay away from it..
Hey, I love your blog (and you put almost as much celery in tuna as I do!) and I’d love to subscribe.
Thanks! You may subscribe by clicking the “subscribe” link at the top, left of the blog! 🙂
Good question. At first I was like, i’m not happy with the way I look now at all, and then I was like, do I think i’m not beautiful within myself when I look in the mirror?, or do I think i’m not beautiful because I don’t think OTHER people think i’m beautiful? A bit confusing I know. I then realised that ultimately I want to feel fit and strong, and if good looks come with that then great.
I would still want to lose the weight, I love feeling slimmer, fitter and stronger.