Cellulite…in an effort to keep it real, I thought I’d share photo and conversation I had with a client regarding cellulite.
I had a client tell me how self conscious she was about her cellulite and I went on to send her this still shot of me from a workout video I had filmed. When I first saw the video my immediate reaction was to delete it because my cellulite was so prevalent to me (remember that our insecurities are from our points of view and typically we are our own worst critics) but I didn’t delete it for some reason and maybe because I knew it was something that would be helpful to someone to share.
I went on to tell my client that cellulite is a completely normal and natural thing! As women, the backs of our legs are where we typically store the most stubborn fat. And the amount of cellulite someone may or may not have can also really rely a lot on genetics, which means it’s not even so much in our control to reduce it through natural means. Even for someone like myself who does consistent strength training, eats a balanced diet, and is 18% body fat; I too have cellulite.
And though I’m not necessarily thrilled about my cellulite, I can still have it and accept it, and find love and confidence in my body as a whole. I focus on each day making myself stronger & healthier overall, because I think having that focus and respect for our bodies can make us gain confidence and love for every shape our bodies are in!
So while it is of course still ok to have fitness and physique goals, and you can make cellulite less visible by getting leaner/losing body fat, I think it’s important to have our motivation for them come from a place of wanting to make our bodies stronger and healthier in the process, which I think will build more confidence in ourselves instead of thinking that we will be happy or confident once we weigh a certain amount or have a certain body fat % or can wear a certain size or get rid of rolls or cellulite.
So instead of being ashamed about the cellulite on my legs, I’m going to be PROUD of my legs!
I’m proud in all they do to get me through my days and the strength they’ve built since I changed my focus from making them smaller to making them STRONGER and this mindset shift has made ALL the difference!
I know stretch marks and dimples can be other areas we can feel ashamed of, but I don’t think we should EVER be ashamed of our bodies or journeys! Wether they’re from just becoming a woman with curves, growing a baby, or maybe even from having unhealthy eating/exercise patterns, we have to look at these marks as part of our story. Some may be a beautiful part of our story while others may be a really difficult part. But I know that as long as we are focusing on loving and nurturing our bodies to be the strongest and healthiest they can be, then we ARE doing what’s best of us in the moment! And that’s something we can always be proud of!
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*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.