Friday, March 14, 2008

How to Look Great Naked and Next Steps

My DH had a poker game on Thursday night...which I was thrilled about. My first night home alone in a long, long time. Well, as we all know, everything happens for a reason and in addition to getting caught up on some of my personal conversations I was also able to watch a little TV - specifically re-runs of Oprah. Which I love. I think Oprah has taught women to know themselves better and to take care of themselves emotionally.

Anyhoo, one of the episodes was all about Lifetime's newest show "How to Look Great Naked w/Carson Kressley. And LET ME TELL YOU, I couldn't have watched a better show. Now clearly this show is focused on women who are overweight but the the KEY to this show is how deeply rooted body images are in our society. The show they focused on was a woman who was a former model who had a few children and was so depressed about her body that she stays in bed at night and on the weekends and doesn't go to any social events because of how frightened she is of what other women think of her. It was so sad and so touching and so emotional for me to watch.

Here is a preview of the show:



You can watch the actual show on Lifetime's site at the link below. Cynthia and Krissa, if you haven't seen this show you MUST watch it. It is truly amazing to see what self care and learning to love yourself can do for your body image. I won't do it justice but what I will tell you is that in addition to helping women dress to their body type he digs DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP into their hearts and souls and takes them to the spa for facials and massages and allows them to love themselves.

By the way, it is Lifetime's number one reality show EVER in the history of Lifetime television. Go figure. Maybe all of America has issues with their body image. Duh.

Click this link to see the episodes:
How to Look Great Naked!

This is a show that will force you to think about your genes not your jeans. :)


Ok, so - on to next steps. Made a couple of decisions this week about how I am going to workout going forward. I will use the extra time I have on the weekends to focus on my workouts and then manage my work schedule to workout during the week. Not rocket science but my problem was that if I didn't workout for 2 hours on Monday and Tuesday I made myself feel like I had failed for the week already. Silly, silly.

Today's plan:

Go to the gym this afternoon and get in a great upper body workout and some post lifting cardio. Simple, basic.

Hope everyone is well. No go watch "How to Look Great Naked".

Jess

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seen it... have seen a about three episodes so far.

I don't have any body image issues anymore. None.

I don't think you should either...that's why I put a link on my blog to the healthy bodyfat percentage chart. You are upset about being healthy! Not only healthy ...but fit!

On T-Nation they think you have to be upset with your current condition to change. I believe the opposite...I believe you have to be happy with your current condition and then it will be easy to change if you still feel so inclined.

~C.

Take Care Jessica.

Jessica said...

C-
Thank you....and I agree that I shouldn't. But you know women with great bodies and low body fat percentages do have body images. Sad, but true. That is why I think the show is so great - it is about finding your body wonderful.
Do you like the show?
Jess

Anonymous said...

yes i like the show....i have some major resentments though having spent so much of my time & energy dissatisfied with how i look. i wish i would have been educated as a pre-teen about the changing body and what to expect. i never got over "developing" nobody ever told me that not only was it ok to gain weight but that it is supposed to happen. i went from being a string bean to a young women with curves over one summer....that is when the insanity ensued.

i don't have a problem with physique competitions per say...i just want everyone to realize that it is the extreme and not the ideal.

i think it is our social responsibility as competitors to get that message out.

~C.

April said...

Wow C I could have wrote that comment except for I have never been a string bean.

That show is an eye opener and I wonder why I care so much and why I can't be happy with myself ALL the time. It's taken some time but I am finally becoming comfortable in my own skin.

Jessica said...

C-
I remember the really long post you had about how you developed all of these "issues". I do feel your pain in terms of body image - I am not sure where mine came from but I do think it has been a post competition depression issue.
I concur it is our responsibility. Competition has to be FUN - not torture!
Jess

Anonymous said...

I would guess the girls that compete year after year either a)completely detach their physical bodies from their spirits or b) are so messed up in the head that they don't know how to get out of it.

I wouldn't mind being the former.

I thought it was funny yesterday when I got a MySpace Friend Request from "I LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOK",

If you haven't already read the book, "You are Special" by Max Lucado....you must! It is simply my favorite book. I look up to Lucia as a role model.

Nobody can give me any gold stars or gray dots...they don't stick!

~C.

Anonymous said...

My counselour actually recommended that I watch this show. It sounds really good. I havent watched it yet because I dont get that channel but now I will check it out online.

Krissa