Are you satisfied with your appearance?

[chrono]

I used to care about how I look to others but not anymore, therefore I am no longer concerned with whether I am satisfied nor dissatisfied with my appearance. Life is too short to worry about this.

 

[asscher_girl]

If I had to change one thing, I'd want smaller fingers so my diamonds look bigger!! 6.5 down to a 4, yes please!! lol

Honestly, I'm really happy with my appearance, sure there's a few things here and there I could change but I'm pretty content Of course as I age, I'm not going to say no to a little nip and tuck here and there (of course I'm terrified of surgery, no experience with it so I'd probably end up chickening out!)

 

[Dancing Fire]

I used to care about how I look to others but not anymore, therefore I am no longer concerned with whether I am satisfied nor dissatisfied with my appearance. Life is too short to worry about this.

Yup, I wear a size 34" pants and I would like to trim a few inches off, but I know is not going to happen so may as well enjoy my favorite junk foods...

 

[junebug17]

I'm not too thrilled with any aspect of my appearance these days - I've changed a lot over the years (I'm almost 54) and feel I have lost a lot of my attractiveness. I avoid mirrors and hate having my picture taken. I look at pics of myself in my 20's and can't believe it's me. I was pretty depressed about losing my looks for a long time but am coming to terms with it and trying not to dwell on it. I try to focus on the good things in my life such as my husband and kids, and the fact that we're all healthy. Being healthy counts for a lot these days. I've also been trying to eat better and exercise more, to at least feel a little better physically and hopefully shed a few pounds so I'm more comfortable with myself. I might look into sprucing up my teeth too, which have somehow managed to become crooked and weird over the years. I used to have beautiful teeth *sigh*

junebug, I know you are more beautiful than you imagine. I'm 66 and you are young to me!

I take heart in the fact that I sometimes see older women who are covered in wrinkles and are so beautiful that I envy them. As we age, the inner beauty comes out more and more. courage!!
I think there is a time of life when we see things start to go, but then eventually accept it for the most part. Sounds like you are at the hard part right now. It gets better.


yeh - my teeth are doing the weird thing too. Who knew THAT would happen? but you can get braces : ) I've thought about it.
I cannot not bring myself to post hand shots. You all have such smooth & beautfiul hands. I always try to crop my photos so only the rings show.
I'm going to find & post a hand shot I dread showing right now as therapy!

Aw thanks Jimmianne, you're so sweet! I'm definitely doing better in accepting that I'm aging - I was having a really hard time with it a few years ago but am slowly feeling better - honestly, these days I'm just happy to be alive lol

And seriously, your hand looks great! Better than mine…I first noticed my wrinkled, veiny hands when I joined PS and started taking pics of my hand and thought to myself "How the bleep did that happen???" The other day I was putting off washing the kitchen floor and I googled pics of my ring - it showed up on some Pinterest boards and there was my old hand among all these beautiful newly engaged young hands! Yikes…it was so ridiculous I had to laugh!

To be honest, I think my general outlook right now is affected by a fear of growing old - I spend a lot of my time with my 89 year old mother, and it's kind of depressing, and not giving me a good feeling about growing old - and the change in my appearance is just one reminder to me of what's ahead.

 

[Dancing Fire]

[quote="junebug17|1399385987|

Aw thanks Jimmianne, you're so sweet! I'm definitely doing better in accepting that I'm aging - I was having a really hard time with it a few years ago but am slowly feeling better - honestly, these days I'm just happy to be alive lol

[/quote]


Aren't we all?...

 

[MarionC]

[/quote]To be honest, I think my general outlook right now is affected by a fear of growing old - I spend a lot of my time with my 89 year old mother, and it's kind of depressing, and not giving me a good feeling about growing old - and the change in my appearance is just one reminder to me of what's ahead.[/quote]

I hear you. For me it can be depressing and challenge my ability to accept unpleasant things. My 90 yr old Mom died recently. Not only do I look like her, I've aged quite a bit dealing with her death & the estate. ugh. freaky. avoid mirrors.
But on the upside, my appreciation of life, those little moments of beauty in all it's forms, has increased dramatically. We won't be here forever, so enjoy & take it lightly! [I tell myself : ) ]
PS and diamonds have been a life-saver for me. It's a wonderful, engaging focus/fun.

Let's all grow old together on PS...and remember...she who dies with the most jewels ROCKS!

 

[LLJsmom]

Lil Misfit, I read your post in the other thread. I wanted to tell you that I admire your courage and strength. I don't remember all the details, but it was heart-wrenching and I respect your honesty.

Yeah, there are things I don't like about my appearance. Most people run to lose weight. I've run six marathons and I've gained weight. How does that work? Actually, it's because I eat a lot. I actually didn't realize that I ate a lot until I started going on marathon trips with my running friends, and I would eat twice what they eat. When I am training, I feel out of control of my appetite. If I don't eat at certain times, I get dizzy, a headache, cold, chills, nauseous, like I have the flu. I really hate feeling that way. I will eat all day long. Salty, sweet, back and forth. My body retains water because I need to burn the glycogen I'm storing to run the long distances. I've put on some pounds so my clothes don't fit. I love wearing skinny jeans but now they look like sausage casings because I refuse to buy larger sizes. I need to take some time off from long distance running, to let my body recover and realize that I am not going to put it through the pounding that I have been for the past 4 years now. (very hard to do because running is an addiction) Truthfully when people see me they think I'm tiny. That's because I am 5'2, and have skinny arms. They don't see the rest, and just assume everything else is that small too. (After dinner, my mom asks me if I'm pregnant.)

Running outdoors has caused sun damage on my face. My teeth are getting yellow. I'm a big coffee and tea drinker, but it never got stained so badly so quickly. Hate it. I'm getting wrinkles, and 50% of my hair is gray. It's hereditary, but when I don't color my hair, I look like a freak. And on top of that, I've lost almost 40% of my hair since having kids. My eye sight is going so quickly. I'm only 42, but I am wearing multifocals already. It's frustrating trying to find the right distance to place my reading so I can see it. Sorry, you asked about appearance only, right? Ok, I'll stop here. It's depressing me.

{{{hugs}}} to you all... Guess we all struggle with ourselves and our self-image.

I am a lot like you with my weight. I have gained about 10 lbs in the last year and a half. I know it does not seem like a lot but it is to me. The smaller you are the faster you will be. I am training six days a week, swimming, biking, and running. You would think I would be tiny. I eat around 1600-1800 calories a day. I have read I order to lose weight I need a calorie deficit but with training I need to eat or I am tanked. I am carrying my weight in my hips and stomach and its ridiculous. I will be getting a tummy tuck at some point and I can't wait. Having three kids really did a number on my stomach and left skin that is not to be desired.
I do have some issues with breakouts but always have but I really dont have very many wrinkles compared to other woman my age. Im fairly happy with the rest of me though.

Lv, sounds like you're a triathlete. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah. I'm tired of training. I'm sticking to the gym for the next while and see if I will do even one of the two marathons I'm signed up for this summer. I'm burnt out. I eat 1800 calories after you've factored in the 600 calories I burned during a workout, and that's on a low calorie day. I would just like to not obsess about food. Learn to eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. My problem it takes me a lot longer to get to full. Lol.

 

[boerumbiddy]

Of course not. I should lose lots of weight. Chin recedes. Inadequate bustline, by Western standards. Decent hair and legs, though, and few wrinkles for a person of my age.

 

[CJ2008]

I wish I had Chrono's attitude but I don't. I'm at the other extreme.

Except for maybe in my very late teens/early 20s where for the most part I remember just "being" and not thinking about or comparing myself to other girls I feel like after that I am always thinking about what people think of my looks, is anyone noticing me, how do I look versus this one, and often find myself comparing in some way shape or form. Sometimes I feel, for example, that EVERYONE around me has good legs except for me. Or good skin. And how so many people are better looking than me. You get the picture.

And now that I'm older it has gotten worse because I feel like even with makeup on and dressed well nobody notices me any more. Thinking this way definitely doesn't make me more attractive, but I'm sure less. The older I get the less I want to overthink but it's such a habit for me I don't know how to stop. I'm afraid of stopping. If I stopped, who would I become?

I'm starting to feel very threatened by younger women too. Like I can't hold my own. It's so sad. And I've got to stop, plain and simple.

I do definitely need to get back in the gym, I've been slacking for the last couple of months and that is ALWAYS a spiral into nothing good for me. The gym is a necessity for me because it makes me feel better even if I don't look that much better. And one thing I know, even though I've only mastered it on the surface, is that feeling better and feeling more confident is so much more important than anything else...if only I could figure out how to feel comfortable in my own skin that would be awesome. But I don't expect that to happen if it has not happened yet - I feel like it's like self-confidence...you either have it or you don't...it's innate.

ETA: jimmianne I think your hands are pretty...your skin tone is nice and even...that's what I notice...not the wrinkles...I like your hands.

 

[qtiekiki]

I am satisfied with my overall appearance. But like others said, no one is perfect, so there will be things to nitpick about. Generally though, I think I look pretty good.

 

[Laila619]

Like Packrat, I used to be, until I had kids. I was 5'7" and 125 lbs, size 2-4.

Four pregnancies in four years has taken a major toll. My poor feet grew from a size 9 to a size 10.5-11. My ring size went from a 5.5 to a 7.5. I feel BIG. When I am done being pregnant, I plan to work my tail off and lose 30-40 pounds.

If I want to be positive though, I have no gray hair or wrinkles. And my teeth are straight.

 

[PintoBean]

I'm ok with my quirky features, but I'm not ok with the extra weight. I once wore size 16 in girls but now a 16 in women's pants. I put on 10 lbs a year between 2007 and 2011 balancing working full time and law school in the evenings - 40 lbs total. Another 10 lbs 2012-2013 which came off end of 2012 due to more exercise and careful dieting but rebounded back with late nights and evenings in the office and work stress. And another 10 lbs 2013to 2014 from the new work from home job lolol.

I have started implementing 10-15 min breaks every few hours of the work day and doing portions of "walk away the pounds" workouts. I have also added 20 min free walking activity with the wii fit while watching tv in the evenings. My goal is to work up to 10,000 steps a day for weight loss and a 5k or 1/2 marathon walking.

I am also working on tuning my mother out when it comes to her criticisms about my weight. They only upset me more and make the weight stick rather than come off lolol.

On the plus side I do ocassionally still get ID'd for lotto tix and alcohol. Woot!

 

[momhappy]

I also forgot to mention that I don't mind putting effort into my appearance - in fact, I like it (most of it anyways). I think that caring about what others think of you is normal. If I didn't care what others thought of me, then I probably wouldn't care to put effort into my appearance. I like dressing nice, putting on make-up, staying in shape, maintaining my long hair, etc. - I do it because it makes myself feel & look better and also because it affects the way that I am perceived by others. I care about the fact that others think that I put effort into my appearance and I don't think that there's necessarily anything wrong with that (as long as it's not extreme in any way). I don't ever want to be perceived as "letting myself go" because that's just not the type of person that I am.

 

[junebug17]

To be honest, I think my general outlook right now is affected by a fear of growing old - I spend a lot of my time with my 89 year old mother, and it's kind of depressing, and not giving me a good feeling about growing old - and the change in my appearance is just one reminder to me of what's ahead.[/quote]

I hear you. For me it can be depressing and challenge my ability to accept unpleasant things. My 90 yr old Mom died recently. Not only do I look like her, I've aged quite a bit dealing with her death & the estate. ugh. freaky. avoid mirrors.
But on the upside, my appreciation of life, those little moments of beauty in all it's forms, has increased dramatically. We won't be here forever, so enjoy & take it lightly! [I tell myself : ) ]
PS and diamonds have been a life-saver for me. It's a wonderful, engaging focus/fun.

Let's all grow old together on PS…and remember...she who dies with the most jewels ROCKS! [/quote]

Jimmianne, I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother. Thank you for your understanding - and yes, the stress of caring for an elderly parent and thinking of what's ahead creates a lot of anxiety that is unfortunately showing up on my face! I agree - enjoying simple pleasures, appreciating the little joys a day brings, and escaping into the blingy world of PS helps!

On a positive note, my hair turned out pretty nice today lol!

 

[CJ2008]

I also forgot to mention that I don't mind putting effort into my appearance - in fact, I like it (most of it anyways). I think that caring about what others think of you is normal. If I didn't care what others thought of me, then I probably wouldn't care to put effort into my appearance. I like dressing nice, putting on make-up, staying in shape, maintaining my long hair, etc. - I do it because it makes myself feel & look better and also because it affects the way that I am perceived by others. I care about the fact that others think that I put effort into my appearance and I don't think that there's necessarily anything wrong with that (as long as it's not extreme in any way). I don't ever want to be perceived as "letting myself go" because that's just not the type of person that I am.

I'm with you 100% on this momhappy.

I do like clothes and like looking nice...and I don't want to be the person who lets themselves go. That's why even though all through life I've slacked off from the gym here and there I do always end up going back. I like myself much better when I'm active and taking care of myself.

But - I do go to extremes. If I could do all of the above and not compare myself or feel down about things I cannot help, and be comfortable in my own skin...that would be awesome.

 

[ame]

At my bi-annual oncologist appt today I got to see the number on the scale and I very nearly burst into tears. I am SO angry and hate myself for that number.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Be warned, I'm going to sound full of myself.

In general, when wearing clothes, I'm satisfied with my appearance I'm 5'7 and 137lbs (10lbs over my pre-children weight), I have long limbs, decent skin, and nice hair, especially for my ripe age of 41.I think I'm attractive when clothed.... In the last week a guy working at a burger joint gave me a free drink

However, if I'm standing in front of a mirror naked, I see saggy post-breastfeeding boobs, some FUPA (fat upper pubic area), and some stretch marks on my tush and FUPA. Plus, I wouldn't mind dropping a few vanity pounds to go from a size 6 to a 4. But, all in all, I'm not a swimsuit model, I'm a working mom with 2 healthy kids , so I think of my imperfections as a badge of honor.

 

[qtiekiki]

My post-BFing boobs are not as happy as they were pre-baby. Although I had gain some fat, and they are nicer this year. Abs or boobs... the dilemma. I am still relatively young (at 34), so still lots of aging ahead. I am kind of lazy and don't put in much effort right now, so I hope I age well.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yes, as long as I don't look in the mirror

 

[NonieMarie]

I remember when heads would turn when I walked into a room. Now they turn because of the toilet paper hanging out of the back of my pants.

 

[manderz]

Nope. I'm working towards liking myself better, though. I'm overweight. I need to lose about 60 pounds. My teeth are awful. I have deep wrinkles in my forehead, and stupid little frown lines between my eyebrows, which have appeared far too early (I'm only 30). I just had lasik, so that's been a big step in the right direction. Next up is eating healthy and braces. The things I can't do anything about are my ugly toes and fat feet, and weird hair. It's changed drastically over the last handful of years. It used to be stick straight, shiny, and thick, but now it's very uneveny curly. Some parts are wavy, others are still straight, and I even have a few spiral curls. WTF??

 

[diamondringlover]

God NO.....I hate the way I look always have....

 

[Dreamer_D]

I realize I should elaborate!

I feel good about myself when I am not being self-focussed in an unhealthy way. I like to take care of myself as others have said. I try to eat well and be active and maintain a healthier weight. I try to dress well for my figure, and I always wear makeup. I never schlepp about in sweats and a ponytail. I like to look my best. And provided I don't look in the mirror too much and avoid adopting a nasty third-person perspective, I feel great. The "me" that is reflected back by my husband, my coworkers, my family, my sons , sometimes strangers on the street, is very positive! So I think its better to listen to THAT feedback than to fall prey to the self-doubts and insecurities that we are trained to adopt, as women, from such a young age.

It's a daily battle to accept myself and accept that you don't have to look perfect to be perfectly all right! I am quick to kick negative thoughts in the ass and out the door as fast as I can.

As a mother of sons I always remember that how I feel about my body is going to affect them, how they feel about their bodies, and how they feel about women's bodies. They tell me all the time that I am beautiful, or pretty, and they love watching me do my makeup and hair and make myself "fancy". I know that these early experiences will shape their future ideas and attitudes about women and beauty. So I want to model confidence in my natural beauty, not perfection, for them. And I want to accept their love and adoration, not reject it. I am a zaftig woman and I want to model love and acceptance for my figure. Anyways, those are my goals concerning my appearance.

Funny story -- the other morning my sons had piled into our bed and I got out to go to the washroom naked. My older son giggled and said, " I can see your big huge bum!" I laughed. I suppose I could have been offended. But, compared to him, my bum is big and huge! I chose to accept his comment in the spirit it was offered, not project societal values onto it. In many ways, having kids has made me feel better about my body, not worse.

 

[momhappy]

^My kids point and laugh at my bottom too. They refer to it as "jiggly" and although I'd normally find that sort of commentary upsetting, to them, it is jiggly (when compared to theirs). We are definitely not prudes around the house (when it comes to nudity). My kids see me get out of bed, out of the shower, etc. naked (or darn close to it) all the time. I want them to feel comfortable about that sort of thing, but I suppose there will come an age when it's no longer appropriate to be naked in front of them (especially, father in front of daughter or mother in front of son). I'm sure that they will be grossed out soon enough and then I will know for sure that my "little kid" days are over...

 

[Dreamer_D]

^My kids point and laugh at my bottom too. They refer to it as "jiggly" and although I'd normally find that sort of commentary upsetting, to them, it is jiggly (when compared to theirs). We are definitely not prudes around the house (when it comes to nudity). My kids see me get out of bed, out of the shower, etc. naked (or darn close to it) all the time. I want them to feel comfortable about that sort of thing, but I suppose there will come an age when it's no longer appropriate to be naked in front of them (especially, father in front of daughter or mother in front of son). I'm sure that they will be grossed out soon enough and then I will know for sure that my "little kid" days are over...

I know, its sad to think ahead to the time when we are no longer their whole worlds and can do no wrong! But, that means their growth and maturity and eventual independence, which is supposedly our goal as parents And here I thought the goal was tonnes-o'-snuggles.

We are also open with nudity and I think we will let our sons guide our behavior in that area. When they start wanting their own physical privacy, we will likely cover up more.

 

[monarch64]

90% of the time I am satisfied with my appearance. The other 10% are those times I realize I need a haircut or that my jeans don't fit quite as well, and then I just do something about it. I have a daughter. I refuse to be overly concerned (and verbal) about appearances especially in front of her. I've come a long, long way from my teenage years living with a mom who never stopped going on about how fat she was and then from leaving a marriage in which my ex told me I was fat (I was NOT.) I can list a lot of things I like about my appearance, and I'm not worried about aging because I think I'll make a pretty stunning older woman. Then again, I'm one of those who thinks wrinkles are sexy.

 

[NOYFB]

I wish I had Chrono's attitude but I don't. I'm at the other extreme.

Except for maybe in my very late teens/early 20s where for the most part I remember just "being" and not thinking about or comparing myself to other girls I feel like after that I am always thinking about what people think of my looks, is anyone noticing me, how do I look versus this one, and often find myself comparing in some way shape or form. Sometimes I feel, for example, that EVERYONE around me has good legs except for me. Or good skin. And how so many people are better looking than me. You get the picture.

And now that I'm older it has gotten worse because I feel like even with makeup on and dressed well nobody notices me any more. Thinking this way definitely doesn't make me more attractive, but I'm sure less. The older I get the less I want to overthink but it's such a habit for me I don't know how to stop. I'm afraid of stopping. If I stopped, who would I become?

I'm starting to feel very threatened by younger women too. Like I can't hold my own. It's so sad. And I've got to stop, plain and simple.

I do definitely need to get back in the gym, I've been slacking for the last couple of months and that is ALWAYS a spiral into nothing good for me. The gym is a necessity for me because it makes me feel better even if I don't look that much better. And one thing I know, even though I've only mastered it on the surface, is that feeling better and feeling more confident is so much more important than anything else...if only I could figure out how to feel comfortable in my own skin that would be awesome. But I don't expect that to happen if it has not happened yet - I feel like it's like self-confidence...you either have it or you don't...it's innate.

ETA: jimmianne I think your hands are pretty...your skin tone is nice and even...that's what I notice...not the wrinkles...I like your hands.

First of all, thank you to everyone for your honesty! I was worried when I posted this last night and it had a high view count but no posts that maybe I'd ventured into something that I shouldn't have. So, thank you all for posting your stories.

CJ2008 - I could have written your post. It resonates so much with me. I used to compare myself to EVERY woman I saw. Literally. I don't do that near as much since I had my "epiphany", but I will admit that it does sometimes still happen. I was thinking about this yesterday...I'm wondering if, subconsciously, the reason I've gotten so heavily tattooed is so that people's eyes will be drawn to my ink instead of say my thighs, my face, my butt, etc....It would certainly make sense, but honestly, it wasn't something I did consciously. Funny how that works, huh?

My newest obsession (I didn't say I was cured! LOL) is the sagging skin on the front of my thighs. I originally thought it was cellulite, but then I realized that it's just gravity taking over and that I better get my butt back to the gym and do some toning up if I don't wanna look like a cheesecake in shorts this summer! Ah, the joys of getting older.

Thanks again for all of your posts, and I hope you all keep posting. And know that I think you are ALL beautiful, inside and out!

 

[CJ2008]

I wish I had Chrono's attitude but I don't. I'm at the other extreme.

Except for maybe in my very late teens/early 20s where for the most part I remember just "being" and not thinking about or comparing myself to other girls I feel like after that I am always thinking about what people think of my looks, is anyone noticing me, how do I look versus this one, and often find myself comparing in some way shape or form. Sometimes I feel, for example, that EVERYONE around me has good legs except for me. Or good skin. And how so many people are better looking than me. You get the picture.

And now that I'm older it has gotten worse because I feel like even with makeup on and dressed well nobody notices me any more. Thinking this way definitely doesn't make me more attractive, but I'm sure less. The older I get the less I want to overthink but it's such a habit for me I don't know how to stop. I'm afraid of stopping. If I stopped, who would I become?

I'm starting to feel very threatened by younger women too. Like I can't hold my own. It's so sad. And I've got to stop, plain and simple.

I do definitely need to get back in the gym, I've been slacking for the last couple of months and that is ALWAYS a spiral into nothing good for me. The gym is a necessity for me because it makes me feel better even if I don't look that much better. And one thing I know, even though I've only mastered it on the surface, is that feeling better and feeling more confident is so much more important than anything else...if only I could figure out how to feel comfortable in my own skin that would be awesome. But I don't expect that to happen if it has not happened yet - I feel like it's like self-confidence...you either have it or you don't...it's innate.

ETA: jimmianne I think your hands are pretty...your skin tone is nice and even...that's what I notice...not the wrinkles...I like your hands.

First of all, thank you to everyone for your honesty! I was worried when I posted this last night and it had a high view count but no posts that maybe I'd ventured into something that I shouldn't have. So, thank you all for posting your stories.

CJ2008 - I could have written your post. It resonates so much with me. I used to compare myself to EVERY woman I saw. Literally. I don't do that near as much since I had my "epiphany", but I will admit that it does sometimes still happen. I was thinking about this yesterday...I'm wondering if, subconsciously, the reason I've gotten so heavily tattooed is so that people's eyes will be drawn to my ink instead of say my thighs, my face, my butt, etc....It would certainly make sense, but honestly, it wasn't something I did consciously. Funny how that works, huh?

My newest obsession (I didn't say I was cured! LOL) is the sagging skin on the front of my thighs. I originally thought it was cellulite, but then I realized that it's just gravity taking over and that I better get my butt back to the gym and do some toning up if I don't wanna look like a cheesecake in shorts this summer! Ah, the joys of getting older.

Thanks again for all of your posts, and I hope you all keep posting. And know that I think you are ALL beautiful, inside and out!

Thank you for asking the question Lil Misfit it felt good to let out my feelings and not feel so alone, and it was good to hear that you could've written the post yourself sometimes I feel like I'm the only one/worst one in that sense too!

I have new obsessions frequently too, it seems like everywhere I look I'm like when did that happen? Things that used to look OK now not so much.

It's so funny how I never used to notice jokes about older women...now I feel like I hear jokes everywhere. The last 3 comedians I saw talked about being with older women. Most of the jokes were flattering but still...it feels uncomfortable...the realization that I'm one of those women they're talking about. The realization that it seems DH is coming more into his own, almost looking MORE attractive, as I start to look less attractive.

But yes, the gym helps. It helps with everything. We all need to start doing what we need to do to feel as good as we can. We may never be "cured" if we have a tendency to think this way...but we owe it to ourselves to not stop trying and not stop trying to look nice.

 

[momhappy]

I have always found that going to the gym is not only good for the obvious (my physical well-being), but almost more so for my mental well-being. The way I perceive myself is so much different when I'm regularly going to the gym than when I'm not. Lately, I've been battling an achilles tendon injury, which has meant that I can't work out as much. The negative thoughts have already started creeping back in. I'm just in a much happier place when I'm working out and knowing that I'm doing everything I can to combat my age.

 

[missy]

I have always found that going to the gym is not only good for the obvious (my physical well-being), but almost more so for my mental well-being. The way I perceive myself is so much different when I'm regularly going to the gym than when I'm not. Lately, I've been battling an achilles tendon injury, which has meant that I can't work out as much. The negative thoughts have already started creeping back in. I'm just in a much happier place when I'm working out and knowing that I'm doing everything I can to combat my age.

For me this is 100% true. I work out for my emotional health. I just feel better after I workout plain and simple. It helps me get out my anxiety and worries and puts me in a better place mentally as well as physically.

When I have had injuries that curtailed my normal workouts I always found other less stressful workouts to do so I could maintain that sense of well being. A few years ago I went through a long stretch of time where my knee was injured and I had to stop running. So I did some research and (my dh actually found this) I got an arc trainer which is much easier on the knees/hips etc. And to this day I love working out on it every day. And cycling is always a good fall back option too.

Working out also increases dopamine uptake in the brain and allows you to feel better.

Hope your injury heals fast momhappy and you can resume your normal workout routine.