Pear, Hourglass… What Matters is Respecting Your Body
At the beginning of the year, I determined I was pear-shaped and shared about my journey for improved health, which in turn resulted in some weight-loss and better quality of life.
Almost a year later, I am more fit than I was before. With only a few exceptions, like when my bike was busted, I have been biking to and from work five days a week and this has slimmed down my legs and now my calves are nicely defined. In September, I challenged myself with PopSugar’s 30-day Squat Circuit and on September 30th, I actually reached the end of goal of 200 squats! Since then, I have continued doing squats and started adding core and upper body to the workout. I am feeling stronger already. The goal is not to lose weight (as in pounds) but to tone my muscles and shrink an inch or two from my upper thighs, rear, and tummy.
As my body has gradually slimmed down, I came to a startling revelation: despite my small chest, I am not pear-shaped. I have an hourglass figure.
Thanks to the misinformation being fed to society via the media, Hollywood, and erroneous websites and blogs, the word “hourglass” has become associated with large breasts, often unnaturally large. While some women with hourglass figures do have a larger bust, bust size is not a factor in determining whether or not a woman has an hourglass figure. To be an hourglass, your shoulders and hips need to be about the same size with a noticeably smaller waist (some say about 10 inches smaller than your shoulder/hip size while others stress that it is the silhouette that matters).
My shoulders and hips are pretty much the same, my waist is, on average, 11 to 12 inches smaller, and I have the corresponding silhouette. So according to the measurements and silhouette, I have an hourglass figure even with my small 36A bust and well-endowed derrière. No one body shape is better or more beautiful than another. I am the exact same person whether I’m an hourglass, pear, spoon, rectangle, etc. The point of even bringing this up is to demonstrate how we can have the wrong idea and image about our bodies in our mind, and if we let it, this can breed negative thoughts that will affect how we view ourselves. You are beautiful! As long as you are living a healthy lifestyle, the trick is to find clothing that compliments your figure/shape.
As other curvy ladies know, regarding of your “shape”, finding pants that fit well can be a challenge.
Until recently, I had sort of given up, but then I found Sweetheart Fit Jeans by Old Navy, the long boot-cut in a darker wash. It sits just below the natural waist so the waistband doesn’t gap open, hugs the hips, and artfully disguises the larger rear. I prefer boot cut because the straighter leg doesn’t cling to my upper thighs and behind, and even though I’m only 5’4.5″ tall, I wear long so the jeans look good with heels and make my legs look longer. (When I wear the jeans with flats, I simply roll the cuff up for a slightly retro, casual look.) Paired with medium to high heels, these jeans look fabulous and fit my curvy figure perfectly.
I would just like to say a word to all the ladies out there: appreciate your body. Stop looking in the mirror just to find flaws. Take a moment and truly revel in the beauty that is your body… whatever shape or size you may be currently… because your Creator made you a beautiful and unique masterpiece. Make the commitment to stop thinking negative thoughts and voicing negative words about yourself and your body. You are beautiful! Sure, you might have some extra pounds you would like to lose or some flab you would like to firm up. It is okay to set reasonable goals for our health and fitness. The important thing is to treat your body well by making healthier, well-balanced dietary choices, gradually increasing your daily fitness, drinking more water, and getting enough sleep.
You have an amazing body that God created unique to you.
Proper exercise will improve your strength,
endurance, and overall quality of life
so that you can live life more abundantly.
