Does Size really matter when it comes to health and self image?

Watching the women's rugby 6th Nations, Scotland vs England, I was chatting with my mum and step dad about the size of some of the players. Not disrespecting them, but that if you didn't know that they were rugby players you would think they'd be classed as overweight? And does size really matter?

When it comes to rugby you have to be strong and bulky to play rugby, and this is for men and women. Think about athletes who do the Shock put or Hammer, they are bulky and not because they are over weight, but because they need to be a certain size for strength because of the demand of these sports on the body. 

It all down to lifestyle. If you eat 8 donuts a day then this will effect the body and lead to being unhealthy. It is all about what your body needs and listening to it, and so if you worry about your size then make a list of what you want your lifestyle to look like. 

I am still growing and not always eating super healthy, but I don't believe in depriving yourself. For me it is balance, working on my food habits and gaining control over it again. I have fallen off the wagon, but got back up again and now I do make sure I eat food and vegetables rather than crisps and chocolate. This helps me to feel good about my body and my self. I want to eliminate my feelings I get when eating bad food by choosing food that is nutritious, but will have a take away occasionally, and not binging. 

This has been one of my biggest flours.

Looking after the body is important and being able to accept yourself can take a long time, and noones life is perfect, its what makes you happy and be able to look in the mirror rather than avoid looking at yourself. 

I remember watching Trinny and Susannah and would show how to dress for your size and names of different sizes and this helped me a lot, and that no matter your size you can still be super fit and that it is just a frame, not your total whole being.

So look at yourself and be proud of who you are and there is more to a person than just their size.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Wanting to be like somebody else

At school, there was a girl called Sherie. I think I have shared this before, and she was a beautiful girl and after she had broken her heart over her mum leaving school, on her first day, she then became, the girl you wanted to hang around with.

She was admired by a lot of the kids in school, that we all started to dress like her, have long hair and when Sarah Ferguson became a princess and would see her in magazines, wearing bows, we would have bows in our hair. There was a girl called Sarah Jane who started my school and felt that because her name was Sarah, she had more rights of wearing a bow, than we were.

My style icon is Jennifer Aniston, and wanting to have her hair colour and style.

It is okay to admire other people, and by doing that it can help you to make changes, like building a wardrobe that you love and actually spending time to help the outside, to build the inside of yourself. You will never be that person as they are their own, but it is good to have a style icon and interpret your style with theirs and go through what suits you, and make trying different outfits, and have fun with it.

I remember as a kid we would be outside wearing our mums high heels, with our pretend push chairs and be set upon by a kid name Stuart, who we sent packing and would pretend we were busy mums. 

When I was a kid I loved the a band called Bucks Fizz and loved Jay Aston, cause she was so stylish, not saying Cheryl wasn't, but she stood out for me, and I would imagine being Jay when I'd listen to their songs and would envision that, that was me. Now listening to her interviews, when they first started out, she thought Cheryl was the prettiest, which surprised me. So just because someone looks confident, look floorless doesn't mean that they are confident, and they are human beings too, and I have forgotten that. 

I like the fact Cheryl and Jay dressed differently, because you need to have your identity, same with the Spice girls and yet Melanie B had an eating disorder along with Geri Halliwell. 

We can put so much pressure on ourselves and feel we have to dress like someone else if not, we feel unworthy of being in this world and that if you dress like someone else your gonna naturally feel confident, but that is not the case. So admire, but remember that a persons appearance doesn't always match their true feelings, but we can learn from their insecurities and how we can change how we feel when we see ourselves in the mirror. Be proud of being you. Find out what works for you and release the pressure of meeting other peoples opinion of you, and get to grips of who you are. What is unique about you? Everyone I believe is unique and be proud of that.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Seeing yourself in a new light

So it was International Women's day last week and I think particularly women tend to be a lot harder on themselves, and feel like we have to take on the world, on our own.  

I no longer give myself a hard time, because when I was, I asked myself, do I want to feel like this all my life? Am I dead? No, so what's the issue? Comparing, Who wants to look at me? and it took a lot to  be kind to myself and accept me.

The women's body is amazing, and so should celebrate women. Be proud of who you are. 

When our husbands are working and we're sitting at home I often, when my son was first born was like "okay what do I do now?"

There are women who make it on their own. I have a friend who has not gotten married or had a child is in her fifties, and I respect that. It does come down to personal choice, and often it feels like we can't win, if we want to stay at home, to bring their children up, or still work in full time employment with children, or of they don't want kids. 

Invest in yourself, by looking after your skin and appreciate your body, your personality and the things you love. Never fear that you aren't good enough. Take chances. Be with people you can relate with and teach you. When I began go out and watch a rugby team, who I was introduced by a friend I really began to come out of my shell and felt I could be me. 

I thank my friend for doing that, it really was such a great time and I am so glad that in my twenties I had that and we had some great times, that I will always treasure. Have a night out and have a glass of wine and a bite to eat. My friends and I would often have a girls night out, where we would meet up in Waterloo station or a friends house and go out and stay at her place. 

Being with people who love you for you, are for me the people you should have around you and you can be yourself and not bitching or getting narky because they've had a drink and just enjoy yourself with like minded people. 

Have those that will give you encouragement to follow their dreams and ambitions. Who will listen and just be there to give you support. 

So, live and remember you are fantastic. Stop being against yourself because you not happy with the way you are. Start following habits and I do write a blog Everyone can build a castle, and talk a lot about habits: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com 

I hope this blog helps you and will be writing more.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Being able to look yourself in your face and be honest with yourself

You need to stop demolishing yourself, because you wouldn't say it to a friend so stop doing it to yourself.

I still have to catch myself, because I have nothing to complain about. I finally feel good in my body and my skin, and it has taken a long time to see that and lucky to have the body I have. 

Be proud of who you are and journal how you feel. This helps lay your thoughts down and then ask yourself, "Do you want to feel like this for ever, what can I do today that will help you feel better?"

At school I had criticism about my teeth being yellow and so given advice from a dentist to cut down on drinking tea, and I have abandoned my teeth and so made a commitment to myself to look after them and brush them everyday and no excuses. If I don't want to yellow teeth then it means using a toothpaste that helps and get them regularly checked and cleaned and its not going to go away if I don't take action.

You have to take action and say "What would make me feel better?"

I think looking after my skin has helped. I don't wear make up all the time and help my skin breath and use products that I know my face and body likes, and create a short make up routine if I want to put some on, and it does help with my confidence, and how I feel about myself, along with exercise and changing my eating habits.

Then it is bathing or having a shower, and have a daily ritual, that you can face yourself. Have a routine to practice self care and go through your journal and read it of what you have written, and set goals for your body and I have nothing against cosmetic surgery, but do your research and is a personal choice, but try other interventions and if you still want to have fuller lips, a nose transformation or it is your boobs, for example, really think about it, and never feel forced. 

Be careful of what you consume. If you find certain images that influence how you feel about yourself that gets you down, then change that. Find your style, and create a feel good capsule wardrobe. I love my image now and looking at Pinterest of styles I like and help create an image I feel good about.

How do you feel about the food you eat? I have struggled with my diet and relationship with food and I still don't have a good diet, I will go for cakes and biscuits, so to help that I am learning about what food is good for me. What do I want my relationship with food to look like? 

I started to cook again and planning meals. There seems to be a miss communications as it now perceived that its not about "Portion Control" and about what food you eat and exercise doesn't help with losing weight. What is right and what is wrong? I feel this puts a lot of pressure on people. So to illuminate that I have been trying to stop snacking, but I find eating three meals a day to be hard, because I find that this has had a reverse affect. It is about healthy, I agree, and I get sick of eating crisps and chocolate anyway and listen to my body, as for it depends on each person, and I like Carbs and eating meat and like to eat what I fancy and have fruit and vegetables, and trying different foods, and meals that don't take too long, but are fulfilling.

So look at yourself and give yourself credit, life is too short and so live whilst you living and be happy with yourself and make changes that makes you happy and content with yourself.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Changing your image getting bored with the way you look

I looked at my self earlier and thought "You know what you look good", but then as soon as I felt that, the critic within my brain began to speak, "Your hair is mess and straggly, I look tired and I am wearing leggins with a couple of holes and wearing a pair of trainers that are dirty. 

The critic in your head will voice his opinion, but that is just it, it is a habit that I got into and used to being self critical about the way I look, but have learned to be resilient and think right what will help it?

So first of all, I have legs that can walk, a voice that can speak, hair that keeps growing and can change, so will be booking a new hair cut, and I have legs and arms, etc. So what have I got to complain about. Speak with the inner critic and say, "Thanks critic but I look fine, and yes a bit of TLC is needed, but still grateful of what I have, rather than what I don't". 

Yes I have put on a bit of weight due to Christmas, so just means cutting down and listen to my body and what it needs. Good nutrition is important so going to manage my diet, and going to have more wholesome food, that will properly fill me up, and I know this will help me, and that is it, take Action and have fun by trying different looks, making and experiment with food and find the style that suits you, and answers the inner critic, and check out vintage fashion, aswell as high street and online, and create a capsule wardrobe that will excite you and help build your confidence and look in the mirror and go over what you are happy about and what areas of you think need a bit of TLC and will help make you fill better. 

So for me I have looked on Pinterest of hair cuts I like as I am looking for a change, but I do like having long hair and would like to different style so will work on that, and going to dye my hair again, and bought some new eye pencils a couple of days ago, and going to do a minimal make up every day look, along with no make up days, and take supplements again to improve energy levels and for my hair and skin, to make me look a bit more alive, and not going stress and have fun doing different looks that helps me feel good about myself and not listen to the critic and stop getting bored and still practice gratitude of what I already have, and not be drained by thinking I am a mess.

I hope that this blog helps you too and share tips on how to ignore the critic and not get bored with yourself. You can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

You are amazing and keep reminding yourself of that

We all have imperfections, well we think we do. We are human beings and we will think negative thoughts about ourselves, but it is how you change that and stop worrying about being perfect. I have spent hours of thinking about what others thought of me and would see people who seemed to have floorless beauty and that I will never be able to look like that. 

I now love my style and wearing funky socks, fitness bottoms and tops. I do like to dress up too, but when there is a special occasion, like going out for someones birthday, and for special holidays. 

Looking after my health, is much more important and dress that suits your personality. It is good to be different, and I believe that everyone is unique. There are those who criticise, because they see fault with everything and everyone. Lay them to rest and rise above it and live, and "Grabs the bull by the horns" and not allow anyone bring you down.

When we avoid mirrors it is because we see a different image to what we see in our heads, but now I give myself credit and have fun with clothes and with make up. If I see another woman dressed well I compliment because I like fashion and see people have different styles, and I like making people see the good things about themselves. The feelings of we are super ugly can really make us hide away, because we feel pressure in looking a certain way and we never going to feel good enough. 

I got fed up in feeling that way and made changes on how I see myself, by going through my clothes and make up and getting active. I look after my skin that has affected how I felt and look after my hair, teeth and my health. 

You are amazing and remind yourself next time you look in the mirror and I like having breasts, and thick hair, and glad I am the size I am. I did have type two diabetes, which affected me and had to control the amount I ate and what I eat. I don't have a super healthy diet but I now have managed my weight and my BMI and feel so good for it. It is all about building your personality and letting people know you have arrived, not knit picking at yourself, because you think another person looks better than you, and it apppears that they have no blemishes or looking better in a outfit you have and seem to have it all. If we all looked the same the world would be boring, so stop, be kind to yourself and give yourself some love.

So no more putting your self down and live.  

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Being grateful of what we have

Hi it has been a funny week, in that it was a mixture of good and bad and I have been doing reels on my Instagram, because I am having trouble in uploading images to it, and I do feel a little self-conscious, but it is good to step out on your comfort zone. 

I am using my son's laptop to write my blogs, because I was getting my one fixed and had a few problems with it, short story, I was scammed by receiving a message from supposedly PayPal saying that £785.85 was going to be taken from my account, and thankfully it was sorted it out and talked about on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/typicallondongal/?hl=en

However, going on with the blog and what I want to blog about. Is that we often look at all the badness of the way we look, dress and present ourselves, when actually other people don't really care. We feel we have to dress a certain way to make a impression, and not saying you should be scruffy, but that our own opinion of ourselves is what is important, not someone else's. 

When I see people without limbs and being hurt causing them to not be able to see themselves, grateful of the way I look and so, when I feel myself being unkind to myself, I will now get a hold of myself and that I am lucky. I have hands that can write, feet and legs that can walk, a heart that is beating as it should and no skin problems as such. I have had dry skin, but others have scars and blemishes but never allow themselves in these, affecting how they feel about themselves, and for dry skin, that used to bug e got under control, but no longer obsessed with the way I look by being grateful of what I have, in terms of body, and I have had weight problems, and it has been a rollercoaster, as I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and have gotten this under control, and so feel truly blessed.

So stop given yourself a hard time over the way you look, and love yourself.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X