Thanks to my husband doing the math with me, I can say with confidence that I am 35 years old (I tend to forget). When I was 28 I stopped caring about my age. I didn’t want to become that person that laments getting older. It’s inevitable so we all might as well accept it. The markers of aging have hit me harder since having kids. After giving birth to my daughter, my skin changed. And not in a pretty way. After giving birth to my son, my body has changed. While I am the same weight I was before getting pregnant, I don’t look it. I’ve stretched. I have wobbly bits. My usual exercise and eating habits don’t seem to be making much of a dent.
I know all of this is a part of getting older. I don’t hate it. Do I wish that my efforts in the gym and kitchen matched what my body looks like? Yes. BUT, what I have learned and have accepted is that everything changes. I am making an effort to get to know my body again. I don’t want to hate her. She has grown and birthed two babies. I owe her kindness. So, I am committing to challenging myself. I need to try different stuff in the gym. I need to figure out what makes my body feel good. And guess what? Right now, my body loves totally new things.
Along with a changing body comes the changing of fashion stuff. I like black. My husband is always shocked when I wear color. This year I promised myself to branch out with my color choices. And I have. I’ve stopped being so critical about every angle of my body. When I was in the Dominican Republic, I saw women of all shapes and sizes strutting around the resort not giving a flying f^*k about what they looked like. I was envious. Confidence really is sexy AF. If they could be confident, why can’t I? That trip not only relaxed me but gave me back something. I looked in the mirror and saw that I am not that bad. I am just fine! It’s time to stop telling myself what I can’t wear or don’t want to wear and just do it. For example? Sometimes a bra is freaking overrated. You know how heavy breasts can be strapped into a prison cell all day? God bless nipple covers. Don’t want to wear my signature Zella leggings? Skorts sure are comfortable. I used to hate skorts and thought only little girls and old people wore them. Nope, I wear them. And I accept them. Actually, I really like them. They are ridiculously comfortable and flattering.
Aging is hard in the sense that I don’t feel older. I only feel older when I look at my skin. But even then I have been making a big effort the past few years to use good products and believe me, they have made a difference. I firmly believe that skin care is one of the most underrated areas of self-care. The reality is that we need to start looking after our skin when we are young. I am not in denial… I know I am going to age. That’s fine! I just want my body to be as healthy as it can be and HOW I get there changes as I age. So, I have to get to know myself in every season. Sometimes my skin needs moisture. Sometimes I need a peel. Sometimes I need a really good facial to keep everything in check. Sometimes, it’s as simple as water, sleep, and nutritious food.
For some, getting older means not having to try as hard. And I get that. I really do. What I have realized for me is that I have to work at keeping myself healthy. Was the bagel sandwich I just had for breakfast necessary? Probably not. Was it good? Sure was. Did it make me happy and full? Sure did. Did my workout this morning feel good to my body? HECK yes, it did. Finding balance is important so I am trying my darnedest to find it. I am figuring it out. I accept that I am no longer 25 with 25 year old hormones and ability to lose 10 pounds with two weeks at the gym. I accept the hard work I need to put in and that I have already put in. I accept that I need to have confidence. Heck, I even accept the skort.
The Salty Exchange 