If You're Struggling With Body Image, Trainer Jen Widerstrom Says Changing 'Your Perspective' Can Make All The Difference
It turns out that even personal trainers struggle with body image.
The Biggest Loser's Jen Widerstrom took to Instagram to confess that it took her years to "realize" that even when she thought she looked bloated, her body was actually in tip-top shape.
The star posted two photos on Instagram: in the first one, she lifted up her arms to show her svelte frame from a side angle. In the next one, which was taken from her own point of view, she showed her bare belly looking more round and protruded from her body.
"As women, our anatomy is so precious and beautiful… Quite frankly it’s magical..... But based on perspective it distorts the way we see ourselves on our body’s physical journey," she captioned the post. "When I look down I always feel like I look bloated or even a little pregnant… like why does my belly cover up half my feet??"
"It has been the source of so much negative self talk and anxiety FOR YEARS bc my body feels distorted this way which is crazy bc I know I’m a size 4-6 and I don’t even know what it feels like/looks like to be pregnant!!!!" the fitness director admitted.
"When I take a moment to shift my perspective to what you see, I realize how my stomach’s shape is exactly how it’s supposed to be," she explained. "An elegant, paralleling line to my lower back’s curve, and balanced by my round, feminine hips."
"If you struggle to accept your body lines, change your perspective and remember how special our bodies are because of what they’re capable of doing," she concluded, adding a praying hands emoji.
Her honest post resonated with her followers, who thanked the star for making them feel normal.
"Obsessed with this and as someone with a similar body type (but less muscle), it is so empowering to work out with you," one person commented, while another wrote, "I love your perspective and how you shared it! I think it’s very important for all Women to know that You are not the only one that thinks this way."
Aside from giving fitness and diet tips, Widerstrom has always made it a priority to show her fans that the bodies you may see on social media aren't what they seem.
She even posted a side-by-side shot of her own figure to prove how everyone's body changes throughout the day.
"One of health and happiness and peace with in our own skin when we take care of ourselves and let go of that 'suck it in syndrome,'" she stated. "The pressure stops when we remove the expectation of how we’re supposed to look for the world, and just get to be in our bodies for us."