Exercising to “look good” – vain?

Published: Wed, 01/25/17

Hey ,

On last night’s fitness roundtable with Jen Sinkler and Kourtney Thomas, the creators of #BignessProject (open for enrollment thru Friday!), we got into talking about training for aesthetics.

And I wanted to continue the conversation here because I feel like if I’d sent an email with this subject line to 99% of people in America, the answer would be, “Um, duh, of course you exercise to look good.”

Buuuuut, while much of the mainstream here in the states is still centered on trying to attain “the perfect body,” in the small niche that is JillFit readers, many of us have evolved past needing our body to look a certain way in order to feel validated.

We like ourselves as is (90% of the time anyway lol) and while we work on our mindset to overcome that last 10%, we also realize that truly liking ourselves and appreciating our bodies doesn’t automatically mean we’ll eat with abandon and just give up all physical pursuit.

In fact, for most of us, self-love elicits an unparalleled level of dedication to self-care.

Appreciating who we are right now, loving it even, makes us more likely to want to exercise, more likely to eat healthfully most of the time, and more likely to laugh and not be so stressed out constantly.

So then … is it okay to work toward an aesthetic goal?

Because like Jen said, #BignessProject was created purely for aesthetic reasons: let’s see if we add significant muscle and change what our body looks like.
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This is tricky.

Many of us have dealt with the obsessive mindset that comes with never feeling good enough because we aren’t lean enough, fit enough, thin enough, etc. It’s a game we can never win.

So … is it poking a sleeping bear to consider training for a specific look again? How can we do it without going down the black hole of unworthiness and insecurity?

That’s the question I want to answer today.

Is training for a specific look … vain?

There does seem to be a bit of a backlash against exercising for aesthetic purposes, as it’s associated with being shallow, or if you are training to look a specific way then it automatically equals being insecure or that you don’t like yourself as is.

I do think that conclusion is a little short-sighted and like most things, there’s a ton of nuance if you are willing to think a little harder.

So while I understand the argument and have a huge amount of compassion for it even—I’ve literally worked with thousands of women to help them release their attachment to needing “the perfect body” in order to feel worthy—I also think that … training for a specific look is normal, and fine and also, for me anyway, a big part of WHY I train. I want to see the fruits of my labor (btw I also want to experience them too, through improved strength, functionality, health outcomes, stress management, etc).

HOWEVER, there is a difference between training to look a certain way because you need it to value yourself, and training to look a certain way because hey, I am working my ass off and I want to see some fucking results, no?

I’ve been consistent the last few months with #treadLIFT, sprints and Crossfit (training 5 days/week) and I want to see the results for that effort—I even took some before pics and did my circumference measurements.

So yes, I want to feel strong and I want to feel healthy, but I also want to see how my body responds. I eat #moderation365 so no nutrition changes, so the way in which I am moving (and what weight/pace I am moving) makes the biggest impact on my physique. And I like that.

To me, having physique goals is perfectly normal. Just be sure to DETACH from what it means about your worthiness and value as a person, and your contribution in the world. THAT can be a huge trap.

Instead, know that you are perfect as you are right now, and don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.

But if you choose to train for aesthetics, then just own it. Stay mindful. Separate your self-worth from how your body looks. Work on your inside game and then just go tf off in the gym 💪🏼

Okay, now I have 2 options for you, ready?

1) If you are interested in training for aesthetics and want to track how your body changes, then I recommend you start with the #BignessProject. Add muscle, lean curves and definition. Aaaaaand to sweeten the deal, I’m going to be throwing in FREE enrollment for you into the 4-Week Food Obsession Boot Camp course, IF you purchase through my JillFit link, HERE.

2) If you just want to get your hands on the 4-Week Food Obsession Boot Camp and you are not wanting to do #Bigness, that’s totally fine, I get you … you can do that HERE.

Let me know if you have any questions about either program! Happy to answer anything.

Xo,
Jill
Get #Bigness (+ Food Obsession FREE Bonus) Here
Get (Just) Food Obsession Boot Camp HERE