I began my journey to get on an NPC Stage as a bikini competitor a little over a year ago. My diet became very strict and the workouts got pretty intense. The results were came quick but the rewarding feeling didn't since I constantly compared myself to the pros...But you don't need to be in competition prep to be guilty of comparison.
I have always been self conscious, ALWAYS. I remember being in high school and thinking I was fat. Yes, 15 year old me standing at five feet eight inches tall and weighing no more than 120 lbs thought I was fat! I want to say I was insane but I really wasn't. I was just simply comparing myself to that girl on TV or in the magazine. I wasn't insane. I was STUPID. The insane thing is, I'M STILL DOING IT! Luckily, I am now smart enough to know that I'm stupid for doing it. I know that we are all at different stages of our journey. I KNOW that bodies react differently to diet and exercise. I KNOW that my body is MY body and it will most likely NEVER look like HER body. I know that magazines over edit pictures, making already incredibly attractive women look ridiculously perfect.
Most, if not ALL of us, are guilty of comparing ourselves to others. We might see someone at the gym with great muscle definition or amazing amounts of muscle mass and get a slight hint of jealousy. But WHY? We are all in a journey to bettering ourselves. Why torture ourselves reminding us that we are not there yet. Wake up every day knowing that you might not be where you want to be at yet but you are on your way and people better watch out! We are who we are! We are unique and that is what makes us wonderful. Don't let a picture make you feel any less than that. And when you have those moments of weakness remember that you were born to be different not perfect!