Apparently, a significant number of women are still measuring their self-worth based on how they look in a bikini and it's really disturbing. During a recent interview, Australian personal trainer Sharny Kieser, who is poised to give birth to her fifth child in July, encouraged mothers to photograph themselves in bikinis after achieving their fitness goals. According to Kieser, these images would serve as motivation so that mothers who worked hard to shed pounds would never again gain excess weight and "let themselves go." She encouraged the use of bikini glamour shoots for all moms– including new mothers wanting to get their pre-pregnancy bodies back.
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The 34-year-old mom of four (and soon five) discussed how she was embarrassed about the stretch marks that appeared on her abdomen, hips, and thighs after giving birth to four children. She confessed that had to overcome these insecurities in order to lose the weight she'd piled on during and between her four pregnancies, eventually reaching her bikini body goals. "Every mum just wants to look their best version of themselves," she said. "For me, to wear a bikini–that's the goal."
Though Kieser said her mission was to empower women, many health experts expressed outrage over her comments, claiming she was placing undue pressure on already overstressed moms and warning that she was focusing too intently on outward appearances and not healthy standards of living.
Personally, I've had it with these female fitness aficionados who insist on pressuring and shaming other women. It's one thing to encourage people to eat balanced meals, exercise moderately, and get an adequate amount of sleep. It's another to suggest that women need to have a gap in between their thighs, bulging biceps, and chiseled abs and that if they don't, it's because they're relying on excuses or "giving up." It's even more appalling to suggest that, weeks after giving birth, a woman should have a washboard stomach and flaunt it in teeny crop tops and bikinis.
After giving birth, a woman should focus on adjusting to motherhood and bonding with her newborn–not juicing, dieting and hitting the gym. If later she decides to lose weight, then that's her choice and her right, but she shouldn't be bullied into believing she'll only feel sexy and desirable if she fits some ridiculous societal norm. And, as for the bikini bit, unless she's planning to star in a Baywatch remake, I don't see why any woman needs to have that particular aspiration.
How about instead of aspiring to look like the best version of ourselves, we aspire to be the best version of ourselves? How about we aim to be more compassionate, to have more patience, to be more accepting of others and ourselves? Shouldn't those be our goals as women instead of how to slip into a G-string? Maybe it's time to reevaluate where our priorities lie.
Embedded content: http://youtu.be/9ksHgliHbgw
Image via Sharny Kieser/Facebok
