High school gym locker rooms are some kind of hell. So much so that I played a secret game by myself just to cope with the torture: Get Undressed and Dressed In Record Time Without Exposing Skin. I hated gym if only for the fact that after the fun was over, I'd be corralled into a room surrounded by pretty - and fully developed - girls strutting about in their underwear. They sure didn't look as mortified as I felt.Although my body image improved a bit in the coming years, it took a nose dive after my breakup two years ago. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's turned inward when a relationship goes south. "Maybe if I were taller...Maybe if my hair were longer, straighter, my body curvier..." Even though I know that was never the case with him, my mind still went there. "Maybe if I were prettier, he wouldn't have let me go."
My how that mentality's changed. These days I'm so hyped after a workout that I can't wait to get back to the locker room, say, "Off with these clothes!" and jump in the shower. It's only been two weeks since I started exercising, but once I'm in there washing off I can't help but think, "DAMN! I look mad good!" (Hey, I'm allowed to be completely self-absorbed for a few minutes each day.) I'll admit that part of it is because I managed to catch another boyfriend without undergoing plastic surgery, but getting that adrenaline pumping gives off such feel-good vibes that how can you not feel like a rock star? So when I step back out into the hectic NYC streets, I could look like a hot mess, but in my mind I've got a soundtrack going and my hair is blowing in the wind. And yes, it looks mad good, too.
Image: sizewise.co.in