What Lifting Weights Taught Me About Being a Woman

TravelsWithHuckleberry

Read this, and then post your own!
What Lifting Weights Taught Me About Being a Woman

Here's mine:

Food is fuel. Yes, it's one of those "Well, duh!" things, but until I started weight lifting, I had a lot of foods that were good, bad, or terrible for me. Lots of guilt and "I shouldn't have..." Now, I'm still concentrating on eating healthily, but nothing is off limits anymore. Lifting has honest to goodness, 100%, totally changed my whole mindset about food.

psych101

Lifting taught me that I am stronger than I ever thought. and I don't mean just physically. Since I began lifting, I have stood up and stood my ground. I feel like I really identify with the women who said that lifting made her a feminist lol. Lifting taught me respect to respect myself.

The thing is that the iron never lies. Its always there, its always exactly as heavy as it is. Its empowering as hell.

spirit095

I agree with what @Psych101 said! Lifting is so empowering, and I'm kind of addicted to it. When I'm on my "rest" days, I'm thinking about it and how to improve my form, etc. Also, I really want my friends and more females to get into it. Girl power and all . It's also made me more aware of my body and it's imbalances. Now it's hard to sit at work for long periods of time. I get antsy and have to get up and move or I feel stiff and lazy. I also feel more in charge of my life and I'm more confident and self assured. And last, I'm more comfortable with pushing my own limits now. It's a great feeling.

Sumiblue

That I love feeling (& being) strong. I hope to set a good example for my daughter that women aren't helpless. Seems to be working. My 3 yr old says "mommy can do it, she's strong"! Being strong isn't just about physical ability. It's a state of mind that can carry us through life.

LazyFoodie

I love what every woman in the article said about lifting but especially number 4 regarding exercising to be strong rather than to be small.

I have always hated when girls acted weaker and dumber than they actually were to attract guys, but has never thought about actually my developing physical strength beyond what I could already do. And to be honest, I only started lifting because I wanted to lose weight and didn't want to look flabby.

But in the short time that I have been lifting (only 6 weeks according to my app but it feels so much longer!), there is already there is a huge difference in my goals, confidence, and general outlook on exercise.

Over the last year or so I have gradually started to appreciate and love my body for the things that it does for me rather than being so focused on its flaws in appearance. Lifting reinforces this every day. It is incredibly empowering to exercise for health and strength rather than to fit an aesthetic ideal. I know and accept that, like most people, I will never have a perfect looking body and I am okay with that as long as I have a strong and healthy body. I feel a lot more motivated and enjoy going to the gym more now that my goals have shifted from merely looking good to getting stronger and reaching that next 5lb increase.

From the first day that I conquered my fear of using the free weights in a room full of burly men to every day after where I have increased the weights I can lift, I have felt a huge sense of accomplishment and desire to do more. This has not happened with the hours upon hours of cardio that I've done for years.

And lastly, a few weeks ago I mentioned to my friend that I have big quads. She asked if I wanted big quads and said she would not want big quads and would stop working them out if she was me because she just wants to look toned and slim. I was so shocked that I did not know what to say to this. I cannot imagine purposely losing any muscle on my body (even my disproportionately large calves which I used to hate and always cover up) when it is what helps me to run faster, hike up a hill, and lift stuff up every day. This article reassures me that I am not the only woman to think this way.

canadianlbs

i think the first thing i learned was that i'm not nearly as strong as i'd always thought that i was.

also that i'm not competitive against other women. if all i wanted was to impress guys by being stronger than 'other women' or strong 'for my size' according to them, i wouldn't be bothering with lifting now because i've been hearing that all my life anyway.

also that i don't think i really lift or think of strength much As A Woman. i just kind of do it as me, and think that it's neat 'as me'.

and i learned that i like weight rooms and i like the culture of them. that actually is a difference from my original impression, and something i'm really happy about. because i did start out with a very as-a-woman mindset and anticipate a lot of *kitten* and nonsense that just wasn't there. so i've learned to give the rest of my species a lot more of the credit that they deserve, through becoming one of the people in the weight room myself. i really like how much i like the people who are lifters too.

MissHolidayGolightly

I love number 4, "Treating exercise as a means to be more, as opposed to viewing it as a never-ending struggle to be less, is absolutely a game changer." I've heard recovered annorexics say something similar in that they are here and no longer wish to take up less space. Lifting has made fitness more to me than being smaller and lighter. It's made me aspire to be a stronger and better version of myself.

I need to work on number 6, "On days when I’m unsure of myself, I remember how much stronger I am than my emotions.” I'm getting better but my reaction to most setbacks is still automatically that the worst possible outcome will happen and I won't be able to handle it. It's such a good point to tie your strength in the weightroom to your mental and emotional strength. I need to remember this.

MissHolidayGolightly

Also, note on number 8, “Lifting has brought to my attention that a body that can do so much is one worth loving, not worth lamenting.” I have friends and acquaintences that are into things like figure comps and weightloss programs where the focus is mainly on asthetics. They're constantly talking like they're a work in progress and in X amount of time they hope to have their goal body. I think that is a depressing outlook. They work out every day, constantly watch their diet, and take all these supplements and they're still not good enough. And I think the whole idea of a goal body is a moving target.

Weight lifting has taught me to love and appreciate my body all the time. I can do some pretty amazing things that I cannot do when I'm not eating enough in hopes of losing a couple pounds that aren't noticible anyway. Sure, I could lose an inch here and gain one there and fit in these pants better but I just don't care that much to go through the mental anguish of denying and hating myself.

meglo91

Love this.
Weight lifting has taught me that my body is powerful and useful. I have thick thighs and big shoulders. Even when my waist was 26.5", my thighs were 23" -- each. I was not meant to be skinny. I will NEVER be skinny. Not ever. I was meant to be strong. And that is not bad.
When I am lifting, I feel free. I feel powerful. I feel that I can do anything -- anything! I can hit my weight loss and fitness goals, get the job I want, whatever.
I realized today that the feeling I get after lifting or just exercising generally is the same feeling I get after drinking a good glass wine with friends or family: a general sense of relaxation and well being. Imagine that -- buzzed on lifting.

Leggo1288

The scale does not define me, or the effort I have put in. Period.

TravelsWithHuckleberry

You Gals are so RAD.

logg1e

I haven't replied because I keep reading and think that I haven't learned anything as a woman. I have learned an awful lot about nutrition and strength training but also about patience and resilience.