Hellooooo out there!! I’m currently flying high in the sky, on a 13 hour flight from Seoul to Detroit, then we have one more 4 hour flight back to Denver. All this after a 7 hour flight at 1am out of Bali. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be back to Bali anytime soon after all these flights. 30 hours is just too much for me. I would really like to know how flight attendants don’t get sick on these flights because I failed on the way there. Reallllllly hoping it doesn’t happen on the way home and I can battle jet lag a little harder. Flying is exhausting. I think I need a break from it after this trip. Good thing I fly out again on Sunday. Ughhhhhhhh.
Ok, enough of my b*tching. I’m annoying. Let’s get some motivational vibes going! Bali was a really spiritual experience for me in many ways. It’s not like I went to some yoga retreat or meditation class or anything like that, but it got me thinking in different ways. When you’re in Bali, you’re surrounded by other cultures. And many of those cultures don’t obsess over the little things. They don’t let a few dimples hold them back or a stretch marks bother them, they simply live. They put on their thong bikinis and they LIVE. And as I watched all these women (and men) on the beach, all different sizes and shapes, walking with their heads held high, it made me wonder why I always felt so uncomfortable in a swimsuit, even to this day. I think a lot of is has to do reading the trash magazines and fitness magazines when I was younger, along with the environment that I was raised in. But if we can begin to change the way we view ourselves, the way we carry ourselves, and the way we view others; the generations after us will hopefully be set up for a more confident tomorrow. A place where they don’t sweat the small stuff. A place where they simply think about enjoying their day instead of the cellulite they have on their legs.
My environment growing up didn’t teach me to think about the world outside of my body. But that doesn’t mean I have to let that past decide my present thoughts. If you’re someone who deals with those same types of negative thoughts, it may be time to take a deeper look into the WHY. Bali helped me open up many of the why thoughts. WHY is cellulite a bad thing? WHY do I care what other people think? WHY do I see my body in a negative light? The more I thought through these whys, the less power they had over me. Cellulite feels like a bad thing because society taught me that, but I don’t have to feel that way. I honestly don’t care what others think about my body. And I see my body in a negative light because I chose to think those thoughts. Once I thought through those whys, I was able to move on with my day.
Your past thoughts don’t decide your present thoughts. You do. Change the narrative in your daily thoughts and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much more enjoyable life can be. Let’s do this together! And you don’t even need Bali to experience that!
Oh wait, before I let you go…new PaleOMG x Four Athletics apparel launches tomorrow!! Get ready for the most comfortable apparel EVERRRRR!!!
Sunday – Hike up Mt Batur
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – Full Body Workout at AirBnb – see movements here
5 rounds 40 sec on 20 sec rest:
- Bulgarian Split Squats (left leg)
- 4 Shoulder Taps to 1 Elevated Push Ups
- Bulgarian Split Squats (right leg)
- 10 Mountain Climbers to 1 Pike Position
Wednesday – Rest Day
Thursday – Lower Body Band Workout at AirBnb – see movements here
3 rounds of:
- 10 Banded Deadlift to Squat to Bicep Curl
- 30 Banded Plank Jacks
3 rounds of:
- 15 Banded Kickbacks (each side)
- 30 Total Banded Lateral Walks
3 rounds of:
- 20 Banded Pull Throughs
- 15 Banded Clam Shells (each side)
3 rounds of:
- 15 Banded Single Leg Deadlifts (each side)
- 20 Banded Reverse Lunges (each side)
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – HIIT Workout at Bali Training Centre
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Love the realizations you had in Bali! I remember having very similar thoughts during a trip to Italy several years ago. I saw men and women of all shapes and sizes at the beach, many of the women were even topless, and no one seemed self conscious. I did not get the feeling that anybody was looking at me or judging my body, it felt so freeing! All the pizza and wine had me feeling extra fluffy, but I didn’t care!
it’s so interesting seeing other cultures like that, it just feels so different than our own. i always saw my mother cover up and feel uncomfortable so i felt like i should do the same. it must be so cool to have parents who feel self confident in their skin, especially on the beach. i definitely hope to emulate that moving forward, especially in Italy some day! i want to go to Italy so bad and eat ALLLLL the pizza and pasta!
Yes
Hey Juli. I’ve been reading your blog for a couple years now and I just wanted to leave a comment about how much I appreciate your honesty about your attitude toward your body and how that’s an ever changing process. I turned 29 this year and I feel like for the first time in my life, I’ve really started to feel positive about my body and appreciate it for every thing that it does for me. For pretty much my whole life, I’ve always had that goal of losing 10 lbs and thought I would be so much happier when I did. Even though I weigh probably the most I ever have, I’ve come to realize that making my happiness conditional on what my body looks like doesn’t make any sense. And I look back on times where I was a lot leaner and wish I could be back to the body, but even in those times – I was never really satisfied with the way I looked in the moment.
Also I’ve been spending a bit of time in Puerto Rico and Mexico and I love seeing women embrace and show off their curves in cheeky bikinis. I think you’re so right that a lot of us have been conditioned to compare how we look in a bikini to what we see in magazines and it’s also taken a long time for me to unlearn that. I’m embracing the cheeky bikini look and showing it all off – stretch marks and all.
Anyway this novel of a comment is just to say that I feel like you’re one of the few bloggers that I follow that has actually had a positive impact on my life, other than just selling products or preaching blanket body positivity (which is great..but doesn’t capture the nuance of how we can change our mindsets.) Thanks for your honesty and all that you do!
thank you so much for the love Diana!! i do the same and think back to the times i was thinner and i was never any happier. we’ve been conditioned to think that weight loss means happiness, but it all has to do with our brains, not our actual bodies. i’m starting to embrace the cheeky bottoms too lately instead of feeling uncomfortable in them. it’s such a freeing feeling, just walking on the beach and thinking about the waves instead of my physique. life is way more fun when it doesn’t include insecurities!
Ooof, Detroit and back to Denver doesn’t sound fun 🙁 Was it a screamingly good deal? My bf donated Delta miles so I could fly to a conference but on the way back I had to add an extra leg between LA and Seattle, not ideal, but better than paying actual money for the flight!
yes, it was the best deal! and then i was able to upgrade us to first on that flight for cheap!
It makes me sad that you have negative feelings about your body. Your body is stupidly amazing – and you work hard for it, so you should be damn proud of it! I wish you could see your body as your readers see it – which is a goal that most of us will never work hard enough to get. It makes me think, if you think you look bad, what would you think of me? I know it doesn’t really work that way bc you don’t seem judgy. When you talk down about your imperfections, I’m always shocked because the positives outweigh the negatives. Someone says you have a little cellulite? So what! You have a 6 (or 8?) pack and a ripped back – who the fuck cares about the top of the back of your thighs! I’m so glad that your trip made you change your mindset, and I hope it sticks!