Stutz - Bodysculpting for Bombshells: Everything you need to know about fitness to sculpt your body into a shape you will love

Everything you need to know about fitness to sculpt your body into a shape you will love

Vivi Stutz

Table of Contents

T here is a bombshell in every woman. Its our nature. Femininity, when it has the freedom to be expressed in its fullness, is forceful and gentle, assertive and yielding, sexual and nurturing at the same time. The feminine nature is multi-faceted in co-existing opposites, but we rarely materialize the expression of all aspects that live within us. We disown one part or another to conform to social norms within our respective cultures, and most frequently, we split off physical awareness and expression because we deem it unacceptable.

We are constantly at odds with our bodies.

Can you name one woman who is not at odds with her body? Maybe you can, but its rare. Our body becomes a battlefield of expectations about who we think we should be and our own desire to be at peace with who we are. We fight endless battles of self-criticism and self-improvement, or we disconnect from awareness of our bodies altogether.

Resolving the dilemma is harder than it seems. We veer in and out of buying into social expectations, returning to body-awareness only when we feel good about ourselves. Sometimes we admit we have a body, sometimes we ignore it and act as if we dont.

You know your self-esteem shouldnt depend on how you look, but divorcing self-esteem from appearance only works for some women, not others. Some women are naturally beautiful, and others have rock-solid self-esteem despite the absence of what their society defines as physical beauty. Most of us are neither blessed with natural beauty nor rock-solid self-esteem, and most of us enjoy physical and sensual expression only on good days.

Denying the unfairness of genes works only to some extent. In truth, nature isnt fair.

As a woman in the United States, how you appear at any given age is part of your currency. Its a non-monetary stock market investment. Mens value appreciates with age. Their portfolio and earning potential increases, and theyre perceived as more desirable because of the increased security they provide. Womens value depreciates with age, because youth is associated with fertility and health. Even men whove had plenty of children with numerous ex-wives are attracted to women who suggest fertility and health. In other words, youth. Its wired into our evolutionary instinct.

Overweight women are perceived as out of control, while overweight men are merely perceived as lacking discipline. The road to eating disorders and Body Dysmorphic Disorder is already paved.

Women who reach the age of 35 are considered past their prime. Desirability has an expiration date. Larger sized women are not supposed to feel desirable because the beauty ideal dictates clothing sizes fit for teenage girls.

It gets worse. A TIME magazine article from June 29, 2015 about the social pressures of receiving cosmetic procedures quoted a study that found above-average looking people earning up to $230,000 more throughout their life time than their average looking counterparts.

How do we withstand the pressure?

We either conform by entering the manic quest for perfection, or we split off sensual awareness of our bodies because the feelings of inadequacy are too painful. We sway back and forth between these extremes, liking ourselves most when we are closest to the expectation we hold. We rarely feel at home in our own skin.

If we want to become whole again, we must boldly claim ownership of our physical self. Unedited physical expression is sumptuous, exuberant, sensual and highly desirable if we suspend judgment and allow ourselves to be present in our bodies. A woman who owns her physical expression without shame is desirable at any size or age. Her innate sensuality defies cultural norms. Shell be a whole lot happier, too. She has recovered her bombshell nature .

How is it done? The first step is giving yourself permission. You too, are a bombshell at heart. The next step is getting back into your body through movement. Use exercise to enhance and heal the relationship you have with your body. Beauty is a mindset, not a clothing size.

When was the last time you felt truly comfortable in your body? It was most likely after you were physically active. Movement awakens body awareness.

Exercise can alter body size and shape if you desire to do so. If you are truly uncomfortable with your size and shape, change it. You can make your body a work of art and shape it like a sculpture. It takes time, effort and commitment, but it can be done.

However, exercising for the quest of perfection can be emotionally devastating and damage self-esteem. Dont exercise to find yet another way of beating yourself up. Define your own goals and make loving your body the highest priority. Treat your physical self like a temple that houses your spirit.

Exercise is on everyones to-do list, yet theres always a good reason not to. For many people, exercise is annoying; its not fun, and it gets boring. The process of fitness can be as daunting as fixing an engine if you dont know how its done. Reading large volumes on exercise science isnt everyones idea of a good time, and fitness magazines offer quick fixes that rarely yield results.

We dont need yet another failed attempt.

Ive tried to keep this book short and sweet. Knowing a few simple facts about exercise reduces time commitment and frustration. The following pages wont give you a complicated workout regime but an understanding of what works and why. The practical instruction will be a sample whole body workout which you can use, alter, or build from. Its all you need to get started, get comfortable in your skin again, and see significant changes or lose weight if you wish. Its not rocket science, after all.

Dont wait until you lost weight, and dont beat yourself up if you havent been able to. You can, but you dont need to change your body size to recover your bombshell nature. Larger women can sculpt their bodies into voluptuous shapes. Sports Illustrated of February 2016 featured Ashley Graham on the cover, a size 16 swimsuit model. When artfully sculpted, curvy is feminine beauty.

I credit my friend Amber Rice, a San Diego-based marriage and family therapist, with modeling ownership of beauty at any size. I learned from her that bombshells come in all sizes and ages, because beauty emerges from ownership.

E xercise is annoying. If it wasnt, youd be doing it. Youd be exercising regularly, you would look and feel fantastic, and youd be so accustomed to receiving compliments about your great shape that it wouldnt be any more exciting than collecting the mail.

Maybe youll argue that exercise isnt annoying because you feel great after you do it, but theres still something about your physical shape thats nagging you or you wouldnt read a book about it. Perhaps you exercise occasionally but dont stick with it for reasons you cant put your finger on.

Maybe youve put it off because you dont know how its done, or you put in countless hours at the gym and it doesnt make the difference you anticipated. You feel stuck in a body youd rather hide, and exercise is too time consuming. You think youre not cut out to look or feel good because youre too big-boned, too short or too old, or you dont have the right genes. You may even think you need to lose weight before you start exercising.