Ginger Zee reflects on her relationship with her body.
The ABC News meteorologist, 41, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a vulnerable post about her mental health over her body image. She wrote that she previously shared a version of the post with photos of herself working out in a sports bra, but deleted it, along with the photos, on the advice of a medical professional who wrote to her, noting in the new post that her post about being “imperfect” was “imperfect in and of itself.”
“Gratitude for my body,” she wrote. “It’s the hardest thing for me to achieve, but I’m committed to working on it. I fought a cold this week, slept badly, swelled up and felt the age difference. When I get on the treadmill, I sometimes force myself not to wear a shirt to see my stomach. To be obsessed with it. Never arms or legs. Belly. Always belly.
She added that no matter how strong her sanity, “the iron grip of bodily issues is the one that won’t let go.”
“I took these photos yesterday. Then I didn’t post because I didn’t want it to go wrong. People are suffering and starving and I’m looking at my BELLY?! I’m 41. The hips are thicker, belly is thicker. I try to avoid processed foods, but this week I just wanted some f%^* crackers and a bite of cookie cake,” Zee continued. May this post be inspiring. I mean I fully accept myself. But I’m not there yet. I’m at least at the point where I can share these thoughts that I know so many others have so that we can release them out in the open. That’s what I did with depression and it works.
She said that although she knows she is “privileged” to be able to work out and that “so many people would be so happy to have my body”, and that body positivity is currently “in vogue”, she discovered that “the obsession with being thin is at the same time endemic.
Zee concluded: “It’s a process and an evolution. This morning, I had the thought: I just wish I could start over. Starting over at work, starting over with my body image…
but then I wouldn’t be me. And the me that I am now, I’m really proud and I wouldn’t want to change.
Zee supporters applauded the honest message. Chef Marcela Valladolid wrote in the comments section, “I like your honesty. I really enjoyed your photos because I identify with them. I’m a little small so I’m not allowed to talk about my insecurities (idgaf and talk about them anyway). The thing is, sometimes even medical professionals get it wrong. In fact, from personal experience, most of them are wrong when it comes to mental health. I admire you so much for your vulnerability and your courage.
Another added: “The fact that someone as physically active and fit as you can still have body image issues is hugely helpful for the rest of us. The fact that you are as open as you are is extremely valuable. It’s hard not to focus on your perceived imperfections, but you are human and have human emotions.
This isn’t the first time Zee has spoken out about her struggles. In 2021, she shared an Instagram post for World Mental Health Day about her personal body image issues, writing, “When I was at my lowest I often avoided mirrors. When I grabbed my reflection, I rarely recognized myself. I knew it was me, logically, but I didn’t know, like, or feel comfortable with the person I was seeing. I couldn’t identify to the woman I was seeing My identity was diffuse.
She shared that she has since sought out a therapist, who she calls a “personal trainer for your brain,” to help manage those difficult emotions.
“Now when I look in the mirror I see myself, I’m mostly proud and happy with the reflection and I’m able to look outward and give energy and love to others because I’ve settled into my sense of myself,” Zee wrote. . “We all deserve this peace. I wish I could go back to those lowest times and remember that those good days were possible. Hope this helps you know that storms don’t last forever.”
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