Ginger Zee admits she fixates on her belly on the treadmill: 'The iron grip of body issues is the one that won't let go'
Ginger Zee is reflecting 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 in relation to her body image. She wrote that she had previously shared a version of the post with photos of herself working out in a sports bra, but removed it, with the photos, under the advice of a medical professional who wrote to her, noting in the new post that her message about being “imperfect” was “imperfect in itself.”
“Gratitude for my body,” she wrote. “It's the toughest to achieve for me but I am committed to working on it. Fought a cold this week, haven't slept well, bloated and feeling the difference in age. When I step on the treadmill I sometimes force myself to not wear a shirt so I can see my belly. To obsess over it. Never arms or legs. Belly. Always belly.”
She added that no matter how strong her mental health is, "the iron grip of body issues is one that won’t let go.”
“I took these photos yesterday. Then didn't post because I didn't want this to come off wrong. People are suffering and starving and I'm staring at my BELLY?! I'm 41. Hips are thicker, belly is thicker. I try to avoid processed food but this week I just wanted a few f%^*ing crackers & a bite of cookie cake,” Zee continued. “I want this post to be inspiring. I want to say I've accepted myself fully. 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 we can get it out in the open. That's what I've done with depression and it works.”
She said that while she knows she’s “privileged” for being able to work out and that “so many would be so happy to have my body,” and that body positivity is currently “all the rage,” she has found that “the obsession with being thin is concurrently rampant.”
Zee concluded with, “This is a process and an evolution. This morning I had the thought: I just wish I could start over. Start fresh at work, start fresh with my body image …
but then I wouldn't be me. And the me I am now I am genuinely proud of and wouldn't want to change.”
Zee’s followers applauded the honest message. Chef Marcela Valladolid wrote in the comments section, “I love your honesty. I actually appreciated your photos because I identified with them. I’m kinda small so I’m not ‘allowed’ to talk about my insecurities (idgaf and talk about them anyway). Point is, sometimes even medical professionals get it wrong. Actually, from personal experience, most of them get it wrong when it comes to mental health. I admire you so much for your vulnerability and courage.”
Another added, “The fact that someone as physically active and in shape as you are can still have body image issues is immensely helpful to the rest of us. The fact that you are as open as you are is immensely invaluable. It’s hard to not focus on your perceived imperfections, but you are a human and have human emotions.”
This is not the first time Zee has opened up 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 would catch my reflection, I rarely recognized myself. I knew it was me, logically, but I didn’t know, love or feel comfortable with the person that I saw. I could not identify with the woman I saw. My identity was diffuse."
She shared that she has since sought out a therapist, who she called a “personal trainer for your brain,” in order to deal with these difficult emotions.
“Now when I look in the mirror I see me, I’m mostly proud & happy with the reflection and I’m able to turn outward and give energy and love to others because I have settled in my sense of self,” Zee wrote. “We all deserve that peace. I wish I could go back in those lowest moments and remind myself these beautiful days were possible. I hope it helps you to know the storms don’t last forever."
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