Be Proud of Your Battle Scars

Written by Dan Ekblad, IAWP CWC

Be proud of your battle scars, you earned them. (Yes, I have stretchmarks and loose skin...so what?)

One of the biggest issues that many of us who were once very large, either by being pregnant or just big and fat, are those lovely little reminders left on our bodies, stretchmarks and loose hanging skin. And ladies, trust me, it's not just you women who have these issues. Men too have the same issues as women, except we can't proudly claim we had a baby. We have to own up to the fact we were just big and fat! Believe it our not, we men are just as vain about having stretchmarks as women.

​Women proudly call them their "tiger stripes" and take ownership of those marks. But still, many women feel embarrassed or ashamed to wear a bikini or clothing that may show off those areas. Men who were once bigger and may have that loose skin or stretch marks may never want to take off their shirts in public, and many don't even want to undress in private in front of their spouses.

​Why am I writing about this touchy subject?

​Because I have these issues.

I have stretchmarks from years of gaining and losing weight only to gain and lose it all over again multiple times. I also have loose and sagging skin on my chest and stomach area. These areas are embarrassing at times and leave me feeling very self-conscious.

But now, my perspective on these scars has changed. I just recently competed in a physique competition where there was over 400 contestants, both men and women. One thing that is hard to miss when you're backstage with a couple hundred mostly naked people is that NO ONE IS PERFECT. No matter how hard we workout or watch what we put into our bodies, no amount of make-up or spray-on tan will hide our flaws or scars of living. For some, it's the fact that we're over 40, 50 or even 60 and wear and tear has marked us for life. For some, it's the fact that they've had a baby or two or three. And for people like me, it shows that I once did not take care of my body like I should have and the signs of being over 350 lb and having over 20 surgeries has taken a toll on my 55-year-old body.

What's changed my perspective about never having the perfect body? It's that I'm now owning up to what I've done. These are my scars. These are my real life battle wounds. These scars tell a story about me and where I've come from and just how hard I've fought to change my life.
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Don't worry about being perfect or better than everyone else. Focus on being better than you were yesterday. Set goals on improving yourself and making yourself better every day you get out of bed. Change your life by getting healthy. It starts today!