Is "Skinny" Trending Again? Here's What I Want You to Know

 

Hey hey beautiful human!

Have you felt it lately?

You open your phone, you scroll for a few seconds, and suddenly you are looking at transformation photos, smaller bodies being praised, and a version of “progress” that feels very different from what you have been working toward. And even if a part of you knows better, there is another part that quietly wonders if you are doing something wrong.

That feeling is not random. It is what happens when the message is everywhere and it keeps finding you, even when you are not looking for it.

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m talking about why this cultural shift is hitting so hard right now, what chasing extreme thinness actually costs a woman’s body, and how to stay grounded in what you are building when the noise starts getting loud.

What’s Discussed:

  • Why this current “skinny trend” feels more intense than past body trends

  • How constant exposure through social media changes the way we experience comparison

  • The long-term impact of chronic restriction on metabolism, bone health, and overall well-being

  • The mental toll of chasing a number and how it quietly takes over your life

  • Why strength, nourishment, and consistency will always outlast any trend

  • Simple ways to protect your mindset when comparison starts creeping in

If you loved this episode, you'll also love:  Episode 540: Why Beating Yourself Up Isn't Helping You Reach Your Goals. It builds on this conversation and helps you shift out of the self-criticism that so often comes up when comparison starts creeping in.

Ready to have every 30-minute session pre-planned, pre-programmed, and built around exactly this structure? Head to movementwithjulie.com and get started inside the Movement With Julie app. 

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

(0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:06) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I give you a dose of real talk (0:11) and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your (0:17) authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get it. Let's go.

(0:29) Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. I'm so glad that you're (0:33) here today. This episode is needed for so many women right now.

Skinny culture is back and I know (0:38) so many of you guys have already started to feel it. You're seeing it on the red carpets, the Oscars, (0:42) the Golden Globes, where celebrities who once promoted strength and curves are now just showing (0:46) up noticeably smaller. You're seeing it at events like Coachella, where influencers and creators (0:51) are stepping into a very specific look that feels like something we've seen before.

And then, (0:55) as always, social media follows and suddenly the bodies that are getting the most attention (0:59) just all start to look the same again. And when that happens, it can mess with your head more than (1:04) you expect, right? Like it can make you question if what you're doing is still right and it can (1:08) make you wonder if you should be trying to change your body. It can make you feel like you're falling (1:13) behind even if you've just been consistent taking care of yourself and doing everything you thought (1:17) was aligning with your goals, right? And that's why I wanted to create this episode because I (1:22) didn't want you getting pulled into something that actually does not serve you.

Before I dive (1:27) in though, I want to share this review. She gave a five star view and said two decades. This podcast (1:31) is absolutely incredible.

I have spent two decades talking negatively to myself, not being my own (1:38) best friend and not practicing gratefulness. Listening to Julie every day has saved my life (1:42) in just a short amount of time. And I'm so grateful.

Thank you, Julie, for blessing us (1:46) with your voice. I love you so much. I love you too.

Thank you so much for taking time out of (1:50) your day. I'm so sorry that you had two decades of talking negatively to yourself. (1:55) I had so many, so many years as well, like at least a decade plus of my life.

And you know, (2:01) there's still days where I struggle, but so, so grateful that this podcast is helping you. (2:07) And the best thing that we can do is just look forward and not look behind us and not regret, (2:13) you know, the decades that we've spent just hating ourselves or talking to ourselves negatively. (2:17) And what you're doing is exactly what you need to be doing.

Listening to hopefully these (2:23) episodes that encourage you, empower you, inspire you in some way, shape, or form, (2:27) and just taking it one day at a time and moving forward. So thank you so much again for taking (2:31) time out of your day to send in this review. Alright, let's get right into it.

Let's talk (2:35) about why this is happening. Trends always cycle and what was popular years ago eventually is going (2:40) to find its way back. We've seen this in fashion, beauty standards, especially in these (2:44) body trends.

What was once considered the ideal slowly fades out. Something else takes its place (2:49) and then over time it's going to circle back again. This is exactly what we're seeing right now.

(2:54) But there's also a deeper layer that goes beyond the trends and smaller bodies have (2:58) constantly been tied to ideas of control and discipline and success in our culture. (3:04) There's this like underlying message that if you're smaller, it must mean that you're (3:07) more disciplined, more put together, more on top of things. And even if we don't consciously (3:12) believe that we've been exposed to that messaging for so long that it can still (3:15) influence how we see ourselves.

And the problem is that those assumptions are not rooted in actual (3:21) health or sustainability. They're rooted in perception. And when that perception starts (3:26) getting reinforced again and again and again through celebrities, influencers, the media, (3:31) it creates this quiet pressure to conform even if no one is directly telling you to change.

(3:36) And here's the part that's really important to understand. A lot of what you're seeing right now (3:40) is not just the result of eating clean and working out. There are people who are naturally (3:45) built that way and that's just their baseline.

But there are also people who are taking extreme (3:50) measures behind the scenes to achieve and maintain that look, whether that's through (3:54) heavy restriction, over-training, other methods that are not being openly talked about. (3:58) And because social media only shows you the end result, you're not seeing the full picture. (4:02) You don't see the energy levels, the stress, the mental load, the relationship with food, (4:06) what it actually takes day in and day out to maintain that body.

You're seeing a snapshot, (4:10) not the reality. So when you start comparing yourself, you're comparing your real, (4:14) full-lived experience to someone else's highlight. And even more than that, (4:19) you're comparing yourself to something that you don't fully understand and you don't know what (4:23) it took to get there.

You don't know what it takes to stay there. And you don't know if that (4:28) lifestyle is something that you would even want if you saw it up close. And that's why comparison (4:33) in this situation can feel so confusing because you're measuring yourself against something that (4:37) isn't fully transparent.

And then you're wondering why it doesn't feel aligned to you. (4:40) And that disconnect is not because you're doing something wrong. It's just because you're (4:44) comparing yourself to an incomplete picture.

Now, I want to talk about something that I (4:48) think gets overlooked in this conversation. Strong is better than skinny. And I don't mean (4:53) that from an aesthetic standpoint.

I mean it from the way that your body actually functions (4:58) and supports your life. Because muscle is not just about how you look, but muscle is a (5:02) huge part of your life force. It plays a role in your metabolism, your energy, your hormone (5:07) balance, your bone health, even how well you age.

The more muscle you have, the more supported (5:12) your body is in doing basic things that it needs to do every single day. From regulating your blood (5:17) sugar to keeping your strength and mobility as you get older. So when you're chasing being (5:21) skinny at the cost of losing muscle, you're not just changing your appearance.

You're actually (5:25) taking away one of the most important systems that keeps your body functioning well. And this (5:31) is the part that I think a lot of people don't realize. A lot of this skinny look gets so (5:36) praised and it's actually a result of under fueling and losing muscle, not just losing body fat.

And (5:42) when that happens, your body becomes less supported, not more. You might weigh less, but your energy (5:47) drops, your strength decreases, your metabolism slows down, and becomes harder to maintain the (5:52) body without continuing to restrict. And this is not a place where your body is going to thrive.

(5:56) When you focus on building muscle instead, everything starts to work better. You have (6:01) more energy because your body is properly fueled. You feel stronger in your workouts and (6:06) your everyday life.

Your metabolism is more supported, which means that your body can (6:10) actually use the food that you are giving it instead of constantly trying to conserve energy. (6:15) And over time, that creates a body that is not only strong, but resilient. A body that can handle (6:20) stress better, a body that can recover better, a body that allows you to live your life instead (6:24) of constantly thinking about how to shrink yourself.

So when I say strong is better than (6:29) skinny, what I really mean is that building muscle is one of the most important things that (6:33) you can do for your health, your energy, and your long-term quality of life because being (6:38) smaller at the cost of your muscle is not a win. Let me say that again. Being smaller (6:43) at the cost of your muscle is not a win.

It might look a certain way from the outside, (6:48) but on the inside, it is taking away from the very thing that helps your body stay strong, (6:54) capable, and supported. And this leads into something else that needs to be said clearly. (6:59) Skinny does not automatically mean healthy.

Let me say that again. Skinny does not automatically (7:06) mean healthy. I briefly mentioned this a few minutes ago, but I want to go deeper because (7:10) this is where a lot of the confusion comes from.

Like I said, there are women who are naturally (7:14) skinny and there are women who have to take extreme measures to get there. And the truth is, (7:18) we don't know the case for anyone just by looking at them. There are women who look thin, (7:23) but are constantly exhausted, under fueled, and struggling with their relationship with food.

(7:28) And there are women who look perfect on the outside, but feel anxious around meals. They're overly (7:33) restrictive. They feel like they have to work out really hard just to maintain their appearance.

(7:37) And on the other side of that, there are women who just, they don't fit that skinny ideal. (7:42) They're strong. They're nourished.

They're energized. They're taking care of their bodies (7:46) in a way that actually supports the long-term health. So when you attach health to an (7:51) appearance, you're missing the full picture.

And something else that I don't think gets (7:55) talked enough about is this. Some of the girls who are naturally skinny actually wish they had (8:01) more curves. They wish they felt stronger.

They wish that they could build muscle more easily (8:05) and feel more confident in their shape. Even their body type that is being praised right now (8:10) is not something that automatically brings confidence to the person living in it. (8:14) And then there's the women who have taken these drastic measures to get smaller.

And even after (8:19) doing all of that, they still don't feel confident in their body. They still don't (8:23) feel like it's enough. They still feel like they need to fix something.

And I know that because (8:27) I've been there. I've been there for a decade of my life, literally all of high school and college (8:33) and some years after college. When I was at my skinniest, I truly believe that once I got there, (8:39) I would feel confident.

I thought that I would look in the mirror and feel proud, (8:42) comfortable, and at peace in my body. That's not what happened. I still thought I was fat.

(8:47) I still picked myself apart in the mirror. I still focused on what I needed to change instead (8:51) of appreciating where I was. And that was a really hard realization because it forced me (8:55) to see that getting smaller was never going to fix the way that I felt about myself.

Because the (9:01) problem was never my body. It was the way that I was thinking about my body. And until that shifted, (9:07) no number on the scale was going to change anything.

And that's when I really started (9:11) to understand something that completely changed the way that I approach my health and fitness (9:16) goals. I would rather be 15 to 20 pounds heavier and genuinely happy, confident, and at peace in my (9:22) body than 15 to 20 pounds lighter and still stuck in the same cycle of overthinking, comparison, (9:28) and dissatisfaction. Because one of those gives you your life back and the other one keeps you (9:33) stuck chasing something that never actually fulfills you.

So if you're feeling yourself getting pulled (9:39) into this trend, I want to give you a few mindset shifts that can help you stay grounded (9:43) and not fall into this trap. Number one, really think about your life and what it would actually (9:49) look like at that body, not just how it would look. It's really easy to focus on the end result and (9:54) imagine how I'll feel so confident if I looked this way, if I looked a certain way.

But what (9:59) oftentimes gets ignored is what it takes to maintain that body on a daily basis. How would (10:05) you go and how would you have to eat when no one is watching? How strict would you have to (10:10) be when you're going out to dinner or going on vacation, spending time with friends and family? (10:14) How would you have to train? Would that feel sustainable to you long-term? More importantly, (10:18) what would you have to give up in order to maintain that? Because a lot of times we're (10:22) chasing an image without fully considering the lifestyle that comes with it. And when you (10:26) actually break that down, it becomes a lot clearer whether or not it truly aligns with (10:30) the life that you want to live.

Number two, separate attention from fulfillment. So a body (10:35) that gets more attention does not guarantee that you'll feel better in life. Yeah, you'll receive (10:40) compliments, validation, praise, but you'll still feel insecure in the moment.

You can be told that (10:45) you look amazing and still pick yourself apart in the mirror at home alone. External validation can (10:51) feel good in the moment, but it does not and will not create lasting confidence if the way that (10:56) you see yourself hasn't changed. So instead of asking, will this get me more attention? I want (11:01) you to ask yourself, will this actually make me feel at peace in my body? Because those are two (11:06) completely different outcomes and only one of them actually lasts.

Number three, I want you to pay (11:12) attention to how your body actually feels when it's supported. Your body is constantly giving you (11:17) feedback. And when you're fueling yourself properly, building strength and taking care (11:21) of yourself in a sustainable way, you can feel the difference.

You feel more energized. Your (11:26) workouts feel stronger. Your mood is more stable.

You're not constantly thinking about (11:30) food or over analyzing every decision. That feeling of being supported, fueled, and strong (11:36) is something you cannot fake. It is something that trends cannot replace.

When you start (11:42) prioritizing how your body feels instead of how it looks, your decisions start coming from a (11:47) completely different place. Number four, look at your own past experience and be honest about them. (11:54) If you've chased being smaller before, you've already have evidence of where that path leads.

(11:58) Think about how you felt during that time, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Were (12:03) you more at peace or were you more stressed? Did you feel free around food or did you feel (12:08) controlled by it? Did you feel confident or were you constantly thinking about what you needed to (12:13) change? It's easy to romanticize a version of yourself from the past, but when you actually (12:18) really break it down, you really start to see whether that version of you is actually happier (12:23) or just smaller. Your past experience can give you a lot of clarity if you're willing to look (12:28) at them honestly.

And last but not least, number five, decide what you want your life to feel like, (12:33) not just what you want your body to look like. At the end of the day, your daily experience is (12:38) shaped by how you feel in your body, not just how it appears to other people. Do you want to feel (12:43) strong, energized, capable? Do you want to feel confident walking into a room without overthinking (12:49) how you look? Do you want to feel free around food and not constantly second-guessing your (12:54) choices? Because those feelings come from how you treat your body and how you think about your body, (13:00) not just how it looks on the outside.

When you get clear on how you want your life to feel, (13:05) it becomes a lot easier to stop chasing trends that pull you further away from that. Okay, (13:10) I want to end with the most important thing. I want to give you one really practical way to (13:16) ground yourself if you're feeling pulled into this trend.

The last and most important tip is (13:20) to really start resistance training and learning how to feel your body with what it actually needs, (13:26) because here's what I've seen over and over and over again. A lot of women say that they want to (13:31) look lean or toned, but they think that the way to get there is by being smaller, and those are (13:36) two completely different things. The tone-lean look that so many women are after actually comes (13:42) from building muscle and fueling your body properly, not from under eating or trying to (13:47) drink yourself.

When you are resistance training consistently, you're supporting your body with (13:52) enough food, your body starts to change in a way that feels strong, supported, and sustainable. (13:57) You're building shape. You're building definition.

You start to feel more confident in your body, (14:01) not just because you're smaller, but because your body's actually being taken care of. And (14:05) the best part is you don't have to overcomplicate it. If you're someone who feels (14:10) overwhelmed by where to start, I've created two tools that are going to really be helpful for (14:14) you.

First is my Movement with Julie app. So you can literally just open up the app and follow the (14:20) workouts. They're dumbbell-only workouts.

I program five brand new workouts every single week. If (14:25) you're just getting started, I recommend starting with three workouts per week. (14:29) Everything is completely outlined for you.

There's video demonstrations for every single (14:33) movement so that you know exactly what to do and feel confident doing it without any (14:37) of the guesswork. I also program these in a way where you're hitting each muscle group throughout (14:41) the week. So your body is balanced and you're getting the best possible results, (14:45) even if you're doing three workouts a week, which I recommend you doing lower body, upper body, (14:48) and full body.

And then on top of that, your nutrition does play a huge role as well. When (14:53) you pair resistance training by properly fueling your body, that is truly where the magic happens. (14:59) And that's why I created my macro economy and simple online Academy, which is going to walk (15:03) you through exactly how to feel your body with what it needs.

It's going to help you (15:07) understand how much protein, carbs, and fats that your body needs daily. And it also takes (15:12) away that constant stress of wondering what foods are going to be good or bad or what to eat or (15:18) what not to eat. You start to realize that you can eat the foods that you enjoy.

You really (15:22) just need to understand how to portion them in a way that supports your goals. So instead of (15:27) under eating or guessing, you're actually fueling your body in a way that helps you thrive. So (15:31) you can check out both of those things by clicking the links below.

Both of those are (15:36) going to support you in building the body that you want that feels strong and confident (15:40) and sustainable. Not one that you have to constantly fight to maintain. Alright, there (15:45) you have it.

Those are kind of my thoughts on the skinny trend. I hope that this gave (15:49) you a little bit of clarity and grounding because if you've been feeling pulled in (15:53) a different direction lately, hopefully this will help you get pulled back to some (15:57) reality and just remind you what is going to be sustainable long-term. Let me just quickly (16:03) recap the biggest takeaways I want you to walk away with today.

Number one, just because (16:07) skinny is trending again does not mean that you have to follow it. Trends will always change, (16:11) but your body and your confidence should not be dependent on what is popular in the moment. (16:16) Number two, you don't actually know what it takes for someone else to look the way that they do.

(16:20) You're seeing the outcome. You're not seeing the full picture and you're comparing yourself (16:24) to something that you don't fully understand and that's always going to leave you feeling off. (16:29) Number three, muscle matters more than being smaller.

Just remember that your muscle is a (16:34) huge part of your energy, your metabolism, your strength, and your long-term health (16:38) and losing that just to be smaller is not supporting your body the way that you think it is. (16:44) Number four, skinny does not automatically mean healthy or happy. You cannot look at (16:48) someone and know what is going on behind the scenes and being smaller does not guarantee (16:53) confidence, peace, or a better relationship with your body.

And last but not least, (16:56) number five, the goal is to feel good in your body, not just to look a certain way. (17:01) When you focus on how your life feels, your energy, your confidence, your freedom around food, (17:06) it becomes a lot easier to stop chasing trends that pull you away from that because at the (17:10) end of the day, you don't need to shrink yourself to be worthy. You don't need to (17:14) change your body just because the trend has changed.

You get to decide what feels right (17:18) for you and you get to define what health looks like for you and you get to build (17:23) confidence in a way that actually lasts. If this episode resonated with you, (17:28) I just ask that you share it out with someone who needs to hear it. Maybe you can screenshot (17:32) this, post it up on your Instagram story, or you can share the link in a text message.

(17:36) I would love, love, love you to do that. Also make sure you are following the podcast (17:41) that you never miss an episode. So if you are on Apple podcasts, you can follow the (17:46) podcast there and you'll get new episodes downloaded straight to your phone.

(17:50) If you're on Spotify, same, completely free. Every single episode is free. (17:55) These are just my hope and prayer is that you walk away feeling educated, empowered, (18:00) encouraged in some way, shape, or form.

And if this episode resonated with you, (18:04) I know you will also love episode 336, three unconventional ways to overcome the comparison (18:10) game. I will leave the link in the show notes below again for episode 336. (18:14) The best thing that you can do if this episode helped you is to just share it, leave a review, (18:20) make sure you're following us on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

All those things help so much. And (18:25) it also helps the podcast reach more women. And that's exactly what my hope and prayer for is.

(18:30) All right. That is all that I have for today's episode. Now go do something that has nothing to (18:35) do with how you look and everything to do with how you feel.

I love you so much. I mean it. (18:39) I'll talk to you in the next one.

All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, (18:51) but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you're not already following me (18:57) on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie a led better.

Yes, it's with an A in the middle (19:01) for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to (19:07) keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple podcasts to (19:12) never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me.

It means the absolute world. (19:18) And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life (19:23) are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves.

Remember (19:30) that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because (19:36) you're worth it.

 
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