25 Ways All Badass, Relatively Well-Adjusted Women Do Health And Wellness Differently

1. When it comes to physical appearance, they accept and appreciate the limits of their genetic makeup. Everyone has to work with what they’ve got.

2. They exercise and eat well primarily because they want to look their best and they’re not afraid to say it. Better health is a welcome side effect, but it’s not what inspires them to wake up early and work out. I mean, c’mon.

3. Instead of underplaying the effort it took them to shed five pounds, they’ll be honest about how many extra times they had to hit the gym, and how hard it was to motivate.

4. When someone flatters them, they don’t act bashful or refuse the compliment. They say, “thank you,” and move on.

5. Lifestyle brands owned and operated by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively kind of annoy them. They prefer wellness blogs written and curated by lesser-known regulars.

6. When they spot a magazine cover featuring a celebrity mom who “dropped the baby weight at an astonishing rate,” they don’t see a sensation worth emulating, but a woman with the luxury of a personal chef, a physical trainer, and a full-time nanny.

7. On the subject of babies, they openly dread the getting fat aspect of pregnancy.

8. If and when they decide to procreate, they definitely plan to breastfeed—because it’s good for the hypothetical baby, but also because nursing’s a great way to burn calories without moving from the couch.

9. They’re totally unimpressed by articles listing famous people’s tips and tricks for maintaining a “hot bikini bod.”

10. If they’re going to seek tips from someone about their bikini-ready fitness regimen, they’d rather consult their fit colleague who’s a single mother of three than any famous person.

11. Plus, they fully realize that the beach body they want requires hard work, patience, and that most precious commodity of all: time.

12. They’re not interested in before-and-after photos, understanding that it takes only a basic understanding of Photoshop to create those misleading side-by-side images advertisers seem to think we’re all still naïve enough to fall for.

13. On the days they wear a low-cut blouse, a super short skirt, or a mini dress and high heels, it’s because they woke up in the mood to draw some attention and they’ll soak in every ounce of reassurance they get without apology.

14. They’re often more amused than offended by a man’s catcall, or a stranger’s shameless elevator eying. It’s all affirmation of some kind.

15. It’s almost always more meaningful and satisfying to be checked out by another woman, anyway.

16. They don’t believe in cutting anything out of their diet altogether unless a doctor says it’s absolutely necessary for medical reasons.

17. They definitely don’t bother counting calories because (duh) not all calories are created equal. And no one should do math they don’t have to.

18. Their main eating principle is super simple: Food that tastes good probably isn’t all that good for you, nutritionally speaking. That’s just life.

19. If they’re going to make brownies, a cake, banana bread, or anything else intended to satisfy their sweet tooth, you won’t catch them Googling alternative, healthy recipes beforehand.

20. If they do try a healthy recipe for a baked good favorite, they won’t pretend it’s as good as its non-healthy counterpart. Instead, they’ll tell you it’s “a decent substitute” for the real thing.

21. They don’t buy into fitness fads (especially celebrity endorsed ones), because they know there aren’t any shortcuts—and they’re okay with that.

22. But if a friend latches onto a fitness trend or a diet-of-the-moment, they won’t judge them for it.

23. Just don’t tell them “that juice cleanse was totally worth it.” Know what’s worth it? Chewing.

24. As horrible as tanning is for their health, they might do it on occasion—before a beach vacation, or to smack the mid-winter blues right in the face.

25. Expensive skin products are worth it. Expensive clothes usually aren’t.