You Are Not Your Almond Mom
Unless you’re on the dull side of TikTok, you’ve seen the influx of the “almond mom” videos. These videos portray “almond moms” in humorous, relatable ways and represent the health-crazy moms many of us grew up with. If you were unfortunate enough to deal with this, you know the stress of having a mother figure that constantly uses passive aggressiveness to make you feel bad about your appearance. For many of us, the insecurities and pressure to be “healthier” have stuck with us for years. Well, I’m here to remind you that you are not your almond mom.
Being healthy is very important. However, “almond moms” try to get their kids to be healthy in unhealthy ways. Sometimes it’s passive-aggressively shaming them about their weight or eating/exercise habits. Other times, it’s trying to put them on overly restrictive diets or excessively exercising. Either way, this approach to being healthy is unhelpful, upsetting, and just doesn’t work.
Good health should not be a punishment but a reward to your body. Many times, “almond moms” start to make being “healthy” feel like a punishment. An overbearing amount of energy goes into thoughts like, “Did I eat too many calories today?” Or “did I work out as much as I could?” At a certain point, it’s hard just to be. Harmful effects that can result include disordered eating or actual eating disorders like binging, anorexia, and bulimia. It can also lead to an unhealthy amount of exercise or refusal to exercise at all. Besides behavioral factors, someone’s emotional aspects can also be negatively impacted. Insecurities about body image are probably one of the most significant consequences. When you feel like your mother figure disapproves of your appearance, negative feelings about yourself intensely populate. It can also lead to feelings of rejection and not being enough. I don’t know of any mother who purposely wants their kid to feel this way. “Almond moms” are likely unaware of how impactful their comments are to their kid’s mental health. This is not an excuse; however, we don’t have to take their actions personally.
Some people have a toxic “perfectionist” mindset, in which everything in their life has to be what they view as perfect. “Almond moms” attempt to pass that perfectionism on to their children and try to “fix” them when they aren’t broken. In most cases, their kids have no apparent health issues related to their physical health. This makes negative comments about their health routine all the more harmful. Even if their kid does have health issues, almond moms do not meet them with helpful or encouraging methods. Nevertheless, their “perfectionist” mindset is not a reflection of their kid but of their own internal problems. And we do not have to continue to internalize their issues.
Your mom has a different beauty standard than you and a different outlook on the most desirable lifestyle. Being healthy doesn’t always mean working out for two hours everyday. Being healthy can mean prioritizing your happiness. It may be your mom’s priority to closely monitor her diet and save room for hours of exercise every day. However, it does not have to be anyone else’s. Balance is what’s healthy. When aspects of trying to be physically healthy take up too much of your space and cause you to sacrifice your mental health, the balance is off. Don’t get me wrong, exercise and healthy eating patterns are essential, but so is moderation. You know the most beneficial balance for you. We do not have to continue living with insecurities placed on us by others. Eat that damn pizza, and don’t let your almond mom shame you for it.
Strike Out,
Ally Nelson
Boca Raton
Ally Nelson is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. Her passions include studying psychology, creating art and fashion, and drinking margaritas. You can reach her on Instagram @a.l.l.y_n or email @ nelsonalyssa.h@gmail.com.
