For many golf fans, Lexi Thompson appears to be the ideal image of health and fitness. Currently ranked sixth in the world, Thompson’s Instagram feed is filled with images of a busy Tour life: working out in the gym, practicing on the range, posing with fans and competing in tournaments around the world.
But in a revealing Instagram post on Thursday, Thompson confessed that having a positive body image has been a struggle for her.
“One of the biggest issues I’ve gone through is my self image/ body confidence,” Thompson wrote. “When I was really young, I just ate what I wanted to, didn’t care about fitness at all or what I weighed. Then as I slowly got into fitness seeing the results, I started getting crazy about it, seeing the attention I was getting, doing certain photo shoots I never thought I would. I was putting my body through brutal workouts twice a day not really eating because I thought that’s the way I would lose weight and weighing myself constantly.”
Thompson went on to explain that comparing herself to “stick thin” fitness models didn’t help her self confidence.
“The only way you’ll ever be truly happy though is if you love yourself first,” Thompson concluded. “But what I want to share is that your not alone in any of your struggles. And what I’ve learned is that I’m not going to deprive myself in the one life I get to live, I’m going to enjoy life and my food . You should never compare your body to others it’s a never ending battle of being miserable trust me. Your body is your body, it is beautiful so embrace it.”
The past two years have been tough on Thompson. After the unfortunate debacle at the ANA Invitational last April, she also had to endure her mother’s cancer diagnosis and grandmother’s death.
Earlier this year, Thompson skipped the Women’s British Open to “recharge [her] mental batteries.”
In her most recent competitive event on the LPGA Tour, the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, Thompson finished 13th.
