What Makes A Woman A "Woman"??

One night I got into a discussion/argument (lol) about women and muscle.  I voiced my opinion about how I thought muscle on women was sexy.  The convo quickly turned into how muscles on a women are "manly" and unattractive.  It even went as far as the other person stating..."if a guy wants to be with a hard body or a physique body than they would just be with another man."  ummmm what?!  <(O_o)>?

Now I understand that everyone has different tastes...but I just think that we should choose how we say things more carefully.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Who are we to say what makes a woman less of a woman or whats attractive or not?  This is why so many girls and women have issues with their self image now.

I have lost weight in the past, right out of High School.  At the time I was definitely doing it for all the wrong reasons.  I felt the pressure of having to look a certain way.  I felt uncomfortable in my skin and unattractive.  At the time in my adolescent mind, I believed I would never have a significant other.  How could someone love me this way??  At that time I lost weight to fit some type of mold.  Smaller is more beautiful right??  Anyway...my mindset was all out of whack and I ended up gaining all my weight back and then some.

This time around I did it for myself.  I did it to be healthy.  I did it to make sure I'm around for my daughter and family. Somewhere along the way I found a love for fitness, a love for being active, for eating healthy and for feeling good.  Somewhere along the way I found an appreciation for all body types.  Learning to love the skin I was in at all stages of my journey.  And hell yeah I found a love for muscle!(lol)  I have an idea in my head of what I would like to look like. No, i may not want a body like Dana Linn Bailey {pictured top/center}...but I would never say shes ugly or manly.  I appreciate the work it takes to achieve a body like that.  She is badass! and I think her bod is dope....{Sounds like something my mother woulda said lol}  

But anyhoo...I have a vision..to be fit, toned, to have MUSCLE....does this make me less of a woman?


Would love to hear your thoughts. And please everyone lets be respectful