I wasn’t sure what kind of picture went with this post but I wanted to have something so here is a rose 🙂
I am a huge fan of the Body Love/ Body Acceptance movement. I have been so inspired by people’s stories, the amazing work they are doing, and their positive energy.
I firmly believe that everyone should love their bodies. That everyone deserves to feel good about themselves. And no one should be bullied, discriminated against, or made to feel bad because of how they look.
I’m also not happy with my own body. I don’t feel healthy. I’m not as strong or flexible as I want to be, and I want to have greater endurance. Part of achieving the healthy body I want means losing weight. While I don’t have a number goal, either weight or clothing size, I still feel like I’m betraying people. As if wanting to be healthier and fitter means that I will become one of ‘them.’ One of the people who insist perfectly beautiful people are photoshopped into imposable standards of perfection. One of the people who stresses youth and beauty and thinness above intelligence or compassion or creativity.
And I’m not.
I’m not suffering as I start a new way of eating and taking care of my body. Well, except for a few sore muscles, LOL. I’m not curled in a corner clutching pictures of chocolate cake, or making my husband eat chips and then kissing him so I can taste them without the calories. I am enjoying the food I’m eating. I feel so much better. And other than my ass being numb I’m enjoying the exercise. I am not suffering to be thin. I am putting energy into being healthy. By being physically healthier, my brain is healthier. My daily word count is going up, my thoughts and ideas are clearer, and much to the joy of the people around me my mood is more stable.
So I am declaring here and now that I can work for the healthiest me possible and I still be part of the Body Love and Body Acceptance movements. Because I know that these movements aren’t about body shaming people of any size, there is room for me to fit in.
What do you think?
You can totally do both. Wanting to be healthy is a way of loving your body, as far as I’m concerned – the changes you’re making are meant to impact the inside of you, not the outside.
True I am feeling so much better. And I’m getting stronger numbers on scale aren’t as important as that.
Yes. You. Can. The trick is to make the goals the stronger, more flexible, healthy part, and ditch the numbers on the scale all together.
Thanks 🙂 And yes that is my main focus. I know for over all health losing weight would be good for me. But I am already feeling so much better and stronger and I don’t think I’ve lost anything.
That’s the thing about a movement. They make you feel guilty if you do anything different from them. I don’t know if women in this movement think they can eat chips all day and insist they love their bodies the way they are. If so, there’s a crossed wire somewhere. So I think you’re right on track. Keep going!