Hi friend,
I really felt bummed about my body today. 😔🥺
I was getting dressed and looked at my belly and thought “why don’t I have a nice stomach?" Instead I have a deep af belly button that makes my stomach look like two hamburger buns, and stretch marks for days - from past weight gain, not babies, which according to society makes it worse.
Even me, a woman who has built a business around helping women ditch the scale, and feel good in and about their bodies, has moments where I just wish my body was “better”. Skinnier. Smaller arms. Bigger eyes. Etc etc etc.
According to neuroscience, I had spent my entire life creating this thought pathway in my brain. The thoughts aren’t right. They’re illogical. They’re not good. But they are there because I carved a path, like a professionally groomed hiking trail, where my brain heads to on autopilot when I start to think about my body. It's easy for my thoughts to head there, because they know the way well.
And I know so many of you have done this exact same thing and felt the exact same way. Shame. Guilt. Feelings of failure for not being able to achieve that perfect body, even though the perfect body doesn't exist.
It’s so sad that it’s more socially acceptable to hate our bodies than to love them.
When we hate our bodies, it shows, and we can feel it.
I definitely knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my day, or my life, feeling like this. So instead of hating my body, I chose to respect and honour it.
How?
Step 1: Put your hand on your heart, and say out loud 3 things you LOVE about your body…for me it’s my butt, my boobs, my lips lol.
Step 2: Remind yourself of something awesome your body has done lately…for me that’s walking 10K steps a day in May (a habit that’s still going btw)
Step 3: Wear an outfit that makes you feel really good, whether that be comfy, sexy, strong, smart, whatever you and your body are feeling today.
Step 4: Find foods that feed your cells and your soul…for me that’s a yogurt bowl full of fresh berries - it makes me feel light and bright and healthy but it also tastes so good. It could also be chicken soup made with homemade bone broth that feels like a warm hug. Whatever your tastiest healthy food go-tos are, feeding your cells will make your body physically feel better. Feeding your soul will improve your energy, and help you feel joy and self-love.
Step 5: Get moving. Get out of your head and into your body. Movement is calming, relaxing, and can help clear your head of negative thoughts.
We need to shift our mindset, taking the radical stance that our bodies are beautiful, sexy and downright amazing.
We also need to respect our bodies enough to take care of them through food and movement, and to carve new thought pathways full of love for ourselves.
I made the best decision of my life 3 years ago when I stopped weighing myself. I learned to eat and move and live for better body function, because in this life I just wanted to feel good. We all deserve that.
I was tired of the constant battle to be as skinny as possible. I was tired of the assumption that if a nutritionist isn’t super skinny then they’re doing it wrong. I wanted to help women realize feeling healthy, feeling sexy, feeling beautiful…that all comes from within.
We only get one body, and we only have one life to live, so isn’t it better if we spend our days happier, healthier, and feeling really, really good?
