Reflections: Love the Body You Have
"You have your body to thank for every good thing you have ever experienced. She has been so good to you. It is beyond time to stop hating her and start loving her back." - @jenhatmaker - Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire.
Here are a lot of photos of my body. When I was thinner I got a lot of compliments on my weight loss. But ya know what I never got? Questions about my mental health. Concern about my obsession with food. I put most of that weight back on, and struggled with Diet Culture pushing it's shame onto me for not starving myself into thinness.
When I was actively diet obsessed, I denied myself pasta, toast, ketchup, milk, bananas. You guys - I was thinner, so NO ONE was concerned about the fact that I was denying myself BANANAS.
The only way we can win is to reject Diet Culture and love our bodies as they are right now. That means trust your body. Take a rest day. Eat pasta without punishing yourself. Stop demonizing food (it's a lifesource, friends). Stop shaming yourself and others. A good way to love your body back is to wear clothes that fit your body. I don't mean “don't wear crop tops.” On the contrary, do not let anyone tell you you CAN'T wear something.
But stop wearing clothes that are uncomfortable because you're scared of the size you actually need. Size has no relation to value. You'll feel so much better in clothes that fit. And instead of convincing yourself that you'll love your body when (insert diet culture BS here) love your body RIGHT NOW.
Love her for all she's done for you. Love her for the vacations she's taken you on and the tears she's shed and the laughs that have burst from her chest. Love her for the love she's made and the pain she's survived. Love her for the taste of buttery popcorn, fresh tomatoes, cold lemonade. Love her for the feeling of sand between her toes and the smell of fresh coffee. Love her for the sight of pink and orange sunsets and the sound of waves. Love her for kisses and naps and music and memories and crunchy leaves and fresh cookies. Love her for the feel of summer heat, spring rain, cold snow, crisp fall wind. Your body loves you - love her back.
#antidietculture
