Hey, hi. How are you doing? I see you’ve been posting a lot about your body lately, and I thought we could talk about it for a minute or two.
I saw your posts about hating your body and wanting to change it. I get that. We are told that being thin (or thinner) will make us healthier, happier, better, more lovable, more successful. We will shed our troubles with our pounds! When we’re thin (or thinner), we will get the job, the lover, the praise, the respect and admiration we deserve – because we will finally be worthy of those things.
And I get how mad you are that your body isn’t what you want it to be. The bodies we see in the media seem so perfect and flawless, it’s outrageously frustrating that our bodies can’t look like that, too. It’s just not fair!
I’m here to let you know that when you stop hating your body, I’ll be here. When you realize you take better care of the things you love than the things you hate, I’ll be here. When you realize that only a super small percentage of humans look like the people on TV and in magazines, and that the people trying to convince you otherwise – even the ones with “Dr.” in their titles – are really just interested in your money (not your health or well-being), I’ll be here.
I also saw your posts about how much weight you’ve lost, how much you’ve changed your body, and how proud you are. I get that, too. It’s really exciting to lose weight. The thinner I got, the more I liked myself. And, better still, the more people seemed to like me! I have never gotten more attention from men – or from salespeople! – than I did when I was my thinnest.
And I know you’ve worked super hard to get where you are. You changed so much (maybe everything!) about your life. You stopped eating certain things, and started eating different things. You started moving your body in new ways. You’ve made lifestyle changes, and those are hard. It has taken you monumental effort – physical, mental, and emotional – to get where you are. You have every right to be proud.
I’m here to let you know that if and when your body changes, I’ll be here. If your body goes back to what it looked like before, or even gets bigger, I’ll be here. I’ll stand beside you while you face the disappointment, anger, and fear that comes with those changes. And I’ll stand beside you while you learn to cope, to adjust, and to stand tall again.
I know that the messages I share aren’t for everybody. I know that you might like them at first, and then change your mind. You might really hate what I have to say, because it doesn’t apply to you at all, no way. That’s totally okay. Body acceptance is a personal journey for each of us. We all forge our own path. If you find that you need me during your journey, I’ll be here.
