Let’s talk about letting go. Often, we confuse letting go (a positive, liberating, sometimes bittersweet act) with giving up (a negative, defeatist act). Even if we know that letting go is the healthiest option, outside influence can make us feel like we are giving up, which we should totally feel terrible about. But in my experience, turning giving up into letting go often starts with plugging our ears to those external voices. Let me show you what I mean.
I do not participate in dieting or restrictive eating.
What it sounds like: I couldn’t stick to a diet, so I’m giving up.
What it really means: I have let go of the idea that restricting my food intake and denying my body adequate nourishment for my personal needs, activity level, and desires is necessary or required. While the sixty billion dollar diet industry wants me to believe differently, I know from personal experience (which is ultimately what matters) that dieting does not result in permanent weight loss, and it makes me weak and unhappy.
Man, there is so much yummy food in the world.
I do not engage in weight loss or diet talk.
What it sounds like: Your success makes me feel bad, so I’m giving up.
What it really means: I have let go of assigning morality to food, and further, I have let go of assigning morality to myself based on what I put in my mouth. If you want to talk about the weight you “need” to lose, the weight you’ve lost, how you were “good” or “bad” with your eating, your paleo clean low-carb whatever, you need to go do it somewhere else, because I’m going to plug my ears and go “la-la-la.”
I like taking pictures of food almost as much as I like eating it.
I do not work out to lose weight.
What it sounds like: I don’t feel like pushing myself, so I’m giving up.
What it really means: I have let go of the idea that being physically active results in permanent weight loss. I am currently the most active I have been in my entire life, and I feel amazing. The size and shape of my body are nothing compared to the efficiency and capacity of my heart, lungs, and muscles.
Wonder how many of these I’ve worn out in the past seven years.
I do not try to alter the shape of my body.
What it sounds like: I don’t want to work hard enough to change, so I’m giving up.
What it really means: I have let go of body hate. Hating my body hasn’t done me one lick of good over the years. My arms are flappy and I have cellulite on my legs, but you should see how my arms cut through the water when I swim, and you should see how my legs power through the miles on a half marathon course.
You don’t earn medals for hating yourself.
Body hate is not only accepted in our society, it’s practically expected. But you can let that go. Even if you’ve been shrinking from your reflection since you were young, it is not too late to change. You can stop berating yourself for your choices because someone somewhere said they were bad or wrong. You can stop punishing yourself through restriction (in terms of food) and excess (in terms of movement).
Imagine the freedom of letting it all go – the guilt, the fear, the shame, the hate. Imagine choosing to care for something you love, instead of punishing something you hate. It may be a long and difficult road to body acceptance and love, but I’ll be your guide along the way. I’ve packed some tasty snacks and lots of water, and I know a ton of good campfire songs I can sing to you along the way. Ready? Let’s go.
