Most don’t know, but I’ve been on a health journey. Well, I think I’ve been on some sort of health/weight loss journey my whole life. I’ve always had more fat on my body and as a woman, always been told to suck it in and eat less. As we all know, this is garbage, so my health journey has been about restoring my relationship with food and exercise to be something I enjoy and feel good doing rather than a form of punishment.

But some days are harder than others. Because I spent a lot of my childhood and early 20s trying to lose weight in unsafe ways, I sometimes tend to fall back on that mindset- the deadlines, the calorie cutting, the increase in cardio. I do all that because I look in the mirror and I don’t see progress. I don’t see change or something to be proud of in that moment.

And I have to remind myself that it’s okay. I do not have to be a constant work in progress. I can just exist. I don’t have to fix or adjust or maneuver my body to cater to others eyes despite all the things my brain keeps saying I have to do.

A great tip I picked up on restoring my relationship with my body is that body love sometimes isn’t possible. Sometimes you’ve hated your body and your outward appearance for so long that switching to love isn’t going to happen right away. For some, it may not happen at all, but working toward body neutrality? Now that’s something we can all work towards. Not hating. Not loving. Just finding a peaceful existence with your body.

It’s days like these where I take this tip to heart and find neutrality with my body. I find some clothes that I’m comfortable in and give it what it needs so it can fuel me. I don’t worry about what it looks like in the mirror or the way my body is shaped. I re-establish that neutrality towards my body because love is unattainable that day. And that’s okay. But I don’t hate my body. It’s gotten me through some pretty remarkable things and deserves some respect!

You’ve got this. Take care of you on those hard body days. I definitely am!

Until Next Time,

Dana