REAL TALK TUESDAY: Self love and acceptance {body talk}

Talking about self love and accepting your body for what it is. It’s taken me 20 years (I’m not counting the first 10 years of my life because being that young I didn’t think too much about my body really) but I think I’m finally there. Or at least I am working on it…

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Self Love and Acceptance

I’m almost 30 and I’ve finally come to terms with the body I was given. I can look at myself in the mirror and say, “This is my body.” with a little nod of acceptance and a bit of love – at least most days. The acceptance part I have down but the love part we’re still working on. Which I think is fairly normal. Unfortunately.

I am not sure if the acceptance comes with maturity and age or if it’s because there is a body empowerment (positivity) movement going on. Maybe a little bit of both.

But the fact that I can now look in the mirror and just accept my body for what it is, is quite freeing. It’s taken years to get to this point but gosh does it feel good.

Growing up dancing in front of a mirror for almost 20 years could also have something to do with it. 

So it didn’t happen overnight. It was weeks and months and years of finally realizing I didn’t have to manipulate my body to be happy. My body shape and size didn’t correlate with who I was as a person, my values or my self-worth.

Like many young women, I grew up in my teenage and early twenties going through the Self Magazines and Shape articles – “Lose 10lbs” and “Banish Belly Fat” and “5 Moves for Rock Hard Abs” – thinking I too needed to look like those fitness models. Never once considering the fact that my body makeup was not even CLOSE to those fitness models.

I’m barely 5’3 with a short torso and a pretty average size 6-8 with a little extra fluff. So what. 

But I can see myself in the mirror and see myself in photos and can now accept myself and say “This is my body. This what it is. I don’t need to look any different.”

There are of course good and bad days, but the bad days are fewer and far between.

Knowing that our bodies are unique

Thankfully over the past couple of years I’ve been learning more about hormones, individuality and the simple fact that our bodies are all so very different, unique and amazing in their own way.

We truly do not need to manipulate our bodies to find happiness. Have you ever been happy when trying so very hard to eat a certain way and think you need to over exercise to achieve the body you think you need?

We don’t need to be a certain size/take up less space. More often than not the stress that you put your body under just to get to your “ideal” weight/shape is only harming your body, not helping it. And your “ideal” weight/shape is definitely not your body’s idea of ideal.

I’m incredibly grateful for seeing more and more women come forward and share more about their journeys to self love and body positivity in a healthy way.

Just starting with buying clothes that make you feel good and getting rid of those items in your closet that really just don’t fit can have an enormous effect on finding comfort and confidence in your own skin.

So stop saving those items in the back of your closet for when you’ll be “X weight” or size. It doesn’t matter what size you are. Donate your clothes and go shopping for clothes that fit and make you feel awesome.

Some resources to help you find self love and acceptance

• Nourishing Minds Podcast (Episode 11 is a must) 
• Don’t Hate the Dieter, Hate the Diet Culture – Georgie, In it 4 the Long Run
• Cultivating Positive Body Image & Ways to Love your Body – Robyn, The Real Life RD
• That’s So Maven Podcast
• Chasing Joy Podcast
• Jenna Kutcher
• elanaloo
• Lee – Fit Foodie Finds
• Monique – Ambitious Kitchen

What have you done to help you love and accept yourself?

What are two things you really love about yourself?