Last Saturday when I posted this reel to promote last week’s blog post, I got a bunch of comments (which I’ve since deleted) that said ‘just work out’ ‘go to the gym’ and all the things around that. I’ve been very critical about my body for a really long time and I’ve put myself through some really crazy diets, fasts and workout programs with the aim of losing weight and no matter how much weight I lost, I was never really happy with my body. See that’s the thing, going to the gym and losing weight or gaining weight won’t make you love your body automatically. You have to love it and be comfortable in it where you are as you move towards weight loss or weight gain if that’s your goal. I actually have no interest in being small. I’ve always been a big girl and I actually have no problem with it and me losing weight was more about the messages around fatphobia I had internalized.
If you’re aiming for weight loss or weight gain without loving your body where it’s at, chances are high you’ll still not love it even when you’re smaller or bigger because guess what, there’s still going to be insecurities. It’s almost like every few years we get new insecurities manufactured based on societal trends - I mean did you see the problematic NY Post article? Mara it’s slim-thick (whatever that means) then it’s you can have a stomach but not too big, at some point fuller bodies were in, then it’s big booty impossibly small waist, then it’s no you should be a size 00? The madness is unending and that’s why I’m so passionate about finding love and confidence with where you’re at first, then if you want to change, do that but make sure it’s for you and for good reasons. In fact it’s my personal belief that you’re healthy (and btw health doesn’t have a certain size or look - even if we all ate the same and worked out the same we wouldn’t look the same) because you love your body not because you hate it. When the journey is led by hate you abuse your body in an attempt to love it and it doesn’t work like that. And that abuse can look like how you speak to yourself and your body.
the problematic NY Post article | the perfect body type across history
No seriously, you wouldn’t keep someone around you that speaks to you like you speak to yourself. Heck, you don’t even speak to your loved ones in the ways you speak to yourself. As you lean into loving your body more and feeling confident and comfortable in it, it’s important to drown out the negative voice in your head and replace it with a more positive one and this is where affirmations come in. An affirmation is basically a positive statement that offers emotional support that you repeat to yourself to help you adjust your mindset. I’ve found affirmations to be super helpful on the path to acceptance and love. Affirming myself helped me think of my body in a more positive way and also empowered me to start acting in more caring, healthy and nurturing ways. So here are 20 of my favorite body confidence affirmations that can help you along your journey. Feel free to add some in the comments section if you feel inspired.
My body shows up for me daily and it deserves my full love
I honor my body and trust the signals it sends me
I feel safe in my body
I can make healthy choices for my body rooted in love
No matter what, my body is always worthy of love and respect
My body is allowed to change
My worth is not defined by a number on a cloth or a scale
I give my body permission to change
My body is my home and I choose to build it up and never tear it down
I can listen to my body because it knows what it needs
I am open to loving my body and seeing all the beauty she holds
This is a new moment, I’m free to let go of expectations & unrealistic body standards
I can treat my body with love and compassion
I choose to respect, love and honor my body as it is
I love what my body is capable of doing for me
My perfect weight is whatever weight that allows me to live my life to the fullest
I am more than a number on the scale
My thoughts are just thoughts and I can be more compassionate with them
It’s not my body’s fault that it’s not society’s definition of perfect
Perfection doesn’t exist, I can give myself grace to be as I am