A love story...

nitalieben

I wasn't certain whether to post this here or in Motivation and support.

I got such an immense reaction to it on my social media feeds that I realised it may need sharing here, too.

Remember in high school? Feeling so smitten and writing love letters? Every virtue of the object of your affection just spilling forth.

Have you ever written your body a love letter?

I'm guessing, not? Why would you, when we're always taught how flawed we are... always not quite flat enough, not quite curvy enough, too dimply, too squishy, too small or too big, stripy, scarred, just never quite right.

What if I told you that the first time I *cared* for my body was the catalyst that had me lose 32kgs and reach a healthy weight for the first time since I was 7? It was so ridiculous, I just decided that I'd try to properly hydrate my body. It wasn't even a weight loss goal. It changed EVERYTHING.

You see, the issue was never really my *body*...

It was ME.

I picked it apart, poked at it's so-called flaws, hated and abused it. I had this body. The only one I'll ever have. I hated it. It was too fat, too wobbly, just too "flawed". I had no idea how to care for it. So, I just ate whatever, or nothing, trying to force it to comply with all these ideas of what I was told it should be. Moving it was hard, so I just didn't. Every day I grew more sick of it.

Until one fateful day, when, instead of criticising this body, I decided to try hydrate it. Such a simple act that had my body responding so well! I didn't even notice it, at first. But this AMAZING body responded by shedding some weight! I suddenly realised I did not have to be stuck like this.

I wish I could say I never abused or mistreated my body again after that, but it would be a lie.

I put her through fasting, binged, restricted entire food groups. I did not understand. Eventually, I learned, understood. Forgave myself for acting like I did. This body bears the marks of it - selfharm, stretchmarks, loose skin - testimony to how poorly she was treated.

But this amazing body wears all of it like trophies. She's healthy, strong, resillient. She's beautiful. We're slowly, lovingly pushing our (supposed) limits now, doing the things we thought we could not do.

And I hope you see, this is not a "success story" about weight loss or fitness.

It's a love story.

Write that letter...

Winner_in_Life

this smashed me.... I never thought like this about my poor body

ReenieHJ

This whole post!!! Our body takes us everywhere we want to go, yet never gets the respect from us that it deserves. If we could all be taught to love our own bodies, as children, just think how strong mentally we could be??!! I grew up in a loving, supportive home but many don't. It affects them their whole lives. But even growing up in a loving home, it doesn't stop the way complete strangers or ads or peers or the whole social media thing, does such a number on our feelings about ourselves.
Definitely going to click this post so I can look back at it from time to time and remember just how great our bodies our.

damnedyankeelass

It’s been a life long struggle for me. I was fat shamed from the time I was 5, even though I wasn’t fat. By the time I graduated from high school I thought I was fat at 105 Lbs (I’m 4’8”)... I always felt like an invalid entry in society, full of shame about my imperfect shape. I’m now 67 and the battle isn’t over, but I’ve finally changed my relationship with food to one about paying attention to what my body wants and needs. I respect my body because I am healthy and It takes me where I want to go. I have seen too many people my age who are disabled or dying to be so petty as to worry about the size of my thighs.... yet our society does a number on women in terms of dictating how we are supposed to look.

seltzermint555

I feel like for me this has come in waves.

At 21, I was so critical of my body and had already been very obese for a long time by then. But when I had poisonous spider bites that almost caused my right leg to be amputated...I found a new love and appreciation for my body and its capacity for movement and healing. I felt very lucky to remain on two strong legs. I even started swimming again, something I'd stopped around age 15 due to weight gain and embarrassment over my figure.

At 30, I worked with people who had severe disabilities and I found even more love for my body and every aspect of its health. I stopped viewing things as imperfect and instead appreciated their functions.

By 40, I'd reached my lowest weight and was amazed at how far I'd come.

Now I am 44 and have been consistently practicing yoga for about 4 months...I love my body more than ever before and am much more forgiving of its "imperfections" than I ever dreamed I could be.