Our bodies regularly change depending on time of the month, if we are stressed, age, lifestyle, hormones. You name it, the chances are it will affect our bodies in someway and changes will occur. This is totally normal and something that happens to all of us. But sometimes certain changes are deemed “bad” like gaining/loosing weight or changing dress sizes or changing shape. Which is totally understandable what with diet culture, the media and even the fitness industry I work in. It seems to be this strange association that your body changing in a certain way makes you less of a person. Absolute rubbish! Your body changing shape or size does not change who you are as a person.
Before we go any further I want to stress that this isn’t aimed at a certain body shape, this isn’t a body positivity piece because that is not my battle. This isn’t going to shame anyone or anybody because I am not about that. All bodies are amazing and no body deserves to be shamed. Whether your in a small body, tall body, thin body, thick body, fat body, skinny body, athletic body you are worthy. Whether you have thick thighs, thigh gap, big bum, small bum, big boobs, small boobs or no boobs you are worthy. You are no less of a real woman because you are slim or have no curves. You are no less of an athlete because you don’t have a certain % body fat and visible abs. Looking a certain way does not determine who you are, what you do with your body and self will do that.
BUT I do get it. I do get why you may feel this way and how because your body has changed in one way you may wish you change it another. Part of me respects that, it’s your body and you can do what you want. However I do believe that you should be questioning your reasoning first. Why do you want to change? What is the reason behind you not feeling good? I want you to truly question it and work out if the reasons are something you feel or something that you have been told you should do. Aesthetic goals have their place, feeling good about how you look has it’s place, wanting to change your body because you like how looking a certain way makes you feel has it’s place. It totally does and you are totally within your rights to have these goals and feelings. I work as a PT so the majority of my clients come to me because of these goals but what is important is remembering that this isn’t the be all and end all. We shouldn’t have weight/looks/size as a goal at the forefront of our minds. That will all happen but we want to focus on how we feel, our health, our mindset and creating these positive relationships. Whilst constantly questioning ourselves and the reasons we are doing this.
No 2 people are the same, no 2 bodies are the same so you should never feel like you need to be anything else but yourself. As long as you are healthy, happy and living your true life then that is all we can ask for. If you want to change how you look or work on feeling more confident in yourself bloody go for it but do it from a positive place and do it embracing your body at every stage of the process.
Changes to your physical self are a part of life and a reflection of where you are right now. Some of these changes will be permanent, some not so much. Some you will do on purpose, others will just happen. Once you accept that change is normal, that change is ok and embrace that then it becomes a lot easier to work on where to go next. It’s also important to acknowledge when things are out of your control and when things are. For everything out of your control you need to stop feeling guilty or stressed about them. You can’t control the outcome so it isn’t your fault or issue. When you do have control then this is when you need to think about what you really want and how it will make you feel.
I truly want all you ladies to be confident in who you are, what you do and your body but I know it takes time. And I also know, because I have these days too, that some days you aren’t going to feel your best self. You may look in the mirror and start to feel rubbish but this is the time to acknowledge the feelings, understand them and remember you are more than them.
No matter where you are on this body confidence and acceptance journey please remember to embrace your body at every stage, do things because you WANT to not because you feel you need to and accept that change is normal, change is ok. You only have one body and that body is incredible no matter what. Remember that.
If you need any help or guidance with any of this please reach out to me and I will do my best. If I can’t I will refer you to someone else who can. Always here.
Love Vicki xxx
