Positivity

A while ago I posted this entry on accepting and loving your body and was pleasantly surprised at the positive response I received.  I was also asked a few questions about my own take on the body-positive movement, such as:

"You look great, and this is encouraging and inspiring to me. Any ideas about where one should draw the line between arriving at a healthier weight on the one hand and self-acceptance on the other?"

This reminded me of the blurred line between self-acceptance and enabling unhealthy habits, a topic I felt deserved more than a quick couple lines fired off on social media.  I want to make it clear right away that when I talk about healthy living I'm talking about opinions garnered from my doctor, naturopath, and therapist, all people who are eminently more qualified to speak on that subject and (hopefully) with as little judgmental bias.  

I go for a full physical every year at the start of each new year, something I would recommend to everyone as a means to track your health (this includes a visit to the dentist and optometrist too).  I try to see my therapist more frequently than once a year, though I'm guilty of letting my appointments go unscheduled for too long!  It's just as important to check up on your mental health as well as your physical health since they affect each other constantly.

If my annual check up revealed a health problem due to my own bad habits it's only logical to pursue change; not changing and dealing with worsening health is not "self-acceptance", it's self-harm.  I know that change is not easy, which is why seeing a therapist regularly is helpful to get my mind in the right place for my body to follow.  If my body is the vessel of my spirit, that makes my mind the captain of the ship!  Taking care of yourself properly is a form of self-love.    

Which leads me to my next point - everyone has their own struggles with their body whether obvious to the naked eye or not.  I have a genetic blood disorder that leaves me in a constant state of anemia so I eat a lot of iron-rich foods: dark chocolate, whole grains, lentils, green leafy vegetables, and yes, red meat.  The body absorbs more iron from meat than from other sources, which means that being vegetarian/vegan would be very difficult for me.  I support local farmers & butchers and do not appreciate being accused of cruelty and/or gluttony.  If I don't appreciate being unfairly judged for eating meat I'm absolutely certain that a stranger with a thyroid gland disorder does not appreciate others judging them for their weight.  While that's just an example, the point is: don't foist negative opinions on others.  

And don't carry them on your own shoulders either.  Pursue healthy living but don't hate your body in the process.  Love your body at all stages of the journey - after all, it's the only one you've got!