What are you sacrificing to lose weight?
To be thin.
This is the ultimate goal for some people. The finish line to finally living out the life they dream of. To be thin for many people means they are finally worthy of success, love, and acceptance.
But why?
Why do we believe being thin is the key to all of these things? Well first, advertisers spend millions of dollars to help us believe this. If they've made you insecure and led you to believe that their product can fix that, then they have succeeded. The money we spend on programs, books, pills, shakes, shots, and surgeries far surpasses the money we spend on self-care and loving our bodies as they are.
On this journey to trying to lose the first 20 lbs or the last 10 lbs what have you given up? What have you missed out on in hopes that it gets you closer to your goal weight? The goal of weight loss is not inherently bad, but sacrificing your mental and physical health in hopes that you'll someday be happier at a lower weight is destructive.
Our bodies want to keep us alive. They want to keep us healthy. They want to keep us happy! However, their ultimate goal is not to be thin. Actually, being thin goes against a lot of our innate survival instincts because our bodies are built to withstand and survive seasons of lack and famine.
Do you feel like the second you go off your diet you gain the weight back? More than likely this is because you are trying to keep your body at a lower weight then it wants to be at. And do you find it harder to lose the weight again? Or gain it all back plus more? Again, this is your body trying to protect you from the next time you diet!! This means you are forcing your body to stay at a point that it does not feel happy at, solely because it is more pleasing to society.
I take issue with this! I take issue with you missing out, beating yourself up and shrinking away because you don't feel good enough as you are! Taking care of yourself and weight loss do not always go hand in hand despite what you've been told.
If being thin is your ultimate goal you have lost sight of the fact that you are so much more than that! You are lovable, worthy and accepted no matter what your weight may be. Choosing to love yourself and take care of yourself does not mean deprivation and restriction. It does not mean sitting on the sidelines of life until you feel thin enough to participate.
What are you missing out on waiting to be thin? What promises are you believing that being thin will answer?
I assure you, more than likely they are empty promises. Your worthiness and beauty are not contingent on your weight. Do not be boiled down to your physical form. Be so much more than that.
Stop building lifestyles you don't enjoy and can't maintain all for the sake of being thinner. Life is about more than that! Create a life about more than that! Loving yourself means starting on the inside and working your way out!
So my challenge for you is this, instead of giving up things for weight loss, what can you add in for self-love gain? What activities, foods, thought patterns and mindset shifts can you ADD to your life? Stop giving things up....start adding things in!
Things you can add in:
- Water
- Movement (walking, a new class, gardening, dancing, taking the stairs, jumping jacks, walking your dog, playing with your kids, parking further away)
- Whole foods (fruits and veggies in their natural form)
- Affirmations (I am enough)
- Reading
- Bubble baths
- Quiet times/meditation
- A phone call to a loved one
- Girls night
- Social media detox
These are things you can ADD in rather than take away. These are ways you can show yourself you ARE enough, you HAVE enough and you are worthy of love.
What have you given up to be thin? What can you add back in today instead?
xx
Kami
