I just wanted to pop in and share this insight with you today as it’s something that I keep seeing people get confused about time and time again.
I am astounded by anyone who tells you to love and accept your body as she is, and then proceeds to tell you to stop bothering eating healthy, encourages you to eat junk food instead, because just so long as you love and accept your body and you’re showcasing ‘body positivity’ then we’re all good and it doesn’t matter how you eat.
This quite literally BLOWS my mind.
If you are telling people to love their bodies, you should also take responsibility for them at least attempting to be TAKING CARE of their bodies too. Connect the dots here.
Self love also means SELF RESPECT.
Respecting and loving your body is an INSIDE JOB meaning taking care of….your INSIDES!
If I was to post a photo of me stuffing my face with pizza, with the caption “Quit healthy eating – Love your body instead!”…that would be completely contradictory.
Two completely different things. (Which is why you’ll never see me in a photoshoot with a pizza anytime soon)
And that’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good pizza now and again, because I sure DO!
That’s not to say I eat healthy 100% of the time because I most certainly do not!
But I believe whole heartedly, to my core – that self love and healthy living go together like Ant and Dec. (Meaning – One doesn’t work without the other!)
When you eat junk food are you really showing your body love? Nuh-uh.
Maybe I wouldn’t feel so passionate about this if I hadn’t lost my Dad so suddenly, (4 years ago today, actually) and then gone and educated myself on real health and nutrition.
Maybe if I had recovered from my eating disorder without ANY knowledge of nutrition – and learned to love my body WITHOUT caring about what I was putting inside it, I might be someone telling you to love your body and eat those Krispy Kreme and accept yourself – just love your body and feed it crap simultaneously. Because who cares!
But the truth is…. ME. I CARE.
I CARE SO FREAKING MUCH.
I care about YOUR BODY and how YOU treat it.
I care about what you PUT into that precious body of yours because with every meal you can choose to either make your body a healthy environment or make it an unhealthy one.
And YOU!
YOU should care.
You should be taking responsibility for yourself and your health and how you treat your body.
It is THE most important thing we have in our ENTIRE LIVES.
Your body has got to carry you from the start, allllllll the way to the finish line.
Your body is supporting you, throughout every single chapter of your life.
Year after year.
Every birthday
Every change of path
Every lesson learned
Every workout completed
Every relationship
Every break up
Every new adventure
Every child you might bring into the world
Every illness
Every new encounter
Do not take your one, precious body for granted.
SO yes – Love your Body!
Yes – Have a life.
But do not confuse ‘Loving your body’ with stopping taking care of your body.
Loving your body does not mean stop giving a sh!t about your health.
It means give MORE of a sh!t.
From someone who really does give a sh!t
Mel
XO
