My Body and Body Image...
I've been thinking a lot lately about body and how you feel about your body...body shaming and feeling like you need to cover up or hide certain parts or aspects of your body and I have come to some realizations and I have started feeling differently about my own body lately.
In my quest to be a positive person and to harvest gratefulness daily I have start to look at things in a different way.
A bit of a back story: As of today, I have lost a total of 35 pounds. I am extremely happy and proud of that. I am not currently at my goal weight, but I have lost 3 sizes, and I feel and look better. When I was in college, I was thin. I was one consistent weight for years...and then PCOS took over my body and my weight spiraled out of control and I gained somewhere around 80 pounds. which is staggering to even think about. I started my pregnancy with my son at a much higher weight than I should have been, but fortunately I shed the baby weight very fast.
So here I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight but still much heavier than I would have liked to be. I was eating anything and everything I wanted. I always have said that I will not grow old thinking: I wish I had enjoyed this or that more. So we went out to eat and went out for ice cream and I made baked goods regularly, and I went to Dunkin Donuts daily and got a larged iced coffee full of sugar. And I was loving every second of it. But then it dawned on me that to be the best mom I can be, I HAVE to get healthier. So we changed the way we eat and I started taking daily walks and I started on my weight loss journey. I set very realistic goals for myself and when I achieved my goals I was ecstatic!
So here I am, having lost 35 pounds and I am in love with feeling better and looking better. Shedding pounds and inches and pant sizes is amazing.
But my body has changed. A lot. It changed when I gained 80 pounds. It changed again during pregnancy. It changed once more after giving birth. and It is changing now that I am losing weight.
Could I be self conscious? of course. Could I feel shame and guilt? yeah. Could I feel bad about my body? surely. But do I? NO. and do you know WHY?!
I do not feel bad about my body because I am making the effort to right the wrongs and live a healthier life. I am putting in the effort and making better choices to be a better me.
So on to the things I've realized about my body and how it has changed my body image.
My body is the way it is with stretch marks and sagging tummy skin and boobs that are nothing like they were at 21 because this body has done so many amazing things.
This body helped create life. Do you know what that means?! how profound that is.
This body then sustained that life. Grew that life for 9 months. My body carried another human being for 9 months and formed every fiber of its being.
How lucky am I that my body was ready and able to do such amazing things?! There are some who wish they were able to do what my body did for me.
My body then birthed my child and continued to sustain the life of my child with the milk it produced. My body readily provided the nutrients necessary for my child to live and grow. How amazing!
So NO I am not sad about my body. I do not think its ugly or gross. I am not ashamed of how it looks.
Each and every stretch mark reminds me of the life my body made. Every time I realize my boobs are different, I think about how breastfeeding has been wonderful and how thankful I am that I was and am still able to provide the best nutrients to my baby.
People who say that a mothers body should be covered up because it is not flawless and beautiful...how dare you. You cannot be serious. Think about everything that goes into the making of a mothers body. How that body is amazing and should be cherished.
So in conclusion... LOVE your body. LOVE yourself. and Stay Grateful for all that we have in this life! <3
In my quest to be a positive person and to harvest gratefulness daily I have start to look at things in a different way.
A bit of a back story: As of today, I have lost a total of 35 pounds. I am extremely happy and proud of that. I am not currently at my goal weight, but I have lost 3 sizes, and I feel and look better. When I was in college, I was thin. I was one consistent weight for years...and then PCOS took over my body and my weight spiraled out of control and I gained somewhere around 80 pounds. which is staggering to even think about. I started my pregnancy with my son at a much higher weight than I should have been, but fortunately I shed the baby weight very fast.
So here I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight but still much heavier than I would have liked to be. I was eating anything and everything I wanted. I always have said that I will not grow old thinking: I wish I had enjoyed this or that more. So we went out to eat and went out for ice cream and I made baked goods regularly, and I went to Dunkin Donuts daily and got a larged iced coffee full of sugar. And I was loving every second of it. But then it dawned on me that to be the best mom I can be, I HAVE to get healthier. So we changed the way we eat and I started taking daily walks and I started on my weight loss journey. I set very realistic goals for myself and when I achieved my goals I was ecstatic!
So here I am, having lost 35 pounds and I am in love with feeling better and looking better. Shedding pounds and inches and pant sizes is amazing.
But my body has changed. A lot. It changed when I gained 80 pounds. It changed again during pregnancy. It changed once more after giving birth. and It is changing now that I am losing weight.
Could I be self conscious? of course. Could I feel shame and guilt? yeah. Could I feel bad about my body? surely. But do I? NO. and do you know WHY?!
I do not feel bad about my body because I am making the effort to right the wrongs and live a healthier life. I am putting in the effort and making better choices to be a better me.
So on to the things I've realized about my body and how it has changed my body image.
My body is the way it is with stretch marks and sagging tummy skin and boobs that are nothing like they were at 21 because this body has done so many amazing things.
This body helped create life. Do you know what that means?! how profound that is.
This body then sustained that life. Grew that life for 9 months. My body carried another human being for 9 months and formed every fiber of its being.
How lucky am I that my body was ready and able to do such amazing things?! There are some who wish they were able to do what my body did for me.
My body then birthed my child and continued to sustain the life of my child with the milk it produced. My body readily provided the nutrients necessary for my child to live and grow. How amazing!
So NO I am not sad about my body. I do not think its ugly or gross. I am not ashamed of how it looks.
Each and every stretch mark reminds me of the life my body made. Every time I realize my boobs are different, I think about how breastfeeding has been wonderful and how thankful I am that I was and am still able to provide the best nutrients to my baby.
People who say that a mothers body should be covered up because it is not flawless and beautiful...how dare you. You cannot be serious. Think about everything that goes into the making of a mothers body. How that body is amazing and should be cherished.
So in conclusion... LOVE your body. LOVE yourself. and Stay Grateful for all that we have in this life! <3
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