The meaning of body love
In a world where unrealistic beauty standards and societal pressures tend to rule our thinking, the concept of "body love" can seem quite foreign and unrealistic, yet has never been more crucial to understand and embrace.
The illusion of the ‘perfect’ body advocated by diet culture has brainwashed people to think we have to look a certain way in order to belong, or be loved and accepted in society. Given all bodies are different and that 99% of the population doesn’t look like these stereotypes anyway, most of us are walking around feeling ‘not good enough’ according to these unrealistic standards. So now it’s time to really look at loving your own unique body.
But what does it truly mean to love your body, and why is it so important? Let's explore the deep and meaningful concept of body love and how it can positively impact your life.
Understanding Body Love
At its core, body love is about developing a compassionate and accepting relationship with your own body. It means embracing your own unique body, flaws and all, no matter your size, weight or shape, or how much cellulite you have. It’s recognizing its unique beauty, and also embracing your inner self worth.
True body love is tied in with self-love, and is not about seeking external validation or conforming to societal body stereotypes or beauty standards. Instead, it’s an internal journey, a profound inward focus, and creating a shift in your beliefs about your body and the way you view it.
And I understand right now it might feel unrealistic to just ‘love’ your body..
However loving your body firstly begins with acceptance of where you're at right now, no matter your size or how uncomfortable or unhealthy you’re feeling right now. Loving your body develops over time, and is about awareness, letting go of judgement, and managing the thoughts, feelings and attitudes you have towards your body, then rewiring your brain to a new way of thinking.
These judgments may continue to come and go for a while, but will lessen overtime as you heal within, learn to love yourself more, and break away from diet culture. Then finally having a ‘fat day’ will be far less intense or likely to ruin your day.
The Body Love Lifestyle coaching program lovingly supports you through a step-by-step process to attain much greater self-love and body love, to have you emerging so much healthier and happier.
The Body Love Lifestyle coaching program lovingly supports you through a step-by-step process to attain much greater self-love and body love, to have you emerging so much healthier and happier.
Here at Body Love Lifestyle I look at body love as more about the way you treat your body.
Loving your body is treating it with love, support, respect, kindness, gratitude, honouring and nourishment. So loving your body is just as much about the loving ‘actions’ you take towards it to meet your own basic health needs, as much as it is about accepting its external appearance.
The Importance of Body Love
In my years as a food freedom coach and nutritionist, and the very reason Body Love Lifestyle was born, was because it became increasingly apparent that without accepting and loving your body first in the program, it is virtually impossible to break free from unhealthy eating patterns to get healthy and maintain it without any willpower. Any genuine attempts at being healthy and more willpower are continually overrun by the recurring negative self-talk of the mind.
For example, catching your reflection in the mirror or jumping on the scales in the morning to seek validation that you have been ‘good’ is only asking for trouble and can throw you into absolute emotional turmoil. This harsh inner critic and lack of self-love drives you to seek pleasure outside of yourself through food, easily resulting in more overeating for comfort or pleasure. Or sometimes it leads to ‘punishment eating’, making you want to ‘give up’ and eat everything. Therefore we need body love first in order to feel happier, so that it’s easy to break unhealthy eating patterns, and heal our relationship with food.
Loving your body also enhances your physical health..
It promotes moving forward in a positive way to make food and lifestyle choices that support your physical health. When you truly respect and care for your body, you're more likely to make choices that nourish and support it, such as eating well, doing joyful movement, and getting adequate rest. Intuitive eating is a beautiful way to nourish and honour your body’s unique needs, and is a big part of the Body Love Lifestyle.
A positive self-image can also improve your relationships with others. When you are unhappy or hating your body, you are more likely to be reactive, judgemental or short-fused in your communications with others.
When you learn how to love and accept yourself more, you radiate confidence and attract people who value and respect you for who you are. You are more relaxed and more likely to communicate in a way that is more loving, kind and effective. I know most of my clients have reported improving their personal relationships has been one of the unexpected but very welcomed positive benefits of loving themselves and their body more, and healing their relationship with food.
When you learn how to love and accept yourself more, you radiate confidence and attract people who value and respect you for who you are. You are more relaxed and more likely to communicate in a way that is more loving, kind and effective.
Finding body love also empowers you to be your best self and pursue your goals without the burden of that inner voice of self-doubt and self-criticism. Without that constant internal judgement, which only contracts your energy and makes you want to hide away, your energy is able to lighten and expand, raising your vibration, providing a clear path for greater focus, mental energy and motivation for what truly matters to you in your life. Loving yourself and your body more helps you take action and pursue your passions and hobbies. This only helps love yourself even more, making it even easier to heal your relationship with food and get healthy for the long term.
Embracing body love is a journey, and it's a personal one..
It may take time and effort to break the habit of self-judgement and fully embrace it, but that’s Okay. You will thank yourself, as the benefits are immeasurable, and it may happen quicker than you think!
Each of you have had your own unique past experiences to date regarding food and your body. Also different childhoods, trauma, and resultantly have developed similar but different beliefs systems and therefore have a different starting point when embarking on your journey to body love.
So wherever you are starting from right now is perfect. This is your unique journey, there is no right, wrong, good or bad. Wherever you are at right now is just your starting point to greater self-love and happiness, and we are so happy you are choosing this for yourself.
The practice of body love not only transforms the way you see yourself but also impacts how you engage with the world around you. It allows you to live your life to the fullest, with confidence, authenticity, and a sense of inner peace.
Your body is the beautiful vessel you have been gifted that carries you through life's journey, and it deserves your love and care.
After all, if you don’t love and take care of it, who will?
Embrace the meaning of body love, and let the Body Love Lifestyle guide you into loving yourself into a healthy body, for a far happier, and more fulfilling life.
