Summer is here! One of the things the summer brings with it is the “summer-ready” term. All over my Instagram feed, there are trainers detailing their way to get “summer-ready’, each of them claims to have the fastest way, of course. I’ve been thinking a lot about the message these posts illuminate, and all I have to say is – ignore.
Such posts are essentially telling you that your body needs fixing for the hot season, which is a lie and a danger. Such posts may lead to eating disorders, that as a survivor I can testify are one of the worst things one can do to themselves. What it eventually comes down to is all of us have a body, all of which are ready for the summer.
This part of the fitness industry, that seems to be growing at a rapid pace, makes weight loss the ultimate target, as a way to “fix” your body in order to achieve what they consider to be the perfect body. I have spent many years of my life obsessing about my body, trying every technique in the book to lose weight. I believed it would make me happier. However, it didn’t. It left me devastated and my body in desperate need of healing. If you can’t learn to love yourself in any size, you can never be happy.
Our bodies are always changing, and if we base our happiness on our body, we will live in constant guilt, shame, and obsession. Let go. Live your life to the fullest. I am not expecting you to wake up every day and love everything you see, that is not realistic, and I know it doesn’t happen. Loving your bodies unconditionally can be hard. What I’m saying is that you need to work on living your life without giving too much significance to the way your body looks.
I know it’s hard, so in order to help, I will detail a few tips that will help you achieve body confidence. Stop comparing yourself to others, it can be so harmful. Stop thinking about what your body could have looked like, embrace the way it looks now. Treat yourself with great care, stop with the guilt and the shame, care about yourself, treat yourself with respect and compassion. Practice self-love, love yourself, appreciate yourself, trust yourself. Don’t worry about others, when you love yourself and will know your worth, what others say won’t matter anymore.
Body positivity is more than just loving your own body. It is about accepting your body and everyone else’s. It’s about fighting for justice for all bodies. It’s about putting the toxic part of the wellness industry in check. Wear whatever you want and makes you feel good, flaunt your body.