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Many of us are starting out 2014 with goals that include health, fitness, size, and weight. I have always been an advocate for eating well and staying active, even though I can’t always say I am diligent about doing both. For me, an ideal world would include chocolate chip cookies having the same health benefits and spinach and spinning classes feeling no more difficult than curling up with my favorite novel. In the real world, that is not the case but to be honest, I don’t mind my (almost) daily workout and a little kale in my salad (as long as the occasional chocolate chip cookie is still on the table).
Setting personal goals that focus on your health and well being are a commendable idea but it is important to remember that you currently are a fantastic person and your beauty isn’t determined by what size your jeans are. So often I see people working towards a current goal but hating their body until they reach it. This often causes unhealthy habits of self loathing and can often lead to unrealistic ideas about the human body.
There is no time like the present to fully accept and love the person that you are inside and out. Waiting until you are a certain weight to be happy and live a full life only robs you of all the happiness that you truly deserve.
Instead of claiming that you will love your body when you reach a certain weight or size, why not be thankful for your legs and feet that have helped you travel to new places? Or your arms that always lift your niece into the air for a big bear hug. Celebrate the fact that your body does so many amazing things every day that you don’t even think about.
This year I plan to make healthier choices when it comes to both food and exercise. I know that the longer I make those healthier choices, the more my body will change. There will be sizes that I feel more comfortable with and ones that I am less comfortable with but at every size, I will love every part of my body and this beautiful life that it carries me through.