Body positive weight loss can sound like an oxymoron. After all, if you’re trying to change the way you look, are you really embracing this positivity? After all, it’s not just a hashtag. It’s an important social movement built on the core value that all people should feel positive about their external appearance.
What is Body Positive Weight Loss?
Body positive weight loss is a celebration of our bodies and an acceptance of health and beauty at any shape or size. That said, it does not mean that we never want to make any changes. Instead, it challenges the current societal presentation of what an attractive or healthy body looks like and what other shapes – particularly larger ones – represent.
They key to body positive weight loss is in using this choice as a part of a celebration of your current shape and size and everything you’re doing to treat yourself with respect. Yes, you can honor your present shape and still want to take steps to head toward another one. The key is to honor where you are, the journey you want to take, and the goal you are seeking. You’re not making changes to your lifestyle because of anything wrong with your current appearance. You are simply seeking new goals and your body shape will change along with that.
Pursuing Your Healthy Self
Yes, body positive weight loss can sound like it’s a contradiction in terms, but that is far from the truth when it is taken on with the right perspective. You can be a part of the modern positivity movement to normalize shapes and sizes that don’t fit into the outdated “skinny ideal”. Just because you want to burn some body fat, it doesn’t mean that you are aiming for an airbrushed magazine shape.
Instead, you are making lifestyle changes that will result in losing weight and achieving a new shape that is all your own and equally beautiful and perfect. The idea is to remember to feel confident in your appearance, no matter how you look. In this way, it’s not just a matter of being a part of the positivity movement as a whole, but also focusing on your own personal positive body image.
Remind yourself that while you are seeking a goal, this doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with how you look right now. It’s possible – and true – that you are just right, worthy of respect, and should honor yourself as you are now, as you will be tomorrow, and as you will be if and when you reach your goal.
Throughout your body positive weight loss strategy, treat yourself well. Remember steps such as:
- Nourishing yourself with flavorful, healthy foods
- Expressing yourself with physical activity such as exercise, yoga and dance
- Resting yourself, even if you need the support of a nighttime sleep aid on occasion
- Relaxing yourself through self-care behaviors such as meditation and socialization.
