Messages of body positivity flood my social media constantly. I am always seeing posts about how I should love myself because I am perfect the way I am. While I love that we live in a culture that is becoming more body-positive (here is a great list of related Instagram accounts), I have recently decided that I am not happy with the way I look and feel about myself. However, I decided that instead of simply losing weight, I am going to work on improving my health overall. This includes eating better, working out and getting enough sleep.
You can still love yourself while making a conscious effort to be better. In fact, an important aspect of self-love is making sure that you are working on being the best version of yourself.
Obviously, self-improvement doesn’t happen overnight. Science has proven fad diets to be ineffective and ultimately worse for your weight overall. In this Everyday Health article, Madeline R. Vahn breaks down the facts on fad diets and why they are bad.
“As each new ‘lose weight fast’ gimmick comes along, some people forget about the negatives associated with most fad diets — from a lack of nutritional value to food restrictions that are hard to live with — while others might not know if the weight-loss plan they’re considering is a fad or a program that could be helpful over the long haul.”
If you need some reasons to be healthier while still being body positive, check out this article by Al’Licia Pittman. Pittman talks about how losing weight has helped feel in tune with her body, improve her mental health and feel more confident. Pittman perfectly illustrates how you can love yourself even while losing weight.
The key to being body positive while losing weight is to make sure that you are doing things that help you be your best self. Don’t lose weight because you want to fit the mold of what others think you should look like; do it because you love yourself enough to make sure you’re healthy.