“I Hate My Body”- 7 Things to Remember if You Do Too

For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived with the thought: I hate my body.

I saw it as a burden; something I should be ashamed of. It wasn’t perfect. And in my eyes, my body was fat and ugly. I was constantly comparing myself to others and was never happy with the results.

In an attempt to try to improve my body, I developed bulimia. This only added to the burden and shame. It wasn’t an easy journey but about 2 years ago, I recovered from bulimia.

How did I heal?

Something that helped me was realizing the true purpose of my body. And appreciating all it does for me. It took me a while for this to completely click, but with the help of my psychologist, family and friends, I got there.

Here’s an example of things I can appreciate my body for- regardless of how it looks.

Here are 7 things I remind myself of when I start to hate my body

1. The gift of movement

I have two legs that allow me to go wherever I want. They allow me to walk!

2. Connection and conversation

I can talk to my friends and family!

3. The gift of life

My heart beats 24/7, constantly pumping blood around my body to keeping me alive!

4. Sight

I can drive my car because my eyes allow me to see!

5. The beauty of the brain

I can write this sentence because my brain sends signals to my fingers telling them to type!

6. Listening

I listen to music every day because of my ears!

7. It’s looks out for me

When I have the flu my body raises my temperature to help fight off infection (weird thing to have appreciation for, I know). Our bodies are ALWAYS looking after us.

What’s your body really for?

Our body is a vehicle that allows us to live this amazing life.

And it is doing a great job!

There was a time when exercise was punishment for bingeing. But now I exercise because I can; because I’m so lucky to have this beautiful body.

I’ve learned to appreciate my body, not punish it.

You don’t have to hate your body

The point of this isn’t to make you feel guilty for not appreciating your body. But to remind you that you are more than your weight or shape. That the numbers you see on the scales aren’t the most important thing about you and neither are the calories you eat.

I hope that next time you catch yourself thinking, “I hate my body” this reminder pops into your head.

Because you are beautiful! Inside and out.