Oct 06, 2021
Summer is on its way! There is a shift that comes with the warmer weather and the sunshine, a shift in energy and priorities. This transition can be a great time to start new habits or routines, and to prioritize what’s important to you.
This is also a time of year that people can get worried about what their bodies look like. Whether it’s wearing cooler summer clothes, thinking about heading to the beach or the pool, or just getting out and about more as pandemic restrictions relax, this time of year can bring up anxiety. Weight loss companies try to capitalize on this anxiety by asking questions about “bikini ready bodies.” That’s why it’s important to state right up front: every body wearing a bikini is a bikini body. The message from the body positivity movement is that all bodies are worthy of love, care, joy, and fun. Each person gets one body to carry them through life on this planet, and all of those bodies are great! You are the only person who knows if you are carrying extra weight that affects your health. Instead of just looking in the mirror or trying on all your pre-pandemic clothes, try these assessments instead.
These measurements help you determine how your body FUNCTIONS. How it looks may or may not reflect how it functions, especially if you are comparing yourself to images that have been photoshopped or filtered, or are of people who make it their job to keep their bodies very small through rigorous exercise, restrictive eating, or surgeries, and have access to the resources to do so.
Instead, try taking a look at the assessments above and see what they tell you about your health. You can also try keeping a journal for three days. Zero in on questions such as:
Bodies come in all sizes, shapes, abilities, and ages (within the range of 0 to 120 or so!). Bodies exist in an infinite variety of states: growing, aging, recovering from illness or injury, existing with diseases or disorders, performing or competing, growing new humans and recovering from birthing them, and so many more. Our bodies reflect our lives. That’s why only you know what your health goals are—you are the one living in your body, and you are the one who can decide what you want. What do you want to focus on? What are the areas of improvement you are interested in? What do you want to be doing, or how do you want to be feeling, in this body, and how can you get there? This is where TruBalance can help you take all of these things into account. Our experts can help you focus on your BIG WHY, on the ultimate reasons why your body is worthy of care and attention, and they can help you come up with goals and a plan that respects where you’ve been and where you want to go.
Try this: make a list of things you want to DO this summer, of the activities you are excited to engage in. Let this guide your choices, and inform your decisions. Summer can be a time to try a new routine or implement a new habit. It can be easier and more appealing to get outside and move for mental health and to celebrate what your body can do. For more resources and inspiration to improve your lifestyle for health, check out the TRIBE, the e-course, and the cookbook, Eating on Purpose by Dr. Traci Kiernan.