Hi, friends!

It’s been a little while, I know. My mind has been busy so I’m not apologizing. 😊 I’ve been thinking about what I want to write about next and it finally hit me tonight at work. It’s been in front of me for so long and it finally clicked. BODY IMAGE. Hello.

Hi, I’m Caitlin and I’ve struggled with body image and self-esteem issues for…well, for as long as I can remember. How are ya? ✌🏻

Are you ready for my PSA? Weight does not dictate your worth! Crazy, right? I’m writing this for me, too. I have been trying to work on this and still struggle with it so don’t think I’ve mastered this way of thinking yet. I haven’t. However, I am trying to remind myself of this and be gentle with myself and practice what I preach.

Stepping on the scale three times a day and micromanaging your diet until you find the lowest possible number is not healthy. I don’t care what anybody says. It’s not healthy for your physical health and it’s not healthy for your mental health. Period.

I’ve been doing such a good job over the past few months at purposefully avoiding the scale. It doesn’t really do any good for me; it only increases negative self-talk and bad habits. Have I slipped here and there? Sure. Baby steps.

Food. This is a struggle. I have a hard time eating enough food for the day. It’s not necessarily on purpose, but it has been intentional in the past for sure. Yikes. Not proud of it, okay? I’m human.

What I’ve been working on learning and practicing lately is that happiness does not stem from the scale, it stems from your mental health. Here’s the thing friends, starving yourself or overdoing your “work out” or creating a goal weight or whatever…none of that is beneficial. It sets you up for failure. Eventually you’re going to finally give in and eat way too many cookies. It’s an unrealistic expectation.

So what have I been doing? Focusing on my mental health and fighting the voice in my head with everything in me. I’ve been talking about this in therapy appointments, I’ve been making it a point to have coaching calls regarding this topic, I’ve been implementing tools that I’ve learned from both of those amazing women. No more daily scale steppin‘, no more “working out,” no more starvation (well, I’m trying), and more journaling, more positive affirmations, more finding things I like about myself and repeating them over and over. Also, news flash (for me, too!) BODY’S ARE SUPPOSED TO FLUCTUATE. You cannot stay at the same weight your entire life. Hormones change, water weight is a thing, and maybe you ate a little more than usual at dinner yesterday because your mom’s homemade meal was delicious! Guilty. Sorry not sorry. 💁🏼‍♀️

Most importantly in all of this is perspective change.

Stop “working out” and start “body movement.” Don’t make it seem like a chore, instead make it something fun and enjoyable and something that you want to do. I try my best to move my body daily whether it be for a 2-3 mile walk, yoga, or dancing it out in my living room. In any of these I am sweating, using my muscles, and my body is releasing the “happy hormones.” My body is moving and my mood is improving. It makes me feel good. It gets me pumped for my day and helps me find the motivation to get things done. That is the goal. Not working out as much as I can to sweat out the calories. Nope. No more of that.

Journaling is a safe space for releasing those tough negative feelings and emotions and then in turn feeling so relieved afterwards; your shoulders are seriously lighter. It’s a good way to let out what you’re really thinking and then fighting back instead of caving in and skipping a meal or weighing yourself. You should try it. 😊

We as a society are so hyper focused on being skinny to feel happy and we’re wrong. It’s unrealistic. Not everybody is a size 0 or a size 2. Starving yourself and going to the gym twice a day is not the way to find “happiness.” It’s superficial. I don’t want to live like that anymore. Like everyone else. I want to live for me and be genuinely happy. To wake up and feel grateful for all that my body does for me. To love the extra few pounds that I’ve gained because I eat three meals instead of one. I may have gained a few, but I am also gaining freedom from my own head.

I know body image is hard for a lot of people, whether you want to admit it or not. It’s okay if you choose to keep it to yourself, but can we all do each other a favor and stop obsessing over the scale? Can we stop complimenting people about how much weight they’ve lost, but instead how happy they look? Eat the damn cookie if you want it because it tastes good and you want it, not because you “deserve it” after dieting for a month. Meh. Not here for that anymore.

I’m still trying, I definitely struggle with this and some days are worse than others…but I am trying. I am making an active effort to put in the work in order to change my perspective. Baby steps are better than no steps.

And for goodness sakes, please do not ask me “how I’ve been working out or ask what I’ve been doing because I look so good.” I know it’s an innocent question and it’s supposed to be a compliment, but it only makes me obsess over the negative self-talk and fall back into the bad habits again when I’m trying so hard to get outta them.

Spread the word! Stop “working out.” Instead, practice moving your body. Practice moving your body for positive mental health and overall mindset and not just for weight loss. Stop complimenting on size and start complimenting genuine hearts and contagious smiles. Stop acting superficial and start falling in love with you for you.

Please.

XOXO, Cait ❤️