body positive? body honest? or both??

Body positive + Body honest –  do they go hand in hand?

As I have been getting healthy and learning how to make being vegan a permanent life style change and not be on a “diet” I have come upon more and more articles about being “Body Positive.”  I myself, have lacked self-confidence most all of my teenage and adult life.  I was the tall redhead with glasses my whole life (carrot top/four eyes).  I never felt as thin, pretty or as smart as those around me.  Last year I turned 43 and I have finally started to build up my self-confidence (better late than never I guess).  Not sure why or when it exactly started.  Sometimes I think I have come to that half-way point in my life and I want to live the next half of it healthy, aware and positive.  So, Body Positive, yes I have come to except my body, hair color, glasses and all.  Heck, my body allowed me to give birth to my two beautiful children.  My husband tells me every day I look beautiful or hot (I like both) no matter what I weigh.  I wear short shorts even though my legs are not tan and summer ready.  I agree we should be Body Positive, but when is it not a good thing?  When do we really need to be “Body Honest” with ourselves too? Shouldn’t Body Positive AND Body Honest go hand-in-hand?

“Body Honest” what do I mean by that?  I guess I mean looking at ourselves in the mirror and saying, “yes I am beautiful just as I am!  However, am I honestly loving my body the way it deserves to be loved?” If I am filing my body that I love SO MUCH with junk food, processed food, dairy, animal flesh, etc. am I really loving it? Or purposefully destroying it?  Do we need to be both Body Positive and Body Honest?

I have tried and tried over the years being Body Positive without being Body Honest.  I told myself I was fine as I was shoving donuts, cake, wine and crap in my mouth.  My body was fighting me back by making me feel tired, sluggish, wouldn’t let me sleep well at night – it was giving me all the signs saying, “Hey dummy let’s be honest here, look what you are doing to yourself!!”  One day, I finally answered that call and agreed 100% it was time to be Body Honest with myself.

I am a “the cup is ½ full” kind of gal and darn it, I want to be BOTH Body Positive and Body Honest and I believe they need to go hand-in-hand.  I’m done lying to myself saying it’s okay to kill my body.  I’ve tossed the crap out of my kitchen, removed it from the drawers in my desk at work and started loving my body. I cherish and respect my body by what goes into it.

Body positive

·         I love being tall and helping cute little old ladies pull something from the top shelves when at the grocery store

·         I love my red hair, it makes me different and easy to spot in a crowd

·         I love my wide hips, they will never be small but they were very useful birthing two kids!

·         I love that I’m not tan, but I look much younger than I am by staying out of the sun

Body Honest

·         I love feeding my body the nurturance it needs everyday (fruits, veggies, non processed food)

·         I love working out and keeping my body strong

·         I love waking up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day

·         I love achieving new goals like training to run a 5k

Are you BOTH body positive and body honest with yourself? What steps can you take to be both? Thank goodness if you are unable to accomplish on your own there are great people out there that may be able to help (psychologist if you need to work on body issues or a nutritionist to help you refine how you eat). I can't tell you what will work for you, but I can tell you that once you overcome those hurdles that are holding you back - your body will love you inside and out!