Body acceptance is something I have been challenged with my entire life. I am only 5 feet tall and so it doesn’t take much for me to feel ‘off’ or uncomfortable. You can tell when things are balanced in my life because I am at my “comfortable” weight. However, the older I get, the harder it is to balance. At this point in my life, body acceptance is about focusing on what I feel good about in my body and in my life at the present time.
Stress affects people in different ways. Some people turn to exercise to work off tension, others eat for comfort. When stress occurs it can be hard to see the landscape clearly so we often times do not act in a mindful way, and don’t make good choices.
When my mom passed away, 5+ years ago, I lost a lot of weight. There was a lot of uncertainty and I felt very out of control. Running was how I managed stress and escaped sadness, and later that year I ran a half marathon. I recently looked photos of myself after that race and I commented out loud, “Wow, I was so skinny and I looked so good.” The minute the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.
Yes, I was 10 pounds less than I am now. And yes, I looked thin.
But… I was empty inside and I hurt all the time because I didn’t have that balance, or awareness of what was going on.
When I look at that picture and make that connection, I vow to myself that if I am at my current weight for the rest of my life I will be accepting of that. My clothing fits well and I feel strong. I work every day to have balance in my life – and usually, when my weight is up, it’s after a super fun weekend or vacation. And hey, we all deserve that.
I perform best in my life when I am comfortable in my skin and a piece of that is having things under control. I actually pencil workouts in my planner so I make sure they are there. For me, acceptance is NOT about letting go – it is being happy with where I am in the moment with work I am doing on myself, for myself.
While I am currently not at my lowest weight, I eat, I work out and I am growing my business every day. I am strong, in mind, body, and spirit. I will continue to embrace the opportunities I have, and be grateful for the life and body I am in.
Because you only get one.
This post was written and published by Stephanie Tishler, CPC, a Career, Life, and Business Coach based in Glastonbury, CT. Read more from Stephanie’s blog here, or unlock your potential with 1:1 coaching services!
