I absolutely love BuzzFeed, and last week they celebrated body positivity week. I am a 22 year-old female who has never had a positive relationship with her body. I have always found a flaw, whether it was my jaw, my lack of a six-pack, or my lack of definition of muscle, I have always picked apart my body. But as of this week, thanks to BuzzFeed, I have decided to stop focusing on what my body looks like and more on what my body is capable of doing. Here are a few reasons why I believe you should love your body, no matter what.
1. Imperfection is a beautiful thing
Amy Bloom put it best when she wrote, "You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful."
2. Confidence is everything
As Simone de Beauvoir put it, "To lose confidence in one's body is to lose confidence in one's self.
3. Treat Yo Self
Always give yourself the benefit of the doubt and indulge in your favorite food every once in a while
4. Nobody's perfect
Hannah Montana said it best when she sang,"Nobody's perfect, I've gotta work it. Again and again till I get it right." Not everything you do is going to fit your lifestyle, and that's okay. If you hate running, don't do it. Find something you love to do to help get give your lifestyle a healthy push. Just remember to never give up on finding out what that is.
5. Say three nice things after you wake up and before you go to bed
No matter if you have the crappiest day in the entire world, tell yourself three things you love about you. Then in the morning, repeat the process, but say three different things. You should always remind yourself how wonderful your body is, both day and night.
6. Look for inspiration outside of celebrities
There are plenty of people who don't have a six pack or flawless skin who have accomplished so much in their life. Stop finding people to admire who look great, and start admiring people who have overcome the odds to be successful. Success is not about what you look like, but what you give to the world in your time on it.
7. Set goals for yourself
Give yourself goals to look forward to accomplishing, both short and long term. Start off easy and then challenge yourself to see what you can accomplish. Goals are the best way to measure all the progress you have made with your health.
8. Celebrate your health accomplishments
If you've cut out soda for a month, stopped eating fast food for a week, or even went to the gym two days in a row, celebrate it. Post it on every social media if you want because you accomplished it. Who cares how many likes, favorites or retweets you get, you accomplished this feat.
9. Setbacks are okay
Referring back to Hannah Montana, everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. If you eat McDonald's after staying away from it for a month or haven't gone to the gym in a while, that's okay. It is a setback and should never be looked as a brick wall stopping you from reaching your goal.
10. Water is key
Water is a delicious drink that's 0 fat, 0 calories, and 0 grams of sugar. It goes well with every meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fun fact, it's also really good. So replace that glass of soda with a glass of water and see how your body treats you after. Trust me, you'll like it.
Your body is beautiful. I have seen too many of my friends disregard themselves because they have cared more about what they look like instead of all they have accomplished. People will not care about what you look like when you selflessly give back to the world. Your body does that, not your six pack, thin legs, or "flawless skin". Your heart is what matters in this world and don't you forget it.
