Why Weight Loss and Body Positivity CAN Coexist

I've been thinking a lot about my weight loss journey lately and about the body positivity movement. Often people seem to think that body positivity and weight loss are mutually exclusive concepts. That clearly people who want to lose weight hate themselves. Well, I'm calling BS! I LOVE myself the way I am, but I also am on a weight loss journey. Let's talk about why weight loss and body positivity HAVE to coexist in my mind.

First of all, I firmly believe that everyone should love themselves exactly as they are. Humans are wonderful and flawed all at the same time. We always have room for growth and change, but even so, we are deserving of love both from others and ourselves. If you don't love yourself at your worst, you cannot truly love yourself at your best, or even get to your best. If I didn't love myself now, I would never have been able to start my weight loss journey to become my best self.

Next, and this point will probably get me a lot of flack from the Health At Every Size (HAES) folks, but I am losing weight to PROTECT my health. Now don't get me wrong, I do not believe weight should be used as a sole indicator of healthy vs unhealthy, but there are definite health benefits to losing weight. Most of my life my weight has caused doctors to assume I had a myriad of health issues that upon tests were proven false. However that doesn't mean my weight won't ever impact my health. I'm only 25, there is still so much time for it to impact my health. My biggest problem with HAES is that they use people like me (bigger folks without obesity related health conditions) to argue that obesity doesn't always lead to health issues and so people don't need to lose weight ever. Obviously, this is the extreme side of HAES and not all people who support HAES believe this, but as with many things, extremists taint the movement.

I also have two medical conditions that cause weight gain and though losing weight is harder because of them (PCOS and Hashimoto's - I can talk more about those in another blog if you are interested), when I succeed it will make the symptoms so much less prominent and I will feel so much better.

Okay, back on topic - why I believe that weight loss and body positivity can coexist. For many people, weight loss is an enormous act of self-love. I see the idea body positivity as loving yourself and the amazing things your body does for you. My body as it is is loved, and it will still be loved when I lose more weight. I would still love myself if I never lost another pound. My weight is not what makes my body worthy of love. My body positivity is acknowledging the remarkable things my body does every day.

I highly encourage you to take some time to think about all of the incredible things your body does for you every day. Make a list. Every time you think something negative about your body, say 3 positive things your body can do and has done for you. You are so worthy of love no matter what you look like. Never forget it.

xo,

Kayla