Eureka!

So I had myself a little "a-ha" moment last night.

No, not THAT A-ha.

I was doing a little old-fashioned journaling (you know, the kind where you hold a pen in your hand and move it across a piece of paper) and mulling over the topic of body image.  I decided to make a list of 10 things that I love about my body and/or am proud of regarding my body.  Yes, TEN.  And no qualifications allowed.  No ifs, no buts, no coconuts.

I did it.  In only 20 minutes, too!

And while that exercise was great for putting a positive spin on my body image, it's the unexpected revelation that came out of it that sparked my "a-ha" moment.

Last one, I promise. I loved this video.

I've finally figured out how to reconcile my efforts to love my body and my need to lose weight.  Loving my body means treating it with kindness and respect.  Treating my body with kindness and respect means keeping it in the best possible condition.  And how do I do that?  I feed my body healthy, nourishing food in reasonable portions and let it move every day.

I shouldn't be trying to lose weight because I hate my body.  I need to lose weight because I love my body.

A-HA!