Body Appreciation Day

Since today is body appreciation day, I dug up an old blog post of mine that I wrote on Thanksgiving last year. Here’s what I had to say:

In the last 14 years, I spent an uncountable amount of hours staring at myself in the mirror, looking for imaginary fat or checking if one could see any changes from one day to another. Once or twice a day, I would measure myself to see if I had lost or gained a millimeter. I stepped on the scale so often that I will never have the urge to repeat this task.

However, despite focusing so much energy and time on these things, I never paid much attention to the body itself. That might sound contradictory, but it is true. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see my body for what it was, all I saw was whether I had controlled myself enough or whether I had failed. It wasn’t about my body, it was all about my mind.
So, in order to please my mind, I abused my body in ways that are beyond comprehension.

Yet, as I started to heal my mind, I started to heal my body as well. And today I can look in the mirror, appreciate what I see and even have a feeling of gratefulness.

I now understand that my body is a part of me. It is my base. No other person in this world has this shape. It was, is and will forever be only mine. I am unique and I am built exactly the way that I am supposed to be.

Now that I am strong and healthy again, this base enables me to do the most fascinatingly ordinary things and I love it.

Because of my body, I can walk across a meadow on a sunny day feeling the grass under my feet.

Because of my body, I am able ride my bike across town.

Because of my body, I can begin to try the craziest yoga Asanas.

Because of my body, I can dance Zumba and have a blast doing it.

Because of my body, I can chase my beautiful, sweet goddaughter around the house, laughing until I cry.

Now, this might sound very basic to you and I guess you may have a point. But have you ever truly, honestly sat back and thanked your body for what it does for you?

If not, then do that today and think about it today and appreciate your body for letting you live.

Body Appreciation Day is a post from: Fighting Anorexia