What it truly means to accept your body

What does it mean to accept your body?

Like many people, you may believe that body acceptance is a cop out – a way to justify ‘giving up’ on your body.

But that’s just diet and beauty culture B.S.

So in this post, I’m shining a light on the truth about body acceptance. What it REALLY means to accept your body.

I’m sharing:

• Why accepting your body ISN’T giving up on yourself.
• The true meaning of body acceptance.
• The practical nuts and bolts of life when you accept your body.
• How to accept your body even if you’re struggling to reject cultural standards of beauty.

Watch or read below:

Does body acceptance mean giving up?

I want to share with you what true body acceptance is like, versus what you have been led to believe it’s about.

The diet, beauty and cosmetic surgery industries are heavily invested in you believing that your body is flawed and needs fixing.

These industries want you to think that to feel better about yourself, you need to like your looks. And, according to them, the only way that is achievable is by changing your body.

The idea that you could like and approve of yourself, exactly as you are means less profits for these companies.

Imagine, for example, if we all woke up tomorrow liking ourselves and not feeling the need to fix our appearance?

That’s why the messages of diet and beauty culture are so compelling. There’s the sense that if you accept your body as it is, you’re giving up on yourself, and letting yourself go.

They peddle the idea that if you don’t want to change your body by losing weight or fighting age, you’ll never have love, happiness or success.

It’s very convincing, I know! I’ve felt the strong pull of these messages over the years.

What it really means to accept your body

But the truth is, when you accept your body, you aren’t giving up, you’re moving on. You’re choosing to free up time, money and head space from the constant pursuit of bodily perfection.

The idea that you are ‘giving up’ is all part of the lie these industries want you to buy into. This is how they keep you buying from them.

When you accept your body, it means focusing on treating yourself with respect, kindness and compassion. What’s so wrong with that? Has beating yourself up ever made you feel enough? Have diets and beauty products helped you to feel good? More likely, they’ve failed you.

Are you ready to accept your body?

I know it’s hard to reject societal standards and expectations, I get it. Doing so raises all kinds of fears.

You’ll probably never feel that you’re ready to do it, and that’s okay. You can still work on body acceptance AND feel the fear.

But on the other side of acceptance is a different reality to the one presented by diet and beauty culture.

Imagine:

• Going to a social event and just relaxing and enjoying yourself without a second thought about your appearance.
• Walking on the beach in your bikini without your inner critic on overdrive.
• Reclaiming your head space from negative body thoughts and having a renewed energy and zest for life.
• Having such strong self-belief that you don’t care what other people think.

This is what body acceptance is truly like. Real body acceptance helps you reclaim your life.

Body acceptance IS possible

I hope this gives you a glimpse of what’s possible when you choose to accept your body. Don’t you think that’s worth pushing through the fear for? I hope so!

So even if you think you’re not ready to let go of beauty ideals, are you willing to give body acceptance a try? What’s the worst that can happen? It can’t be any worse than another failed diet.

My coaching programme, The Body Confidence Journey, is all about how to accept your body and detach your self-worth from your appearance. 

If you’d like to know more about the programme, and if it’s a good fit for you, answer a few questions for me, and I’ll let you know how I can help.