You can't hate yourself into a body you love

If you hate where you're at in your health and want more than anything to be in a body you love, I feel for you. I've been there. Most of us reading this have. I'm hoping I can help you loosen up on the way you're driving yourself toward lovability, though.

If you're trying to get healthy from a place of self-hatred, every action you take to create that "lovable" body probably feels like punishment.

Aaaand punishment-driven actions don't lead to great overall health in the long term.

When movement is punishment, you dread the next workout.

Who wants to feel like every workout is a slog? No one for very long, that's who. That's why punishment-driven movement is unsustainable and often leads to giving up or loathing the journey.

Punishment-driven restriction => activation of your inner diet rebel.

The rules feel stifling, limiting your very human cravings...which makes you want them that much more. Most of us swing right back into overeating or bingeing on all the things we couldn't have for so long after periods of restriction.

We haven't even talked about what punishment-driven actions do to your mental health!

Consider this: when's the last time you were forced to do something as punishment? Did it breed lots of love for the person who punished you? 

Now imagine that you were punished over and over again for something that's incredibly natural to you...like rest...or eating food that's enjoyable. How much would you love that person who was punishing you? Would you even be able to enjoy what you created if you have to keep getting punished to maintain it?

You're not going to magically love working out or restriction when you get to the "lovable" body. If you don't find a way to love what you do in the journey toward health, you won't maintain it OR you'll hate it even when you get there.

So my encouragement for you this week: try to do at least one enjoyable form of movement, or lighten up on your diet. Experiment with it; you can always go back to how it was after if this doesn't feel right to you.

...it'll feel right to you, tho. That's the whole point. ;)

To lovin' you, no matter where you're at,

Amy

This article was taken from a Weekly Motivational, a juicy (and free) weekly email sent out to Strong Inside Out subscribers every Monday. Get yours: click here!

Photo (adapted) by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash