Love Your Body Day

Today, Wednesday 10/19, is the NOW Foundation’s annual Love Your Body Day. From NOW’s blog: “Each year NOW Foundation celebrates Love Your Body Day to send a positive message to women and girls that beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. This year’s blog carnival will encourage women to come together to celebrate a day of self-acceptance and promote positive body image by contributing their unique voices.

I have in the past, and still do, struggle with loving my body. I think it’s a shame that most women do, but it’s also not hard to see why. People think they have the right to comment on others’ bodies (I know I am guilty of this) and give their opinion on how others look. Usually it’s not done to someone’s face, but if you hear others talking about someone else, it’s only natural to assume people may do the same about you when you’re not around. There’s also not enough media literacy around to combat all the messages our media sends us. I like to read “Women’s Health” and “Shape” as much as the next blogger, but you have to know how seriously you can take what those magazines tell you – more often than not, there is money motivating each statement they make, not just health.

I don’t know if it’s possible to ever really love your body fully – I know for me, at this point I feel like I’ll always be picky about any flaws I may see. But I also know that there are improvements I can make – starting today, and any day – on how I view myself.

So I was hoping everyone would join me today in listing five things that you like about your body that aren’t appearance-related. What do you appreciate about your body that is not evident from someone simply just looking at you?

For me it’s the following…

  1. I appreciate that my body can make it through an hour of lifting weights in Group Power, and more often than not, not be sore the next day.
  2. I appreciate that my body has enough coordination and muscle memory to help me nail almost every move in Group Step.
  3. I appreciate that my body’s feet can handle heels – and dancing in them – fairly well. Now, if you throw in a couple drinks, this is questionable.
  4. I appreciate that my body has healed the heart murmur I was diagnosed with when I was a kid on its own, so my heart still allows me to be as physically active as I’d like to be.
  5. I appreciate that my body has a pretty awesome immune system. I have never had the flu, and have not had strep since 3rd grade. I get colds, but who doesn’t?
I’ve still got a ways to go, but making these kinds of lists and thinking outside the box like this are ways that we all can learn to like ourselves a little bit more.

What are your five things? Feel free to do your own post (join the Carnival!) or answer in the comments.

What do you try to keep in mind to help you love your body?

This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival.

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