Eat For You Dietitian

How did I realise that I neither love or hate my body, I’m finally neutral about my body? Body confidence or positivity for me doesn’t have to be you loving your body 100% but feeling that you don’t need to change to better yourself. You are good enough just as you are.

A few weekends ago before starting my new job (promotion!) we went for a country break away in a Center Parcs near Suffolk. A long weekend, zero social media, cycling everywhere, afternoon naps, and all the food of course was a perfect trip before the craziness of settling into a new job. If you’ve been to Center Parcs then you will know about the amazing swimming pool with all the slides. As we got to Center Parcs in the early afternoon it wasn’t quite time to check-in yet so we did the obvious thing and go for a swim.

Putting on a swimsuit and knowing I will be standing in front of strangers has always come with feelings of anxiety and being self-conscious. You can’t help but compare yourself to other women and criticise your own body. When you think about it it’s a crazy thought as you’re around people also in swimsuits so who actually cares. The massive family-friendly changing rooms leading to the swimming pool had no mirrors anywhere and I realised this was the first time I put on a bikini and did not stand in front of a mirror thinking about what could be better about my body. Instead I jumped straight in the pool, ready to have fun. Because you know what if anyone has an issue with my body, that’s there problem and not mine.

I then realised that I am finally at peace with my body shape. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it. The amount of hours I must have wasted on hating different parts of my body, probably since the age of 7 when I was first told I was fat by a family member. I wished for it to be different in every way and idolised the ‘thin, tall body.’ Now I am done. I think this is the reason I enjoy moving daily, particularly running because I have achieved things that as a 7 year old or even my closest friends and family never thought possible. I am a marathon runner, soon-to-be ultra-marathon runner and I will continue to challenge my body because we can achieve much more than we think we can. Never let anyone tell you you can’t do something, even the person who you’re closest to.

If you continue to point out the negative areas of your body as we are very much in bikini season, please stop. No One Body is the same. Your body does not describe your lifestyle. I am UK size 10 with rolls around my tummy (no abs in sight), cellulite on the back of my thighs, fat under my arms and I don’t wish to change anything. None of my aesthetics eliminates my achievements nor will one run or workout change my body to be the perfect athletic body. My goals are based around what I can do as a person, get faster as a runner and cyclist, and continue my professional development as a Registered Dietitian to support my clients to implement life long improvements to their lifestyle.