Eat For You Dietitian

How to be Body Neutral? 

Do you remember the first time you remember being told X food was ‘bad’ for you and your body or the first time someone commented on your body and said something that you still remember to this day? I do, and it took years of going through disordered eating behaviours, hating my body but ultimately ending here. Read on if you’re interested.

How did it start?

I have a memory of when I was about 8 years old and I heard my aunt tell my mum I was fat. I was running around with my cousins at the time. I’m almost 31 years old and that memory is so clear to me. 

Coming from a Latin American family, these types of comments are regularly told directly to you most of the time as well as family gossip of course. When I grew into my teenage years, I was praised for losing weight and being an acceptable body size according to my family. 

This is when I started to learn to ignore my internal drivers to eat, and began losing trust in my body. It felt like it was me vs my body shape. Particularly being ethnically from South America, women are known for their ‘acceptable’ curves. Hands up if you remember the time we were led to believe that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were curvy! We were fed lies! Firstly I aspire to have their energy at their age, not their body 

No One Body is the same. 

Your body does not equal your worth.

My first blog post 3 years ago describing how I realised I was at peace with my body and I could describe my relationship with my body as 100% body neutral is here. 

How does it continue? 

Describing my relationship with my body as body neutral stands to this day but it comes with its obstacles. 

Last year I got married and the amount of pressure I put on myself to fit into my wedding dress was not what I expected. I actually wrote about it here. I think a deeper dive into that experience pre-wedding is for another day. 

Since I got married over a year ago now I have taken up a new hobby. Sewing and Dressmaking. Before you ask, no I’m not applying to be on the Great British Sewing Bee. 

I would say in the last year I have sewn about 20 items of clothing ranging from dresses, skirts, shorts, co-ords sets, t-shirts. Barely anything with zips or buttons as I’m still a beginner dressmaker. What I didn’t think I would learn doing my hobby of dressmaking is realising that international women’s clothes sizing sucks! 

Being able to make clothing to fit my body has made me feel empowered! Not to say that you have to make your own clothes to feel this. Other things that can be done are actually buying clothes that are comfortable. If it feels tight, buy the next size up. If it’s in your wardrobe and you hope to fit into it ‘one day’ it’s time to put it in the charity shop bag/vinted/depop/swap shop.

I used to hate buying jeans but earlier this year I thought I needed a comfortable pair of jeans so I went for the next size up. Now I know every time I put them on I’m not going to feel restricted or tight in my stomach. I’m more confident. 

Imagine every item in your wardrobe fits you comfortably. Let’s get to that point and you are one step closer to feeling body neutral. 

In order for me to make a garment to fit my body shape, I have to measure my waist, hips, bust, high bust, under bust, legs, all of it. I could tell you my measurements but it wouldn’t really mean anything to you. Getting used to my reflection and taking my measurements has been a challenge. I’m usually in minimal clothing when I do this to take accurate measurements for items I want to make. I came up with an activity I had to do every time I do this. Give it a try. 

Body Neutrality Challenge 

This is my activity tip for you reading today:

• Stand in front of a full length mirror and take a look at you 
• Say something positive about your body 
• It almost seems automatic to go to the negative aspects but stop yourself. 
• Keep practising once a week 

I promise it will become easier.