{"id":44,"date":"2017-10-04T20:52:11","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T01:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emilyfield.flywheelsites.com\/love-your-body\/"},"modified":"2021-05-28T13:52:12","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T18:52:12","slug":"love-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/blog\/love-your-body\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can Love Your Body and Also Want to Change It"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We\u2019ve seen enormous shifts in social commentary regarding bodies and how we talk about changing them. Yes, it\u2019s still fairly common to see a hint of we-must-fix-XYZ-broken-part-of-ourselves in order to to \u201cbe worthy\u201d, or \u201cbe happy\u201d, \u201cbe attractive\u201d, etc. But, there has been some shifts, too. Read on.<\/p>

In response to magazine covers that said things like \u201cdrop 2 sizes before Christmas\u201d and \u201cbikini body ready with these core moves\u201d and \u201c7 easy fixes to banish unsightly cellulite for good\u201d, we\u2019re now seeing and hearing messages like, \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter what you look like, it’s only how you feel that matters\u201d, and \u201caccept your natural shape and size\u201d.<\/p>

Today\u2019s body acceptance movement seems a bit like backlash. And backlash doesn\u2019t usually take us back to neutral – it purposefully swings the pendulum a bit too far in the opposite direction in an effort to balance some long-standing injustice.<\/p>

I personally sense it\u2019s swung too far when women approach me in secret about their goals, too shy to share their journey towards a leaner, stronger body shape and size. Or when clients are afraid to tell their peers they are working with a nutrition coach for fear they might be shamed for seeking change. Or when people vastly downplay their successes because it\u2019s totally become uncool to \u201cmake it\u201d and \u201cget there\u201d – wherever that may be.<\/p>

>> We\u2019re hearing from the body acceptance camps: wanting to change or seeking change in your body size or shape is wrong. It means you\u2019re subscribing to outer rules and norms. That’s bad.<\/p>

>> We\u2019re hearing from the beauty, dieting and fitness camps: not wanting to change or seek change in your body size or shape, is wrong. It means you\u2019re content. You\u2019re not good enough just the way you are. If you\u2019re not in pursuit of change towards social or cultural norms, that\u2019s bad.\u00a0<\/p>

I am finding myself and my coaching practice falling somewhere in between these two poles.<\/p>

There have been countless body acceptance articles written about this very topic and they might say I am exactly a part of the problem: essentially I\u2019m giving people the tools (education, accountability, structure, guidance) to change their bodies while also encouraging them to love themselves at all stages of the process. To many, that\u2019s a contradiction and you can\u2019t have both.<\/p>

But, it\u2019s not like I cared much about what people thought anyway. I don\u2019t feel that Jane\u2019s goals to lift more are any better than Joe\u2019s goal to fit in size 34 pants or that either of those goals are any better than Jamie\u2019s goal to look and feel leaner and slimmer. I wouldn\u2019t trade the feeling that comes from empowering you to hack your own health, body composition and athletic performance.<\/p>

I am not saying it\u2019s ok<\/em> to set out to change your size and shape in order<\/strong> to love yourself. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s ok<\/em> to love yourself when you <\/strong>get to your ideal size and shape. The people I work with, especially the women that I work with, neither hate themselves, nor feel they\u2019re not good enough at this place and time.<\/p>

I personally advocate autonomy above all else. There’s no reason for any kind of moralizing or divide here. Each person is entitled to do whatever they like with their own [damn] body. And there is zero reason for anyone to judge another person’s body or their motivation<\/strong> for changing it.<\/p>

I will use myself as an example: I don\u2019t workout or eat however I want independent of how my body looks or performs. Working out the way I do is the perfect intersection for me between enjoyment of the process and enjoyment of the results. Similarly, eating the way I do is the perfect intersection between enjoying delicious foods in a pattern that totally works for my lifestyle, and enjoying of the results it yields for me in energy for my day, focus for my work, fuel for my activity. And yes, a body shape and size that I feel confident in.<\/p>

I wish for my clients to pursue change because they enjoy the process as much as they enjoy the end result. The process nor the results are more important than the other and they are not mutually exclusive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Here\u2019s my bottom line(s):<\/strong>\u00a0You don\u2019t have to prefer all your parts and pieces exactly the way they are all the time. Just because you want to change something about yourself doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not body positive. Self-love comes in many forms and if you\u2019re rooted in your awareness and intentions, you\u2019ve nailed the biggest, most important piece of the body puzzle. You can want to change something about yourself and make the appropriate adjustments without coming from a place of self-loathing or trying to \u201cfix\u201d something that\u2019s wrong with you.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Need more support? We're here for you!<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tapply for coaching<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Self-love comes in many forms, and if you are rooted in your awareness and intentions, you\u2019ve nailed the biggest, most important piece of the body image puzzle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":74789,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[146],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74793,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44\/revisions\/74793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilyfieldrd.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}