Body Positive!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying your spring break! I know I have loved this small break from work and school. We are at Jamaica beach with family and friends and the past 3 days here have been amazing. Before we got here, I didn't plan what I was going to write about in this weeks post. I figured inspiration would hit. I tried to get a jump start early in the week but got crazy writers block. I was laying on the beach multitasking, reading a book and people watching. Which, by the way, is my all time FAVORITE pass time. While I was people watching I saw girls and boys with a million different body types and the one thing I noticed is that they were all covered up... Whether they were thin or curvy, they were still hiding parts of their body on purpose, and that's when it hit me!!!

This week I am coming to you live from "beautiful" Galveston, Texas to talk about Body Positivity and what it really means. Now, by definition, Body positivity simply means accepting your body. This subject has been a very hot topic lately and everyone seems to have a different understanding of the term. So of course this will be about mine.

There are a lot of people who have a negative outlook on the term. I've noticed a lot of women be put down for trying to be body positive. Here's a list of things I've heard/seen:

"You're still fat."

"That's unhealthy, you should really lose weight"

"Stop promoting obesity."

"Stop telling people that are obese that they can continue this way"

"You're stil ugly and that won't change"

Horrible isn't it? I think people say these mean things because they don't fully understand what the term truly means. See all people are different, and a lot of people tend to shut down when negative things are said to them because they believe it. If all a person constantly hears is negativity then eventually they start to believe it themselves. Do you guys remember that saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?" If you haven't, well there you go. I'm here to tell you it's totally false! Maybe not all, but most people are shaped around what they hear. Take this for example, My name is Cassandra. How do I know that? Because that's what I've been called since birth. So if someone said my name was Michelle then I wouldn't believe them. When I was born I didn't come out with a sticker saying this is Cassandra. My parents chose to use that name. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but same concept. If you are constantly being put down then that's what you're going to believe. That, in itself, is unhealthy for your mental well-being.

Body positivity does not promote obesity! It's simply understanding that you are beautiful no matter what. I have struggled with my weight for quite some time. When I was younger I was in a really horrible relationship where I was constantly verbally abused and cheated on. That affected my self-awareness and lead to insane insecurity. I was so young that it truly affected who I was and how I thought of myself. I used to run miles a day because I thought I had too, and although I was extremely fit, I never felt it was enough. I felt I wasn't enough. Years passed and now I am with my amazing partner, but my past affected my future. I still had that feeling that I would never be enough because it had been engraved in my thoughts. It took a very long time to reposition my mind. When I did, I got comfortable, I stopped working out and gained weight. So I started off fit, but still thought I wasn't enough and then I became overweight and couldn't seem to turn back. Needless to say it has been a very long ride on the craziest rollercoaster ever. I have struggled with my weight, my insecurity and accepting myself for a very long time.

Now that I have switched my mentality to think about my body more positively, I am happier than I have been in a while. I also am losing weight faster and more effectively than I have in the past. So body positivity helps not only your mental well being but also your physical! Being body positive doesn't mean giving up on trying to achieve your body goals. It means that you are going to try to reach those goals, but accept and love your body the way it is along the way. Instead of saying "I still need to lose 20 pounds" or "I can't squat ___ amount yet", it's telling yourself "good job for getting closer. I'm not there yet, but if I keep pushing I will be." Be your best today, and you'll be even better tomorrow. Understand that a goal is just that. It'll take a little while to get there but don't forget to love yourself along the way because if you do, you'll lose yourself.

So if you're reading this and you are struggling with your body please repeat this list to yourself out loud in a mirror:

"I am beautiful"

"I love myself"

"I will set achievable goals"

"I will acknowledge my progress and reward myself for it"

"I will not starve myself"

"I will NEVER stop believing in ME"

Sometimes it also helps to talk about your goals and how you have been struggling personally. Feel free to private message me. Share this with someone who you think would benefit from reading this. I have attached pictures of me on the beach this weekend completely raw and unedited! Rolls, cellulite, stretch marks and all. I challenge you all to embrace your body and love yourself. Also in case you were wondering, this gorgeous suit is from Forever 21! Thanks for reading!

-Keep Shining!

#Love #Health #BodyPostive