The Perfect Body…For Me

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all say, “I love my body! I have the perfect body for me!”

Hello Friends! I can’t believe it is 2020! I have looked forward to this year for a long time. I love the newness that comes with a new year! What a gift it is to start again. How many of you have made new years goals? Over the years my goals have shifted. I am thankful for the gifts of change, hope, and improvement, all which come through our Savior Jesus Christ.

I would like to talk about our bodies. I remember my sister telling us one day about how she made a statement that made her friends laugh: “My body is perfect!” she said, and before she could finish her phrase she was teased a little. Then she said “. . . for playing the cello”. My sister Ramona was studying the cello in Austria with one of the most accomplished cellist in the world. She recognized the blessing she had of having long fingers, and long legs, enabling her to sit tall, and stretch those fingers to play the difficult chords and passages of her pieces. When she said that it made me want to appreciate and love my body more, too! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all say, “I love my body! I have the perfect body for me!”

For years I thought my body was not good enough. I wanted my nose to be smaller, my legs to be thinner, and after having babies I resented the stretch marks and saggy skin that were there after my babies were born. I was so unkind to my body. I did not appreciate it for what it was giving me and how it was blessing me. I  love all of my features now and remind myself daily that they are continually enabling me to fulfill the beautiful life mission that God has prepared just for me. My stretch marks are a daily reminder of the amazing and divine gift my body has that allows me to create life.

For years my goals included things like “lose 10 pounds”, followed by diets or crazy expectations for exercise and fitness. Over the years I have learned from professionals who have studied, that where my focus needed to be, was on following principles of health, rather than draining my energy, and even damaging my body by limiting or eliminating certain food groups. My goals have shifted to things like, “drink more water, or get enough sleep”. Finding healthy balance in our lives is important for our bodies to allow our spirits to soar and fulfill their missions as well.

Now I have found a weight where my body feels most comfortable. I have learned that I don’t need to look emaciated to be beautiful and I don’t need to eliminate certain food groups to be healthy. When we do that, we devalue our own gifts, and we only crave what we can’t have, making it worse in the end. As many dietitian and medical professionals have found, diets simply don’t work. What works is learning to take better care of our bodies. Rather than being unkind to my body, I can tell myself every day how beautiful and amazing my body is. I can talk to myself as I would my little girl.

One day I went to the doctor because I believed I had low thyroid. I was running every day and lifting weights, but only eating fruits, vegetables, and protein. As a result I was feeling exhausted and needed more sleep. He told me that my thyroid was looking good, and while it was good I was taking out the processed foods from my diet, I did need more carbohydrates if I wanted to have energy to exercise that much. I listened, and as a result, I had more energy and was a more energetic wife, mother, and friend. I must include this is for my body only and does not include those with special health needs or allergies.

What about those whose bodies limit them in one way or another. I have a daughter who was born with a cataract in her eye. Every morning she has to wear a patch over her eye and arm braces to keep her from taking it off. She is frustrated when we put it on, because it limits her full movement and ability to do the things she wants to do. I love her for her courage and patience to bear that burden. I know God teaches all of us the things He wants us to learn even through our limitations. He has a perfect plan that sometimes only He can see.

Over the years I have learned how to listen better to my body. Our bodies are amazing and will tell us what, when, and how much we need to eat. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. Many times if I am getting hungry signals at odd times during the day, it is actually my body telling me that I am thirsty. Try drinking water first, and see if the hunger signals continue. If you are craving sugar, try eating something healthy first, and then see if you still need sugar. You can also call a friend, go outside, read a good book or do something you enjoy instead if you need a little comfort. When I am giving my body plenty of nutrients through fruits and vegetables, I feel so much more satisfied.

While I am certainly no expert on these subjects, I hope that my life of learning by trial and error, will help one of you who is on that journey. We are all here to help each other on in our journeys, and I have learned from so many others. I hope I can pass on some wisdom to some of you.

Wishing you all the best in your good desires for a happier and healthier you!

Invitation: Consider changing a few of your health goals to those with a more sustainable, long term solution in sight.

Photo by Bruce Nascimento