(Psssst! If you’re “late” to the challenge and just getting started, that’s OK too! Just go at your own pace! Start with this blog post and scroll to the bottom, and make sure you have what you need to complete the challenge and fill out the 10 questions you need to fill out before you get started. Then you can take it day by day at your own pace!)
Recap
Yesterday was Day 9 of the Love Your Body Challenge, and the reason to love your body was,
“Because it’s awesome.”
What was so cool about this was getting read all of your own personal definitions of what it means to be awesome. Check them out below:
“Training to be awesome means learning to love my body exactly the way it is, flaws and all. I will continue to train by swimming, running, and lifting weights. And I will not punish my body when it doesn’t look the way I want it to after all that activity. I know that I’m treating it right, and all that matters is that.”
“Training to be awesome means constantly trying to improve how much I can lift, and never giving up in the face of an obstacle.”
“Training to be awesome means to get in a healthy mind set, to accept myself the way I am now.”
“Training to be awesome means working my body in ways that make me feel GOOD.”
“Training to be awesome means maintaining a healthy mind body soul combo… It means accepting this body yet not becoming stagnate in working toward continued health and continued strength, both mentally and physically!”
“Loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections. From John Legend – All of Me Lyrics
This artist’s lyrics are so very powerful! Never before did I ever imagine my body being awesome, but it truly is, all my edges and perfect imperfections! Wow! Thanks for day 9.”
So. Many. Awesome. Definitions.
With that said, on to Day 10. I think you’ll love it.
Reason #10 To Love Your Body
10. Because you are (or should be) unapologetically strong.
Yes, I’ll admit. I stole this one from my girl Jen Sinkler… but it’s just so good that I couldn’t help myself.
On Day 3, we talked about loving your body because it’s strong. Which is awesome. But I want you to take it a step further and love it because it’s unapologetically strong.
The Queen Bee of the unapologetically strong movement!
You see, as women, we are constantly expected to downplay our strengths. If a friend compliments out hair, we are supposed to say, “Oh my gosh! Really? It’s a mess today. I totally need to get it done.” Or if they gawk at how strong we are, we are supposed to reply, “Yeah, but have you seen how fat my legs are? Ugh! I’d totally trade my squat numbers for skinny legs.”
Umm…no. Not anymore.
No longer will we apologize for being strong. No longer will we downplay our strengths. No longer will we deflect compliments because they make us uncomfortable.
Today is the day that we love our bodies for being unapologetically strong.
Mantra: “My body is strong, and so I am, and I will no longer apologize for either of those truths.”
Repeat this (to yourself or out loud) 10 times right now, 10 times during your action step, and 10 times before bed.
Action step: Practice accepting compliments gracefully. Do your best to recall the last 3-5 compliments you’ve received and write them down. Next to them, write down how you will respond in the future when you receive a similar compliment.
(i.e. Compliment -“Your deadlift is ridiculous!” Response – “Thank you! I’ve been working very hard on it and it’s exciting to be lifting so much weight! I love it!”)
Oh, and your second action step is to check out this awesome video from my girl Jen (the inspiration for this post!) She is giving away a FREE 4-part e-course on how to make your conditioning workouts safe, effective, and fun. Check out Part 1 and Part 2.
Checklist:
1. Make sure you’ve signed up for my newsletter so you can get links to the new challenge every morning!
2. Make sure you’ve filled out the 10 questions at the bottom of this page (DO THIS BEFORE DAY 1) so you have your “starting point.”
3. Say your mantra 10 times immediately, during your action step, and before bed.
4. Complete your action step.
5. Check in with your accountability partner if you have one.
6. Check back tomorrow for more.
OH! 3 more things —
1. PLEASE post about what you’re doing on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtags #LoveYourBodyChallenge or #LYBC. This will allow you to connect with others doing the challenge, offer support and encouragement, and get ideas for your mantras and action steps.
2. PLEASE comment below and let us know what your mantra and your action steps are each day. Again, this helps build support and community as well as offers ideas to those who might need them.
3. If you’re so inclined, feel free to send me pictures of your amazingly beautiful selves and I’ll post them in my Facebook album. It’s essentially an album of pictures similar to what my fitness professional friends and I did on Day 1. It’s a picture that you might normally not want to post, but you post it anyway along with a short blurb about your journey. You can see the album here, and you can send pictures and your blurb to: 28DayLoveYourBodyChallenge@gmail.com It’s such a supportive community of women (and men) over there. It’s awesome!
That’s all for now.
See you tomorrow!
Molly Galbraith is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Coach who has dabbled in both Figure and Powerlifting competitions. She is Co-Founder of Girls Gone Strong and J-M Strength.Her life's mission is to help women give themselves grace and compassion when it comes to their bodies so that they can discover and accept what their best body looks like.
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