Love Your Body Challenge – Day 386
Posted In Body Image
(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 2) of the Love Your Body Challenge and it was fantastic. We talked about cherishing what our bodies are capable of, and some of the responses were incredible. Here’s an excerpt from one amazing and courageous woman:
“I debated stopping breastfeeding this beautiful new baby JUST so I could diet hard-core, take supplements that would rev my metabolism, and pump myself full of pre-workouts. But not any more.
You asked what my body is capable of? Well my body is capable of giving life. And my body is capable of nourishing that life. And I am no longer going to walk into my gym to try and make myself into something it’s not. I’m actually crying right thinking about it. About all those times I stared at myself in the mirror hating what my body looked like, instead of praising what it is doing. My body is amazingly flawed, amazingly imperfect, amazingly STRONG.
And now I’m going to go nurse my baby, then get back into my gym so I can finish up leg day and I am not going to care one bit if my shorts ride up and my cellulite shows, because that does not define ME anymore.” – L.G.
Wow.
I have to say, I thought this challenge would be powerful, but I never could have predicted this kind of change and feedback from women so soon!
PLEASE if you have someone you think that might benefit from this challenge, have them join. It’s never too late. I envision people guiding themselves through this challenge years from now, once all of these posts have cobwebs on them. And honestly, I think the women with the worst self-esteem are the ones refraining from trying it. They feel “stupid” talking to themselves in their heads and repeating mantras, and feel embarrassed that they might need to follow an “online challenge.”
It’s my hope that they recognize that 28 days could change their whole world.
Oh, and my mantra yesterday was, “I am capable of making people laugh, and that’s awesome. In fact, I am capable of anything I set my mind to, that I am willing to work for. “
And I got to see a couple of friends of mine yesterday and we laughed up a storm. It was lovely.
If you’d like to post what you did (and please do!) just go to the comments section of Day 2 and share. It will be helpful and encouraging to everyone to read what others are doing.
Reason #3 To Love Your Body
3. Because it’s strong.
You knew this one was coming, right? Feeling strong is an incredibly powerful and uplifting emotion.
But this isn’t just about physical strength. This is about mental and emotional strength too. Yes, being able to bust out squats and chin-ups, being able to run fast and jump high — that’s all amazing, and today’s challenge celebrates those things. But I want you to also think about the mental and emotional piece.
What tragedy have you endured that you bounced back from stronger than ever?
When have you successfully bitten your tongue to refrain from saying something you’ll regret?
When have you opened up and been totally vulnerable with someone you care about?
What stressful load have you carried for a long period of time to see something incredible through to fruition?
We do things on a daily basis that require enormous amounts of physical, mental, and emotional strength, and yet we never slow down to recognize them, and give ourselves the credit we deserve.
Mantra: “I am strong enough to______, and I am proud of that.” (i.e. give birth, do a weighted chin-up, apologize first, admit when I’m wrong, change the water jug at work, be genuinely happy for the success of others, etc).
Repeat this (to yourself or out loud) 10 times right now, 10 times during your action step, and 10 times before bed.
Me? I’m strong enough to admit when I am wrong and apologize first. Most of the time. =)
Action Step: Write down one way that you demonstrate incredible physical strength, mental strength, and emotional strength. Let yourself relish in the memory of the last time you did each of these things, and feel incredibly proud.
My Action Step
“I am strong enough to endure my Father’s death, and still find joy, happiness, and gratitude on the other side, and I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to recognize that a comfortable and good 6-year relationship wasn’t amazing, and walk away, because I deserve amazing. I am proud of that.”
“I am strong enough to do a Turkish Getup with an 80 lb. KB and I am proud of that.”
That’s it for today!
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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