I have a confession.

I struggled to write this post about what body empowerment meant to me because I actually never thought about it. I’ve heard and seen it being talked about in the media, but I had to do my own research on the general population’s definition of it and how it applied to me. Critical thinking can be a nuisance!

Imagine you’re the manager of a big team at work. Your role as manager is to make sure that each member of your team successfully accomplishes their goals. You help them identify and troubleshoot issues. As a team, you also make sure that everyone works together in harmony to accomplish the team’s main goal. That’s how I think body empowerment works. YOU are the manager and the members of your team are the parts that make up the human body – both physical and mental. The team’s goal is good health.

I’ve had health issues for most of my life – asthma, skin issues, food allergies, environmental allergies, and being overweight. Not all of it happened at once but my health worsened as years passed. I wasn’t doing a good job managing my body’s needs and what was noticeably neglected was my mental health. I wasn’t ready to see a therapist so I sought an eating psychology coach since I came to realize that I was an emotional eater which triggered some of my health issues.

What I learned through my coaching sessions is to accept and respect who you are today. Be aware of the signs your body is giving you and trust your gut. Find pleasure in activities outside of food so you can focus on what makes YOU happy whether it be talking to a friend on the phone, taking fitness classes (like BollyX!), cooking with your spouse, or running around town catching Pokemon (yes, that’s another confession for another time). Being healthy enough to do those activities becomes a priority and what I look like is the last thing on my mind. That is empowering.