A few Christmases ago, my mother gifted my whole family with a trip to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. It was a fabulous week of fun and adventure while being pampered, as we stayed at an all-inclusive resort on the beach. We took day trips and explored the area, thoroughly relishing the experience.
What I didn’t realize back then was the gigantic hurdle this trip was for my partner, Roger, to overcome. While I knew Roger struggled with body image, I didn’t realize how much it affected his life. While I was packing and getting excited for our trip, I had no idea that he was silently worried about wearing a bathing suit, taking his shirt off, and doing it all in front of my family and a whole bunch of strangers.
You see, Roger had poor body image growing up. He struggled with his weight during his teens and twenties, and he missed out on countless experiences because of his body shame. Pool parties. Cottage trips. Intimacy. Any time taking his shirt off would be expected, he’d take a hard PASS.
Over the years, I’d tease him about his knee-jerk reaction to say “NO” when I’d suggest an adventure. His brain would literally tell him that departing from the usual comfort zone was scary and dangerous and it would be best to stay comfortable.
Well, if you know me at all, you’ll know I LIVE for adventure! I thrive on activity, and I always knew, deep down, Roger did, too. It took him over a decade of living in a lifestyle that supported not only his physical but also his mental and emotional health to become the person he’d always wanted to be; the kind of person who is spontaneous and living for adventure!
Two years ago, we took another family trip to Mexico, this time to the island of Cozumel. It’s now become the trip we both credit as the moment Roger fully embraced himself and his body. I was dancing on the dance floor with my sister-in-law and nephew when all of a sudden, Roger came strutting up beside me, grabbed me, dipped me, kissed me, twirled me around and started dancing with us. Like, really dancing, not just sort of phoning it in. It was such an incredible evening, we never wanted it to end!
We’ve had a lot of conversations about that night. And the best way Roger can explain it is that he was finally just…DONE…with worrying about and hiding his imperfect body and he decided he wanted to fully live his life!! In that moment, he just wanted to feel free. So, he mustered the courage and walked onto that dancefloor like he owned the place and he started behaving like someone who loves to dance would behave.
It was life-changing…for both of us.
Step by step, decision by decision, habit by habit, Roger no longer hides himself and his body from the world. He actively pursues adventure and he loves hiking, biking, swimming, snorkeling, skiing and anything else that gets him out into nature, feeling free and liberated from the comforts that used to keep him stuck.
I am beyond proud of him for all he’s done to love himself and his body. It’s inspiring to watch Roger order at restaurants. To see him preparing meals. To watch him at the beach without his shirt on. To hear him asking me if I want to go on yet another adventure. To see him naked and know, really know, that he feels amazing in his birthday suit. 🙂
Improving our body image is a process. A learning and an unlearning. Childhood messaging. Teasing. Peer pressure. Societal pressure. Advertising. Comparison. Judgment. Social media and the list goes on.
In a world that tries to remind us that we are LESS, let’s become MORE of who we really are, filling our cups with the stuff that makes us feel most alive!
One thing Roger would recommend to anyone beginning a wellness journey is to do the thing that pushes you outside your comfort zone.
Say YES to trips (when we can travel again).
Go for the walk when your knee-jerk reaction would be to say “Um, no thanks! I’m watching Netflix!”
Order the salad on the side instead of the fries if you never do that.
Drink water instead of soda.
Dance when your partner asks you to join them!
Just take one step away from your comfort zone and one step closer to your edge.
I agree with him. Step by step by step, we become the change we wish to see.
Because I want YOU to love YOUR life one bite at a time.
P.S. When I began my health journey over 18 years ago, I began to see my body differently. I started truly, deeply, fundamentally understanding that my body is not a “machine” (as the health+ fitness industry tries to make us believe with words like “power up”, “fuel”, “revving”, etc…), and instead, I started seeing my body as the sentient being it is; an animal. A HUMAN animal.
MY animal.
And once I started truly, deeply, fundamentally understanding that there was only one person on this earth that could care for my animal, ME, everything (and I mean everything) in my life changed.
I started seeing food differently.
I started viewing exercise differently.
I saw my brain, my organs, my skin, my bones and my blood vessels differently.
I began prioritizing different things because of my new-found respect and reverence for this being I get to care for and I began paying closer attention to the messages my body was sending me through the way it was feeling.
It’s as if everything over my 18 year journey finally came together, and my cravings all but vanished, my energy increased to levels I hadn’t experienced before, the wisdom of my body took over and helped me naturally–almost effortlessly–manage cravings for sugar and junk food, and I became so much more clear on my passion and purpose in life.
I became a certified health coach because I want to share all the best of what I’ve learned and I’m running a FREE 5 day “Unleash Your Animal” Challenge, starting on Monday November 9th, 2020 and I’d love for you to join me, if you feel called!
Each day, I’ll be going LIVE into my FREE private Facebook group called One Bite At A Time, where I share the concepts and strategies that have helped me truly live with more ease around food, sugar, weight and my body than I ever thought possible.
I go LIVE at 1:11 pm Eastern (check your time zone) and share the day’s lesson which will include an action step that you can take. Each day will layer on the last, so at the end of 5 days, you’ll have built a small toolbox that you can continue to build upon when it comes to caring for your health and transforming the way you view your body.
There is nothing to prepare.
Nothing to “do” in advance.
Simply show up (or watch the replay, if you can’t join us live), where you get to sit back and take in some ideas designed to help YOU unleash YOUR animal and live with greater joy+freedom in your own life.
Here’s the link again to join the group.
And if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out! Email me at Sarah@SarahTalksFood.com or message me on Facebook.
I hope to see you there!
Here are the quick details:
WHAT: UNLEASH YOUR ANIMAL 5 Day Challenge
WHERE: Inside the One Bite At A Time Private Facebook Group
DATE: Monday-Friday, November 9-13, 2020
TIME: 1:11 pm EASTERN (10:11 am PACIFIC) – you can watch the replay if you can’t make it live
WHY: Because we only get ONE.
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