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I have put on a lot of weight during lockdown, due to lack of physical activity & the eating of copious amounts of biscuits.
In the first year of lockdown I was allocated alternative work duties and sat at home on my phone & computer, screening & matching COVID support volunteers with community support groups. The following year I took my private counselling practise online and continued to sit behind my computer screen. I am positive that my derriere took on the shape of the comfortable chair that I perched upon during my daily work routine. As night-time fell I would switch on Netflix, relax in my PJ’s whilst dunking garibaldi biscuit into my milky sweet tea.
I don’t regularly weigh myself but after 2 years of participating in a sedentary lifestyle and eating custard creams I could tell that my body was expanding. When the lock down was lifted I returned to my job in the community & found that wearing structured clothes was an uncomfortable challenge & that my physical stamina had also declined.
Since childhood my weight/shape has always fluctuated from a UK size 8-20 due to my disorganised eating & the physical limitations of Fibromyalgia. I do however prefer to live in a leaner body, but I have no problem with my wobbly bit’s, caesarean scar apron, stretch marks and cellulite. I hold the view that my body no matter it’s shape, size, weight, colour, gender or ability level is an amazing vehicle which provides me with transport, the ability to touch and keep myself safe. My body is a part of my identity/self-concept, but it is not a measure of my self-worth & value as a human being.
I am my body, but I am also so much more! I am a mother, a daughter, a friend, a therapist, a carer, a learner, an educator, an artist, a mentor & I think a good person.
I believe in ‘body positivity’ and that I should not be judged for my physical appearance, I believe in ‘body acceptance’ & I thank my current body for all that it does for me on a daily basis, I also believe in ‘body neutrality’ I neither hate or love my body – it is what it is!
My overriding belief is in ‘body choice’ & my right to self-determination as moving forward I would like to make my body leaner, healthier & more active. Please enjoy the freedom to embrace your authentic self and choose what is best for you & your body!