This last week I was reminded by a lovely client that #weighthappens. Much like the popular hashtag #SH!$happens, part of being female and human means that sometimes weight just happens. As women, we have all experienced how our weight fluctuates. We know that the week before the period, most of us put on a couple of pounds and the week after we lose it. This is the ebb and flow of being a woman. Same for later in life, during menopause and after…sometimes #weighthappens and we don’t even know for sure why. But when was the last time you stopped to consider your weight gain, if you’ve had one, and where it came from?
#weighthappens
Not long ago, I went through a pretty tough couple of years. It involved job loss, a major move, and the death of my Dad–among other things. It was just a gnarly period of time overall and I was mostly consumed with keeping my head above water–aka survival. I’ve always tried to stay lean-ish just because it makes my distance running easier. But during this time I gained 20 pounds and weighed more than I had my entire adulthood. Now, don’t get hung up on the numbers here. Mine was 20. Maybe yours is 30 or 50. That’s not the point. The point is that when life happens, it’s not uncommon for weight to happen, too.
The beauty in it
When I was talking to my client and she was lamenting about her weight gain, I asked her if she could see the beauty in it? We had a long silence as she considered it and then rebutted it with something like, “Well, yes, I guess, but I still want to lose the weight.” I know that this woman has been through a physically and emotionally traumatic year. She survived it all with grace, beauty, and class. Did she gain some weight in the process? Yes, she did. Because sometimes when life is giant, we focus our energies elsewhere and #weighthappens. What I want for my client is for her to appreciate how extraordinarily beautiful she is, as a whole person, at ANY weight. She did exceptionally hard things, and weight gain was a part of the profound stress her body/mind was under. Can she see the beauty in how her body worked to preserve her in a time of stress? How her hormones ramped up to protect her? The result was weight gain.
I know she wants to lose that weight now because she’s in a different place that is giving her more time to focus on her health. That is ALSO beautiful. What I long for~ for her, and for myself, and for every other woman that experiences sadness over lack of self-care at different times~ is that she give herself grace. I want her to acknowledge her beauty in all that she has done during that time that wasn’t about her. She gave a great deal to other people because sometimes life demands that. We all get out of balance from time to time. Give yourself grace and acknowledge that #weighthappens.
Acknowledge your beautiful soul
Also, acknowledge your beautiful soul and all that you have done that wasn’t about you. Don’t waste another day in discontentment or self-loathing. See your beauty regardless of what the scale says. With or without extra pounds, you are an exceptional creature. Fully love yourself at any weight because your weight is going to change—you’re a woman–that’s just part of the gig. Please don’t wait to love yourself when…..love your whole person at whatever weight you are now. See the beauty in you.
#weighthappens and guess what? If you want to make a change because that’s right for you –weight also #unhappens.
See the beauty of you, my friend.
