We hear it everywhere these days. “Love your body. Love yourself. Self-acceptance.” And while I agree with this, I disagree with the lengths to which some people take it. Yes, you should absolutely love your body for what it is, for how it looks, and for what it does for you every single day. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t also want and try to make changes to it.

For myself, I practice self-acceptance. I say practice because even now, I sometimes catch myself thinking an unkind thought about myself. But I stop myself before that self-deprecating spiral really gets going.

The road to self-confidence is hard and long. I aim to love and accept myself as I am daily.

But that also means I will work to make the changes in my body that I want to see.

I want to see some more tone in my arms. So I lift. I want to see some weight come off my belly. So I do my cardio and eat healthy. I want to eat more vegetables and fewer starches. So I hit up Pinterest to find ways to make Brussels sprouts more exciting than cheesy potatoes.

“To love” is a verb. To love your body doesn’t always mean that you can do whatever feels easy, eat whatever you’re craving and sleep in instead of getting up for a workout. Loving your body means putting colorful fruits and vegetables into it every single day. Loving your body means taking that body to the gym to lift, or outside for a run, or to your living room for a yoga session. There are so many ways to love your body, and none of them, but NONE OF THEM, involve filling it with pizza and skipping your workouts until the first of the month because “what’s the point?”

So don’t wait for an arbitrary starting point like “Monday” or “New Years”. Love your body right now by filling it with delicious and nutritious food.

Love it by using your muscles.

Love it by accepting your belly now, and accepting your belly once you hit your goals.