Beth Summers, Author at True Balance

6 reasons why we should stop praising before/after photos

I might ruffle a few feathers, but let’s talk about body size.

Body size is not an achievement…

Often a smaller body is the result of stress, self-harm, privilege, physical/mental illness, disordered habits, etc.

So why are transformation photos NOT helpful and how exactly can they be hurtful? Here are a few reasons:

1. Your comparison body could be someone’s dream body; if you didn’t think you were good before, than they must be bad now
2. It’s triggering for those who are in recovery for body dysmorphia and disordered eating
3. It perpetuates diet culture and the false belief that “life will be better when…”
4. It reinforces the idea that bodies were made to be looked at and commented on
5. It encourages the lie that all bodies respond the same; just because it worked for you doesn’t mean it’s appropriate or safe for someone else
6. That health/happiness looks a certain way. It doesn’t.

Please know that you are enough, just as you are. All bodies are good bodies, including yours.

Back to school breakfast

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: food is more than fuel, it’s an experience!

Most people are sending their kids back to school, which has me thinking about how we typically kick off a new school year, with toaster strudels for breakfast. Yup, the kind that can be found in the freezer section at your local grocery store. They’re full of fat, corn syrup, gluten and all sorts of processed “junk” as well as other secret ingredients like tradition, celebration, excitement, joy, and connection.

It’s almost ceremonial, because we have made it mean something special for a special time. A special treat, just like my mom gifted me and my brothers with on our first day(s) back to school all those years ago, with a meaning far sweeter than its nutrient profile.

Rewriting my food story to include memories that nourish on every level has made my life, and the lives of my children, much more meaningful than counting calories or macros…

What are your fun back-to-school food traditions, and what special ingredients do you start your morning with?

Losing weight isn’t your soul purpose

I don’t talk about my faith much. My religious beliefs aren’t something I pointedly discuss regularly… But I have something soul-stirring to say to my Sisters in Zion.

Your body is THE plan. Not some necessary evil that’s holding your spirit back from shining. It is an integral part of your eternal salvation. It is why we fought a war in heaven — the same war we’re still fighting during our mortal probation, and it is what sets us apart from the adversary.

Every body is a gift from God. Whether you’re thin or fat, healthy or sick, black or white, male or female, young or old, etc. Your body, as perfectly imperfect as it is, is YOURS. Forever. Now is the time to learn how to love it, because otherwise you’ll be resurrected with something that you hate. Your body is what got you here. It is why you’re here. It helps you experience life. Living would not be possible without it. Your body is your partner in this life and the next.

Maybe you don’t like the way it looks. Maybe you’re uncomfortable in your skin. Maybe this is Satan’s favorite and most powerful tactic to distract you from appreciating it and using it, in all its variations. Because when you’re busy focusing on your shape you can’t shape the world.

Body shame, of any kind, is not of God. Neither is healthism, ableism, fat phobia, or weight stigma. There is no good body, bad body. All bodies come from the same Source. Distrust in it, or your inability to accept and appreciate it, is distrusting the One who created it.

Your soul purpose is not to lose weight, or be healthy. Your NOW body is a gift; it always has been and always will be. What would be possible if you started seeing your body as a friend, not an enemy? Because the enemy of our spirits would have you believe otherwise.

Please, remember Whose you are. Remember why you’re here, where you’re going, and give thanks to the vessel that allows you to express these eternal truths.

And please know that this remembering is hard work. If you find yourself struggling with body acceptance, it doesn’t mean you’re a faithless daughter of Heavenly Parents. What it does mean is that you have an opportunity to reconnect to your divine worth, a chance to reestablish a relationship with your faith in God. You’re not alone. Lean in to the trust you have in Them while recognizing the trust They have in You.