Shu's video: Stop giving yourself permission to hate your body

Stop giving yourself permission to hate your body. I spent my early twenties being fearful of food because in my mind, if I were able to control the way I looked or the meals I cooked, then maybe I’d like myself a little better. Maybe I would feel less of a failure. And maybe if there was less of me, I’d somehow love myself more. But all it did was further perpetuate an unhealthy relationship with food. I cancelled any social plan that involved meals out, I took away the pleasures of eating, I deprived myself from new experiences and I stopped connecting with others. I know I’m afforded privileges as an able-bodied woman of my size and this journey of body acceptance is much more complicated than me waving around pretty words on the internet. But right now? I’m sick of being taught by society to be my own worst enemy. I refuse to waste energy constantly being pitted against other women when I want to celebrate them. I’m tired of being overly critical of every single thing I eat, say and think. And as much as I want to say to you that I’m 100% confident, this timeline isn’t linear. I know the negative voice will never completely go away - but I feel more power to fight it now. It took a long time for me to realise that I wanted more to my life than a number of a scale. I’m worth more than what I weigh. So here’s to healing my younger self and cheers to a summer of finally wearing confidence. Cheers to making delicious memories enjoying meals with my loved ones. Cheers to my beautiful body.