Self-Acceptance vs. Growth

I have been overweight ever since I can remember, the last time I weighed normal was probably back when I was an infant. (And yep, there are pictures to prove it, woohoo) You see, I was born a little underweight and my parents overcompensated and fed me quite well. I’ve come to own responsibility for my body since then.

So I keep reading and hearing about how I should accept myself with all my flaws, accept my body and the way I look. First, I believe that losing weight is not only about the way one looks, it is more importantly about one’s health. Therefore, each time I heard such a statement, the same question arose in my head…

How do I accept something, when I’m in fact trying to improve it?

And that question applied to anything I wanted to improve, not only weight. Doesn’t accepting mean settling? Resting on one’s laurels? How do I get motivated to change something I came to terms with? Isn’t that laziness in disguise?

Those are all wrong questions, because they are based on wrong definitions of the word “Acceptance.” Acceptance is not about  liking your situation, no, it’s not about hating it either, it has a different meaning altogether…

One of the basic prerequisites of a good plan is knowledge of the current situation, because it enables you to make a clearheaded, realistic plan.  A problem I often face when the current situation is “less than optimal” is denial; I cannot seem to acknowledge the simple truths behind whatever I’m going through.

Well, acceptance is the ultimate form of acknowledgement. It is a lack of attachment (positive or negative emotions). It frees the mind to think and plan. Acceptance is not a roadblock to growth, it is a requirement.

I accept my body the way it is, and I will change it for the better…