Peace, Love and Food: A New Way To Start Loving Your Body

Through our Facebook page, I was fortunate enough to come in contact with Cyndi Springford, the founder of Love Your Body Project: Peace, Love and Food! Cyndi is ACE/AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, RRCA Certified Running Coach, Certified Eating Psychology Coach with training from the following organizations:  www.acefitness.org, www.afaa.com,www.psychologyofeating.com, www.rrca.org. Having worked in the fitness industry since 1993, her unique background in eating psychology and her own unique journey with food, I felt Cyndi was someone whose words would really resonate with all of you. This is a fantastic post from her blog, Cyndi Lou Running. 

  I used to think that weight loss held the key to happiness. “If only” was one of my favorite phrases. “If only” I could have visible abs, then I’d be okay. “If only” I could get rid of cellulite, then I’d be fulfilled. If only, If only If only… I finally realized that you can’t diet away insecurity and self-hate. No matter what size I was, I still took me with me. I had to stop fighting myself. I had to stop wishing I was someone else. See, sometimes people say they don’t hate themselves, they just hate the extra weight they carry. I don’t think that can be true. You cannot separate your extra weight from yourself. It is a part of you, whether you realize it or not, whether you currently like it or not. If you don’t choose to own it, then you are rejecting it, therefore, you are rejecting YOU. Can you love yourself and still take steps towards changing your body? I believe that you can if those steps are taken in the name of self-care and love. Eating food that pleases your palate and nourishes you when you feel hunger is one of the most nurturing things you can do for yourself. So is moving your body in ways that you enjoy. Starting with the inside can transform the outside. Doing these things for their own sake instead of using weight loss as the only reason that will get you where you want to go a heck of a lot faster. As counterintuitive as it may sound, you cannot get where you want to go until you make peace with where you are right now. I had to decide, for my own sanity, that my body didn’t need to change one bit for me to care for and love it as it was. Once I began caring for and loving my body, I knew what it was to care for and love myself. You’ve gotta own it. And then, you’ve gotta take care of what’s yours.

All of the images you see above are from Cyndi’s Love Your Body Project Facebook page – check it out and be sure to give her blog a visit! Cyndi is currently working at PUMPS Real Fitness for Women! in Woburn, Massachusetts, where she has 20 personal training clients that she meets with 1-3 times per week and 3 eating psychology clients that she sees every 2-4 weeks. In fall 2002, Cyndi got passionate about running and has since progressed to marathons and become a certified running coach! She has completed 8 marathons! Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Cyndi in our next magazine, out in June! You can get on our mailing list here, and don’t forget to check out our latest magazine!

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About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.