Ask Aunt B

Dear Aunt B,

I hate to bring up a topic that is always talked about, but here goes. Summer is coming quickly and I do not ever want to put on a swimming suit. Do I have to go to swim parties or can I just show up and not get in the water?

No swimming for me

Dear No Swimming for me,

Of course you can go to a swim party and not swim or not wear a swimming suit. Remember you’re the boss of you.

The real issue here is: do you want to go and swim? If you do want to and you are not willing to put on a swimming suit now, then what do you have to do to get ready for swimming and putting on a suit?

It seems to me you have two options and probably some combinations of these options.

Make peace with yourself and your body. This is important even if you choose option 2. You will never be happy until you make some peace with your body. Your body will never be happy either. Which is surprising to most people but really important. If you want to treat your body right it starts with not trashing it all the time. Your body works really hard for you and frankly it deserves some respect. Sending some love to your body will help you on many levels. How exactly do you send love to your body? Start by talking nicely. Speak of your body with respect. Spend some time daily appreciating all the things your body does for you. Give your body good nutrition. It needs appropriate fuel to carry out the multitude of functions it performs for you that you are not even aware of. Don’t eat and drink crap. You know what that is right? Sugar, sugary drinks, and empty calories are just a few. It is important to recognize that when you put these substances in your body you are not only refusing to nourish your body, you are ingesting poisons that your body now has to deal with.

If this is about your weight, then when are you going to do something about this issue? If you are actually not living the life you want, today is the day to start your new journey. Do everything we discussed above. Talk nice to yourself and your body. Appreciate your body for all it does. Fuel your body with nutritious foods. Sleep well. Stay hydrated. Get on an eating plan that works for you. Check with your health care provider to see if you have any special needs that need to be addressed. Find your eating plan. There are so many different things people are doing to tackle this problem. I do believe that bodies are all different and respond differently to what we put in our mouths. However, there is some common sense information that we all can learn from. Of course as usual this is just basic information. If you have special concerns do what your healthcare person tells you to do. If your health care person tells you to eat all the bacon you want, then I probably want their name. I love bacon and would love someone to tell me to eat lots of bacon. Seriously, I doubt that this will happen. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat less or no processed food. Eat as natural as possible. I try to eat as organic as possible. Yes, I know organics are more expensive but have you ever sat down and figured out how much unhealthy lifestyles cost? Sugary drinks are expensive and give you no return on your money. Also move your body. Start with anything. Dance around the house, go for a walk. No swimming suits are needed for either of these activities.

Prepare yourself, so next time a swimming party comes up you will be all in. All in the pool in your new swimming suit, that is.

Love,

Aunt B

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