Every year, as summer comes to a close, autumn grows chillier, and the Uggs-with-Starbucks combos make their appearances, I notice something about my body.
We begin to grow less active as the summer days dwindle and eat heartier, tastier, comfort foods.
I don’t know if this is just me, or if this trend is one that everybody seems to experience, but in my opinion, December is the most terrible time of the year because it is the season when I consistently put on weight.
I’m not alone in this either. Many of my friends have told me that their eating habits are cyclical and they find themselves munching more as the days grow short. They also find themselves hating their bodies as this happens too.
Here are all the reasons why you should embrace a little extra padding during the days of holly and treat yourself with some extra jolly.
Your body is doing what it was designed to do:
Your has 200,000 years of evolution working against its love handles. Back in the day (the good ‘ol days when we used to bash each others heads in with rocks rather than guns), food was scarce. Eating was a luxury and when you came across a meal in November, you had to eat it all because who knows when the next one was coming along. Your body has evolved to gain more weight in the winter. Embrace it for doing what it was made to do.
Love your changing body:
It’s often very hard for us to embrace change. One of the biggest changes we struggle to embrace is the physical one happening to our hips (also the fine lines gradually appearing on our faces). Take note of the changes and accept that this is what your body is doing right now.
Tomorrow will be different and when those changes come, that’s fine too. Everything in life is cyclical and some days you’re up, and others you’re down.
Recognize why you’re upset with the added weight:
The only reason you’re bothered by those extra pounds is because somebody told you to be upset with them. A commercial tells you that losing weight is a central value you should have in your life and a thousand other commercials reinforce the message. A graphic designer edits a picture of a model and tells you the definition of ideal feminine beauty, and you listen because a thousand other graphic designers have reinforced that same message.
If this was the 1950s, you’d be thrilled with those extra pounds. Curvy was huge back then (no pun intended). Perhaps we’ll go back there again.
And if we do, you’re already ahead of the times, so embrace it, babe.
[Featured Image Credit: PopSugar]