What Is Body Positivity When You Have Binge Eating Disorder?

I've written about how to be body positive when you have binge eating disorder (BED) , but I really should have started by defining what body positivity is when you have binge eating disorder and how you can be body positive with BED. A lot of people think that being body positive is accepting your body as it is and that changing it is a sign of problems. In reality, body positivity when you have binge eating disorder is finding out what you want your body to look like, and living in that body without concern for what anybody else has to say about it.

I Thought Body Positivity with Binge Eating Disorder Meant You Had to Love Your Body, No Matter What It Looked Like

Being body positive when you have binge eating disorder doesn't have to mean that you accept your body as it is and never change it at all. When you think about it, if this was true, dying your hair, wearing glasses, or piercing your ears would qualify as changing your body and be indicative of your disapproval of it. Furthermore, changing your body is not bad.

When I struggling with my binge eating disorder, I had gained weight very quickly. I remember looking into the mirror one morning and not recognizing myself. I didn't look how I wanted to look, this wasn't the person I wanted to be. I felt like a stranger in my own body. I didn't like the restrictions that came with it and I wasn't happy. So I changed my body.

It wasn't a matter of accepting my body or loving it more. I was miserable and felt trapped. I didn't need more body positivity, I needed to live in a body I felt comfortable in (Body Image Questionnaire and How to Love Your Body and Yourself).

What Does Body Positivity When You Have Binge Eating Disorder Really Mean?

When you have binge eating disorder it can cause massive changes in your body and make it hard to be body positive. But what matters in body positivity is not letting outside influences change how you feel about yourself and let yourself decide the way you want to look.

A body positive person isn't striving for another person's or society's perfect body, they're striving for their perfect body. It's being happy with your body because you're happy with it, not because someone else validates it. It's wearing clothes and changing your hair and changing your appearance until you feel comfortable and happy in your own skin.

How Do I Become Body Positive When I Have Binge Eating Disorder?

It can be difficult to figure out how to be body positive when you have binge eating disorder because you have to figure out what you want your body to look like beyond society's lens of attractiveness. Ask yourself questions about when you were happy with your body in the past and why were you happy with it. Ask yourself what your aesthetic is and what styles appeal to you. Once you know what you like, go for it.

Remember that not knowing what you like is okay. Experimenting is okay. Changing what you thought you liked is okay. You are an ever-evolving human being and the quest for happiness with your body is not going to be easy or simple. But this is one case where the journey will teach you a lot about yourself and the victories will be extremely rewarding.

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