Is it Okay to Have Body Goals?
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We often hear conflicting opinions about body goals—some say they're harmful, while others argue they're necessary for personal growth. But guess what? I believe it's okay to have body goals. As much as I am about learning to love your body, I don’t believe you can’t also work to change your body at the same time. That’s why in this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are going to explore why body goals can coexist with self-love.
Links mentioned in the episode:
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Instagram: @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Free e-book: www.juliealedbetter.com/free-ebook
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey. Hey, beautiful human. Can I steal 5 minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with Me, Julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace a real. Let's get it. Let's go. [00:00:22][22.7]
[00:00:32] Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode today. I really want to have like a heart to heart conversation about something that's pretty controversial in the body positivity movement. And that question is should we have body goals? [00:00:46][14.8]
[00:00:47] We often hear conflicting opinions about body goals. Some say that they're harmful, while others argue they're necessary for personal growth. But guess what? I believe and I'm just going to be plain and simple I believe it's okay to have body goals. In fact, I think we should. I think it's a form of really honoring our body. [00:01:05][17.4]
[00:01:05] Now, do they need to be unrealistic body goals? That's something we will dive into. But as much as I'm about learning to love your body and learning to accept your body, I don't believe that you can't also work towards changing your body at the same time. And so that's why in today's bonus episode, I kind of want to explore why body goals can co-exist with really honoring your body. But before we dive in, I first wanted to share this super sweet review. It comes from Montana and Beach Bum. She gave a five star review and said:. [00:01:37][32.2]
[00:01:37] "Love the support. Hey Julie, I stumbled upon your workouts on Pinterest a while ago and it led me to your podcasts. I have been listening to them during all my workouts. I have always been pretty good at exercise and weight training. However, my nutrition has been very much skewed. It wasn't until I got married to my husband, who's in the military, that I realized I had to eat more. We were putting time in at the gym, but I wasn't quite convinced I needed to eat more until I really started listening to your podcast. Now I am more confident in going to the gym with my husband and enjoying a good meal with him. Also, I love how you incorporate faith in God into your podcast. You not only remind me that I need to nourish my body, but I also need to stop in the morning and read my Bible and pray. Thank you. Says God bless." [00:02:19][41.9]
[00:02:20] Oh, well, if you're watching this on a video, I have tears in my eyes just because this is seriously the reason why I do what I do on a weekly basis. I'm so grateful that this podcast is helping you. I'm so thankful that you are finding it helpful. And I just I couldn't be more thankful for this community like you guys really are the reason why I do what I do on a weekly basis. And so thank you for taking time out of your day to send in this review and pin this all of this. Like, yes, the fact that you can go to the gym and feel confident, the fact that you can eat enough to properly feel your body, the fact that you can go out with your husband and have a good meal with him without associating guilt like yes to all of this. You are amazing. And you, my dear, are the reason why we do what we do. I love you so much. [00:03:09][48.7]
[00:03:09] Okay, so let's dive into the three reasons why it is okay to have body goals while also working towards learning to love your body. [00:03:17][8.2]
[00:03:18] Number one, taking care of our bodies is a form of loving our bodies. Our bodies are our only real home, and they deserve our utmost care, respect and attention. By nourishing and nurturing them, we are showing our body love and appreciation. In fact, when we prioritize our bodies well-being, we send a powerful message to ourselves that we are worthy of love, care and attention. Let me repeat that again. When we prioritize our bodies well-being, we send a powerful message to ourselves that we are worthy of love, care and attention. [00:03:51][33.1]
[00:03:52] And I would add to this that I am a faith believer. I believe that God has entrusted us to our bodies and has carefully crafted our body. And so when we are prioritizing that, when we are honoring our body, I believe it also sends a powerful message to our creator, Hey, I acknowledge that you created my body beautifully and wonderfully, and I want to steward that well. And so when we are taking the time and effort to nourish our bodies through nutrition and food and regular exercise self-care practices, it really does affirm that we acknowledge the self-worth of our body. It's a simple reminder that we deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion. We deserve to treat others with that. And so that's why we're doing that to ourselves and for ourselves as well. [00:04:40][48.8]
[00:04:41] And when we prioritize taking care of our bodies, we also shift from viewing our bodies as objects that we love to criticize, to viewing our bodies with love and appreciation and gratitude for everything that our body is capable of. [00:04:55][13.6]
[00:04:55] By consciously taking care of ourselves, we develop a deep sense of respect for our bodies, abilities, resilience and beauty. And the outcome is a much healthier and more loving relationship with ourselves. And I always say that it starts when we prioritize ourselves. We are able to become the best possible version to serve others in our best capacity. And that's ultimately what life is about, is being able to serve those who we love, being able to serve communities that we love and that we have a gift for. And we can't do that unless we really prioritize our well-being. [00:05:30][34.7]
[00:05:30] Number two, changing our body composition can truly be seen as growth and personal development. So by setting body goals, not only is it, it's not just about physical changes. And I need to really emphasize that because I think oftentimes we think, oh, you know, I'm going to set a body goal and it's only about physical changes. [00:05:48][17.6]
[00:05:48] Absolutely not. It's about personal growth. It's also about development. When you are working towards a body goal, it can be very transformative. It can push you beyond your comfort zones. It can instill discipline and it can really enhance your resilience. It can also teach you perseverance, determination and the power of commitment. And as we strive to achieve these goals, we're not only growing physically, but we're also growing mentally, emotionally and spiritually. [00:06:13][24.8]
[00:06:14] When we learn to show up for ourselves with our workouts in the days that we don't feel like it, we develop a solid consistency with our workouts. We learn to embrace the pain of our workouts. The grit really does translate to so many other aspects of our life, whether that is your family life, that is your professional life, that is the areas in which you serve. And when you are able to commit to something and follow through and see results and then maintain that new habit, you realize that you can really do anything, not just with your workouts or your body composition, but it gives you a whole new perspective on what you're actually capable of, which then can unlock a whole new layer of confidence in your day to day life. [00:06:57][43.1]
[00:06:58] Setting body goals doesn't mean that we're dissatisfied with our current bodies. It simply reflects our desire for growth and transformation. So while body goals and loving ourselves can exist independently, they can also have a harmonious relationship. By maintaining this love for your body or appreciation throughout the journey, we are ensuring that our goals align with our values, our aspiration and personal growth, rather than being solely driven by external pressures or comparisons. [00:07:28][29.9]
[00:07:29] And lastly, number three having a healthier body can lead to having a happier, more fulfilled life. Now, this could be a whole episode on itself, but this is the truth. Your body goals, when worked on in a healthy and sustainable way, can really benefit your overall life. Like when we take care of our bodies through regular exercise and proper nutrition, we are boosting our energy levels and enhancing our overall vitality. Engaging in this physical activity, it releases endorphins that then are, you know, the feel good hormone, leaving us feeling energized and invigorated. And with this increased energy, we can then tackle the daily challenges, pursue our passions, and engage in meaningful activities that not only raise our levels of joy, but also our levels of fulfillment. [00:08:16][47.2]
[00:08:17] Plus, regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while promoting overall mental clarity and focus. When we prioritize our physical health, we enhance our brain function, which can lead to increased productivity, improved concentration, and overall just a more positive mindset, which in turn contributes to a happier and more balanced life. [00:08:40][23.2]
[00:08:40] Do you see how kind of all of this is connected? So with this in mind, we need to realize that when trying to change our bodies, that doesn't mean that we don't love our bodies. It means that we do love our bodies and we love our bodies so much. And that's why we are choosing to prioritize giving it the movement and nourishment that it deserves. And I think that that mindset shift can really help you overcome this barrier, because oftentimes I think we might feel shame, especially when telling other people, Oh, we have X, Y, and Z body goal, and then they come to us and say, Well, I just can't believe that you don't. You're not fat or you don't blah, blah, blah. And it's like, man, there's so much more when it comes to having these goals. And when you really look at it from a lens of like, Man, I love my body so much. I acknowledge that there is a creator that carefully crafted my body and I want to steward it well. It actually gives you this deeper drive to set these crazy goals because you're like, I want to push myself and I want to see this through and I want to develop that person and I want to develop that grit and all the things that you develop through pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. [00:09:46][65.5]
[00:09:46] And this is why I have built an entire business off of this, because I know the power of choosing to show up for yourself through honoring your body with movement and nourishing your body with what it needs. I that has been the combo, literally the combo that has unlocked so many things in my life and especially in my health and fitness journey and being able to create the healthiest version of myself mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, all these things. And throughout that process of reaching my body goals through those different avenues, I've learned to love my body more and more along the way. [00:10:24][37.9]
[00:10:24] So if you are wanting to learn more just about honoring your body with movement are nourishing your body with what it needs. I have two programs. The first one movement with Julie. It's a dumbbell only program for women. Five brand new workouts every single week delivered straight to your phone. Literally, there's video demos for every single movement. There's alternate exercises for every single movement in terms of no bench, easier, low impact. So truly, this is for all fitness levels. If you want to learn more about that, you can join 50% off your first month by clicking the link in the show. Notes are going to sale that's S-A-L-E dot movement with Julie dot com. Or on the flip side, if you want to learn how to properly nourish your body, you're like, Man, I got the movement down. But I just I have no idea when it comes to the first step of nourishing my body and I want to make sure that I'm doing both so that they can work in harmony together, so that I can have the energy to go out into the different areas of my life and be my best. I have a program called the Macro Accounting made Simple Online Academy. This teaches you the tool of macro counting so that you can learn to eat the foods that you love every single day while simultaneously hitting your protein, carb and fat goals, and also just feeling energized and actually seeing results for all the hard work that you are putting in in your workouts week in and week out. So both of those are linked in the show notes. [00:11:46][81.4]
[00:11:46] But overall, I want you to know that if you've been thinking about this, like, man, is it okay for me to have goals? Or maybe someone said something to you and you just felt guilty about having it, about having goals, I want you to know that it is okay. I don't want people to shame you. I don't want people to try to put you down or tell you, Oh, you you just have these goals because you're not confident. Absolutely not. I look at this in a totally different lens. I look at this like, Man, I am so confident and I am so just acknowledging the fact that this is the only body, this is the only home that I'm ever going to be in, so much so that I want to push myself outside my comfort zone. I want to push myself mentally and physically, and I want to see myself through with these goals because I know it's so much more than just these physical goals. The things that you are going to be developing will carry out throughout your life, in your professional, in your personal life, in all the various aspects of your life. So I hope that this was just a quick pep talk to remind you, like if you've got goals, I'm right behind you, I am cheering you on. And I think that is beautiful. If you have a friend or a coworker or someone in your life that you feel like would really benefit from this specific episode, I just ask you share it out with them. You can copy the link, send it to them in a text message. You can also screenshot this and post it up on your story. I love, love, love connecting with you guys. That is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so much. I mean it and I'll talk to you the next one. [00:13:12][86.2]
[00:13:21] All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie. A Ledbetter. Yes, It's within in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it. [00:13:21][0.0]
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