You do not have to earn your food

A saw a post on instagram the other day, in fact, I see posts like it on social media all the bloody time. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Honestly, I scrolled right past it and filled my morning with pretty things and glimpses into peoples manicured realities. I forgot about it, and went on about my day. But later that afternoon it popped up again. Except this time it was in my feed that I have dedicated to health and wellness. And I am not going to lie. It pissed me off.

It looked like an innocent 'fitspo' kind of post... [gosh I am rolling my eyes as I write that. I hate that word for so many bloody reasons] A strong, fierce women in the middle of a renegade row. I can only imagine the focus and strength to complete that move took. The caption is what rubbed me the wrong way. "Earn your Sunday Brunch" I am sorry. But get fucked.



It has taken me so long to work out that food isn't a fucking reward. I get it. This might feel like a weird thing for me to be saying. I mean think about it, the concept of food as a reward or a treat, has been entrenched in our lives basically from the time we are born. As kids, when we are good, we are rewarded with food. When we need cheering up, we were given icecream. And as we grew, the complexity of this absurd notion grows, almost astronomically. Suddenly we get to this point where in order to eat a piece of fucking cake we think we have to run on a treadmill for 39 minutes and do 8 hours of burpees. You know what I am talking about, those awful pictures, comparing how many calories are in a type of food, and what outrageous amount of exercise you need to do to 'burn' it. They are chaotic, and fear inducing. And quite frankly as far as I am concerned a load of shit.

You do not have to earn your food. This whole idea is so fucking poisonous. It engrains the notion that food should have emotions attached to it. You know, Lettuce is obviously good, and if you eat a lot of it, then you are also obviously good. Pizza on the other hand, is bad. And if you eat it, well not only are you bad, but holy fuck you better get your ass to the gym, because the only way for you to feel better about yourself is to 'earn your food right'? WRONG! Ugh. I hate to break it to you, but its just food ladies and gents. Some types of foods help you get to your goal, and others, well others don't. But we shouldn't feel like we can't eat something until we work for it. The bargaining has to stop if we truly want to start to build a healthy relationship with food and with exercise. The guilt, that we associate with food needs to get in the bin. Seriously. Bye Felicia.

We have to fucking stop talking about exercise as punishment. This idea, that the only reason we should exercise is to pay penance for our food choices is ludicrous babes. Moving your body should absolutely not come from a place of hate. I'm going to write that again. Just so you have to read it twice. Moving your body should absolutely not come from a place from hate. Your body is amazing. And it should be celebrated. Now, I don't want to tell you what you should do with your body, because hell, it is yours and you are the only one that should decide how you treat it. But for me, I exercise because it makes me feel good. It makes me feel strong. I exercise because I know that moving my body is important. I certainly don't exercise so I can eat something.

If your self talk around exercise is including comments like "If I exercise I can eat... this." or "I have to change this body because it is not good enough right now" take a step back. Write a list about all the things you love about yourself, maybe include all of the things that your body allows you to do now, right as it is at this morning. And challenge the voice that is saying it, by flipping the script and focusing on being more, not less. Stronger, more energetic and simply more happy with who you are, and how you feel about your body. You got this babe.