An Apology Letter to my Body

Dear Body,

First off, I'm sorry. It's taken me way too long to realize how awesome you are. You truly are appreciated. And I'm only just beggining to learn these things. I'm sorry for denying you food when you were hungry and overeating when you weren't hungry. I'm sorry for saying mean things about you and calling you names. I'm sorry for weighing you and letting that weight determine my feelings towards you and my attitude. I'm sorry for being obessive over things that don't really matter. I'm really going to start trying to be kinder to you. It's hard and I'm only beginning to learn please be patient with me.

I must make a special apology to my thighs. All the years I spend staring at you and measuring you and complaining about you. I was wrong, you were right. I need you strong so I can do and teach spinning classes. There's nothing like coming out of a spinning class feeling awesome and hearing people talk about how fast you went. I hope you appreciate the new spinning shoes I bought. There just for you.

I have to thank my stomach for keeping a small pooch to remind me that I'm a girl and that pooch is special and serves a purpose. Thank you arms for being able to do push ups and hug the people who matter most in my life. Thank you legs for letting me run and feel powerful. Thank you body. Your amazing. I want to treat you better.

Love,

Leah

-Post your letter of apology to your body!!!

Dear Body,

I’m sorry for all the times I’ve hated you & hurt you.  It’s difficult to be your friend.  I see you as an enemy for some reason; you’re not perfect enough, small enough, tight enough, fast enough…I could go on forever with all of the things I think you aren’t but you already know how I feel.  The strange thing is that I’m the one that makes you all the things I hate.  I don’t know why?  I have spent so much time focusing on you.  Working you really hard then quitting and continuing to hurt you by eating too much then working really hard again…you know the cycle.  It’s strange to actually acknowledge it, put it in writing.  So many times I know you’re wanted me to stop the cycle and I haven’t.  I’m truly sorry and I really appreciate you not giving up on me after all these years of abuse.  I’m not going to make you any promises I’m worried after all these years of abusing you I’m afraid I can’t stop.  If I look at it really look at it we’re in an abusive relationship and I’m the abuser.  Wow that’s horrible I need help! 

This is a really great thing to do I’ve come to the realization I’ll an abuser!!!

Dear Body,

I'm so sorry for everything.  For all the times I could have fed you  but didn't, and then forced unimaginable amounts of food into you when I got "hungry".  I'm sorry for squeezing you into clothes that made you look bad just because they were "cool."  I'm sorry for all the times I cried over you when you were trying your best to make me happy, but just couldn't.  I'm sorry for blaming my bad fortunes on you, and expecting you to shape up out of guilt.  I'm sorry for hating on you in my groups of friends, and saying how I could trade you in a heart beat.  You are what MAKES my heart beat, and without out you, I'd be DEAD.  Plain and simple.  You amazing, complex functions keep me breathing, smiling, laughing, and talking about YOU.  I'm sorry for all the times I thought about REALLY bad things to do to you, like stopping my own life.  You never deserved that, and you never will.  I hope that we can someday be in perfect harmony... that's why I'm doing this, to try and make BOTH of us better... body, mind, and soul.  I want things to be like they were, when we were both young, and it didn't matter how many Goldfish we ate, and who had ever heard of a DIET?  We just wanted to have fun and enjoy life.  And that's how it should be...

I LOVE YOU, BODY.  YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME, AND YOU'LL BE THERE TO THE END.  YOU'RE AMAZING.

Dear Knees, thank you for the wake up call. I know you'll always creak and crack now that you've had to carry my pounding weight on unforgiving concrete, but thanks for not giving up on me totally. To my Right Knee, I know you'll never be the same but I am grateful for your getting stronger and continuing to let me walk, hike and exercise without a brace. I know I was angry at you and hit you out of frustration for failing me but I know now I failed you.

Dear Thighs and Hips and Butt, I know that the three of you and my Waist are not the best of friends right now. You guys insist on a size 16 trouser while my waist insists on a 14. I'll do my best to find a happy medium until you 4 can come to an agreement. I know that Ms Waist dropped more inches than you, even though you did most of the work, what with the lunges/squats/elliptical and all. You deserve most of the credit so please be patient with Waist as she's excited to be an hourglass again. Thanks for grunting with resignation when I take the stairs and not screaming at me like you used to do.

Dear Waist and Stomach, thanks for finally doing a full sit up! Thanks for shrinking so my breast's look bigger. I know I pinch the pooch and wonder when the folds will disapear but I can see how far you've come and I'm proud of you. By the way be nice to Hips/Thighs/Butt, they need a bit of TLC right now.

Dear Breasts and Chest...I know that I complain that you're not perky and that you've had stretch marks since I was 13, but I never wished you to be bigger or smaller...in fact you are one of the best looking racks I've ever seen. Keep up the good work! Chest, I'm sorry for the 100 push ups I did the other day...I never thought you'd make it to the end but you proved me wrong.

Dear Arms...I'll be honest...I hate the flap of fat under your upper part. I'm not sure you'll ever go away but I promise to try my best to not look down on you for trying your hardest. You've gotten stronger and supported Ms. Chest during her 100 push up torture session. Thanks for your patience and thanks for the hugs when I'm feeling down.

Dear Body:

Thank you for being strong enough to endure the last 20 years of abuse that I've thrown at you. I was mean to you, made fun of you, hated you, poisoned you, and dressed you in clothes that hid youand shamed you. I didn't love you for your gifts of strength and health, rather I blamed my failure on you. I convinced myself it was your genes and not my depression and fear that kept you drowning and trapped in those extra pounds. I rejected you.

I never wanted any 'body' but you. I looked at beautiful, healthy actresses and athletes and said, wow she looks great but I never wished for their body. I only wanted you. And under all that anger, sadness, and frustration, was my desire to be strong and brave enough to love you the way you deserved to be loved. I was afraid to love you. I'm sorry.

Dear Body of Mine.

I know your not perfect but parts of you are excellent.
From the waist up and from the knee down You got it going on. ha
I'm working on you mid-section.  Hips listen up I don't need reserves.  However, thanks for taking the blow when I ran into the wall the other day.  You really are like having an extra set of C's or D's  They go up and down with me.
When I had to get that so-called painful shot at the Emergency room this year I never felt a thing thanks to my hips! 
Body I treat you like my marriage.  One eye shut one eye open.
I have treated you pretty good I must say.
I've always tried to help ya out.
I permitted you to sleep in.
I permitted you to have cake now and then.
I've given you daily vitamins and fish oil and "such as". ha
Gave you the apple most days. 
Prayed everyday.
Keep ya smooth as silk, you know I'm a clean freak.
Now to the inside parts that are voluntary and involuntary who says there is no God?  It would take a God to put in such systems and how the body naturally heals itself amazes even doctors. 
Now to the parts that only a mother could love thanks for holding up the good parts.  I'm praying for ya. tee/hee
Thanks for the ride of life. Now help me lose these 50 pounds would ya.

Yours truly

Reading these is really giving me motivation to be healthy.

 

It's not about living up to some crazy standard of being a stick-thin-no-ass beanpole but it's about appreciating your body and how amazing it really is.

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

hey sugar that makes me think of Justin Timberlakes song...

DEar body,
I'm sorry for being so judgemental. i keep judging you for my brain's choices, it's not your fault! thanks hands and arms for writing all my tedious schoolwork, thanks tummy for being a constant reminder that i can always lose that pooch, thanks hips for being narrow, thanks thighs for being "Muscular" and encouraging for losing weight! thanks calves for staying slim, and thanks booty for slimming down, keep it up!! you're almost there!
i guess i need to apologize for making you eat disgusting crap like ice cream and sugary chocolate confections that would clog you up. those days are over!! i've been treating you much better recently, so thanks for the good feelings in return! let's keep it up!
love, me

Dear Body,

After we went to war together, I let you down.  We came back and grew apart.  I stopped paying attention to you.  There were times that you let me know that you were in pain, but I didn't know that there was anything that I could do.

To my feet, I have to say a special apology.  I am sorry that I did not fight for your surgery sooner.  Perhaps we wouldn't be at the weight we are today if I had.  I pledge, now that the three of us are better, we will be working out regularly again.

I will never leave another Vet behind, and that includes you, Body.

 

Dear Body,

 I'm sorry for ignoring you.  I'm sorry that I couldn't allow myself to feel you while I stuffed you full of unhealthy junk food and expected you to still stay thin despite all of it.  I'm sorry for giving you celulite and stretch marks.  I'm sorry for hating my tummy and for cursing my breasts.  You give me life and take me where I want to go and I'm sorry for neglecting that.

 I have a hard time telling you what's beautiful about you.  The best I can do is promise you that I will make you beautiful again, because you once were the hottest thing around.  I promise not to judge you anymore by what size you are. 

Thank you heart for continuing to beat, thank you brain for stability and thank you lungs for giving me sweat breath to breathe.  Thank you legs for taking me where I want to go, thank you arms for allowing me to hug my little boy, thank you eyes for allowing me to see the people I love and thank you mouth for allowing me to speak words of love.

 Love,

Me

Dear body,

Over the years I have blamed you for all my faults in life. I blamed you for my weight gain, I blamed you when the scale went up another pound. I blamed you when I was depressed. I blamed you because I wasn't attractive enough, I blamed you for my stretch marks and cellulite and now I realize that it's not you... it's not you who made me eat, it's not you who made me gain that extra pound, but its me and for this i am sorry, I'm sorry for not listening to you, for not taking care of you and calling you all kinds of the nasty names and I'm sorry when I abuse you with alcohol.  

Please accept my sincere apology when I tell you I'm sorry for not putting you first in my life.  You are the key to success in my life, my happiness, my freind and yet I treated you worse than my enemy. Let's stop this vicious cycle and get to know one another and be friends.  

Love, me

Dear body...

Can you forgive me? Like, truely? 

Thighs: I thank you for taking me the places that you do! I thank you for being strong, and helping me get 6K done in 27 minutes, I never thought of thanking you for it!  People call thighs like you "thunder thighs" but really, you should be called "wonder thighs". You are so strong, and I know I've hated you for it, how I wished I was anorexic because I wanted thin legs, how I hate showing you off, and how I've fallen, injured and hurt you.

Calves: I take it you don't like it when I sit for long, you gave me those cramps the other day, it hurt, I guess you are saying for me to be more active, I do run, you know it, but...I guess I wish there was an easy way to be thin... I know as of late that I have been bothering you, and how I think you look fat even though you are almost pure muscle..  I hope you understand the media pressure there is, though I wish there wasn't...

Skin: Yea, I know....I barely drink enough water to keep me hydrated let alone keep you healthy, if I get a zit, I marr up my face with scraches and then I attempt to cover it up with makeup, as if you aren't beautiful...I've scarred you when I have mosquito bites and I scratch them, I've been burned and I don't keep you warm enough, I'm sorry.

Hair: I treat you the best, even so I still bother you on how fuzzy you are, or when you get oily before the day is done.  I hope you like my current hair colour, I promise I won't dye my hair again for a long while, let you grow nice, long and brown again. <3

Body: I'm sorry for putting all those sweets in you, even when I PROMISE myself I wont because I want to be thin, I'm sorry, I have no will, I guess...I'm sorry for upsetting you when I make myself throw up, I will try not to do it again, but I do it after I stuff you up, so I'm sorry, if I don't do one, then I don't have to do the other.

Metabolism: I still kind of hate you, I wish you would speed up, perhaps we could cut some sort of deal and I help you help me?

Butt: Why is it impossible for me to tone you? I've been running for at least 9 years and you still don't stop being flabby....(sigh) I'm sorry...Thank you for cushioning my bones from the hard surfaces that I sit on.

Eyes: >.> Sorry...Really, I can't even wear my contacts without getting an inflamation and I broke my glasses, I know you don't like when I strain you so I can see the whiteboard, I promise to wear contacts more often.

Belly: I thank you for not being too obvious, I hope that you stay that way and I promise to put more healthy things in my body so you don't get big. <3 

So, Body, I am dearly sorry, I hope you can forgive me, and I hope we can work together to keep both of up happy and healthy, I want that. <3

what a great idea.

Dear body,

I am truely sorry for weighing myself so much when really i never seem to change. I am sorry for starving you and over eating and esecially for the purges. I am sorry for running mile after mile wehen you were injured.

i love that i have a strong body so i can carry my 32 lb 22 month old son. my pooch, i guess serves a purpose so i will try really hard to not hate it so much. i will try harder to treat you as the special person you are.

Thanks,

xoxo,

Amy:)

What a great thread. I just opened up my journal and wrote a private love note to my body. It felt good!

I think I need to do this so I can finally get back on track. Here goes...

 Dear body,

How's it going? I'm sorry I eat when you're not hungry. I know that I'm doing it, but I find it extremely hard to stop myself. I know its not helping you out any when I eat cereal, pop corn, chips, peanut butter toast, and everything else late at night. I'm sorry I wear unflattering clothes that hide you from the world. You do have some really great attributes and I should be more comfortable showing you off, because you deserve to be seen.  I'm sorry I always look at you and judge you and focus only on your bad points. From this point on, I will try my best to only eat when I'm hungry.  I'm sorry I haven't been exercising anymore. Law school has been keeping me busy. But I will take the stairs up to the 4th floor of the library every day, carrying around my backpack to try to get in a little bit of cardio. And I'm sorry Parus is so grabby with your boobs and butt. He just seems to love you a lot more than I do, so he finds it hard not to touch you. 

I hope things will be better between us now. Remember two years ago when we lost 12 pounds by eating less and exercising more? We felt great and I loved you so much then. Lets try to do that again, but this time, lets lose the whole 20 pounds!

See ya in a few.

 Love,

Me

P.S. There won't be a famine anytime soon and I won't be getting pregnant, so feel free to let go of any excess fat you have laying around. Thanks. 

Dear Body,

First, I want you to know that I am thankful for you.

Second, I want to admit that I have mistreated you, and I am very sorry for that....

• I am sorry for letting my feelings about you be determined by the numbers on the scale or the numbers on the tags inside my clothes.
• I am sorry for not feeding you the best, healthiest, most nutritious and satisfying foods.
• I am sorry for not supplying you with enough pure fresh water, but instead pouring diet sodas, artificially sweetened drink mixes, and other junk into you.
• I am sorry for not exercising you and taking advantage of the energy you give me.
• I am sorry for not giving you enough sleep and time to rest and relax.
• I am sorry that I have EXPECTED MORE OUT OF YOU THAN I HAVE PUT INTO YOU.
• I am sorry for judging you and comparing you to other bodies.
• I am sorry for dwelling on your 'problem' aspects and ignoring your many many positive aspects.
• I am sorry for looking at you in the mirror or in pictures and being displeased.
• I am sorry for ALWAYS WANTING TO CHANGE YOU and not accepting you the way you were meant to be.
• I am sorry for expecting big changes from you.. especially, expecting you to magically shrink overnight.. even though I did little to help you along the way.
• I am sorry that I HAVE BEEN YOUR WORST CRITIC... saying, thinking, and believe such negative and judgmental things about you.
• I am sorry for not being proud of you.
• I am sorry that I have not made you a priority in my life and taken care of you the way that you deserve.
• I am sorry that I HAVE NOT TREATED YOU WITH RESPECT, APPRECIATION, AND LOVE.

I cannot change the ways that I have mistreated you in the past. But, I can let you know that I am truly sorry and I have realized that I am wrong. I will remember the lessons I have learned from my mistakes. And, I promise that I will treat you better... I will love, respect, and appreciate you... for the rest of my life.

Love, me.

God's Temple

Now i know what God meant when he said that my body was his temple. You are so perfect!

It amazes me how you work! You tell me when you're hungry & when your tired & even when there's a change going on that may or may not be attributed to my womanhood.

I am sorry if i ever took you for granted & ignored you & i am sorry that a long long time ago i tried to hurt you. But most of all i want to thank you. I don't want to spend my time apologizing because you are me & i am you. You know exactly how i feel. I mostly want to THANK YOU. You have given me the inspiration to be a better person. Ever since i started working out & eating better, you've responded with nothing but great things.

I appreciate you showing me those muscles i've worked hard for & i appreciate you not giving out on me at the gym when it's 10PM & i've been up since 5AM. You truly are remarkable. I don't deserve you & yet God blessed me with you. I will not take you for granted. Please be patient as i am learning.

Thank You

-Nelli

dear my body.

I'm sorry about the amount of food and lack of exercise i gave you. i appologise for how much i made you gain in the past month. I'm sorry i drank so much alcohol in the past and im sorry i hurt you and bruised you and gashed you open when i was depressed. I'm sorry ive scarred you.

Dear Body~

We've had some tough years haven't we.  I have to say, I don't blame you.  It's not truely your fault I had kids.  You were the one that nurtured and fed and kept my babies safe for the first 30 some weeks of their lives.  I did not feed you the healthiest during that first pregnancy, or after.  I tried to treat you better but I had my priorities diffierent and you got left by the way side.  When I was pregnant with my twins I did try to treat you better.  You also let me know what foods you wanted and needed, thank you.  I apologies for how badly the doctors stitched you up.  You wear your battle scares well.

I did try to do good by you, my intentions were in the right place.  I didn't look at this as treating you well, just making you thin.  I now know what I did wrong.  Together we will be and do the best we can.  You have treated me well, it is now my turn to repay you.  I know you will not look the same as you did when you were 18.  You are started to look pretty good.  I promise to feed you healthier foods and to give you a good workout, build up your muscles and take care of you better.

Dear Body,

     I'm sorry that I've been ashamed of you for the past 12 years.  I'm sorry that I've used bad things in my life as an excuse to mistreat you and use you to hide in.  I'm sorry that I allowed my grandpa's words to sink into my heart and I'm sorry that I somehow allowed food to become a healer instead of a nurisher.  I'm sorry about the ugly things I say about you, you are beautiful because you are what God gave me.  I'm sorry I have mistreated you.

 Love,

Sara

That's beautiful Sara!

I believe that's what a lot of us have done... then we feel we can't 'get back out'! Hiding is how it felt... Thanks for sharing!

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