We live in a society that often values people based on how they look. We have conversations about “skinny privilege,” “pretty privilege,” and even “color privilege.” Those are all real.

However, on the flipside, we also have become more accepting of people of other sizes. Models who don’t fit the stereotype are becoming more prevalent. We also are hearing the term “body positivity” more. A lot of people have different definitions of that term, but I want to highlight my definition and how it pertains to me.

To me, body positivity means loving your body and your own skin, regardless of where you are at. We only get one body. It’s important to recognize what all it does for you. Your body is your home. It wakes you up, puts you to sleep, helps you turn food into nourishment and energy, and so much more.

Your body is also what keeps you alive. You won’t have a long life if your body can’t take care of you properly. You have to be able to take care of your body so your body can take care of you. I’m not a dietician. I can’t tell you what foods to consume or avoid, and what works for you. But I can tell you that the foods you consume are what fuels your body to be able to do everything you need to for your daily life.

I have not always had the best relationship with my body. I do not always appreciate what I am capable of. But here recently, I have been getting to a place where I can respect my body. I was a cheerleader and soccer player in middle school and high school. My body could do some really cool things then. Now, I’m a martial artist, and my body can do more things than I ever thought I was capable of. I can break wood with my bare hands or feet! And I’m still going and learning. I’m getting ready for my next midterm coming up in March.

I’m not perfect about this. I still struggle with how I see myself somedays. I would still like to lose weight and be healthier. However, I’m not looking for a specific number on the scale or a specific clothing size. My happiness is not defined by how much I weigh or how much weight I lose. I want to be strong and healthy. I want to be someone who can continue doing activities that I love for a long time. I’m trying to get better at taking care of myself by being mindful of the foods I eat and being more active. I’m also focusing on my overall wellness because things like stress and sleep play a part in my body as well.

My students tend to say mean things about each other without thinking. I tell my students not to comment on things about other people that cannot be changed in 30 seconds or less. What is commented on might be something that is an insecurity. I am trying to work on getting them to use nice words.

I see a lot of weight loss transformations on social media. And that’s definitely something to be proud of if that’s an accomplishment in your life as long as it’s done the right way. Nobody should feel pressured to lose or gain weight. And if that is a route you choose for yourself, then you shouldn’t do it by depriving yourself of nutrition or by loading up on food that lacks a lot of nutrients all the time.

I want to still lose weight for myself to feel better. I want to achieve new levels of health and wellness. But my goal is not a number on the scale. Nor is my goal a size around my waist. My goal is more focused on feeling good about my body and proud of what I can do every single day. While I do want to lose weight, I want to focus more on understanding what being healthy looks like for my body. I want to be conscious about my nutrition, continue to move and stretch my body physically, get better and deeper sleep, and navigate my mental health for my best life. In other words, I want to focus on wellness. My body is where the wellness happens. As a history teacher, I can tell you that no historical event happens in a vacuum without a cause or effect. The same is true with health and wellness. The body is the capsule. If you don’t take care of it, then none of the other stuff matters.

A person’s value is not based on size. You are just as much of a person and worthy of respect regardless of how much you weigh. People and society should not assign worth based on the number of pounds on the scale or the size on your pants. Unfortunately, this is the case most of the time.

No matter what size you are, your body can do some pretty cool things. That’s worth celebrating. I’m working on the relationship I have with my body because I want to be able to enjoy and appreciate it for a long time to come. That, to me, is true body positivity.