The Perimenopause Body Positivity Predicament

For many years, I've been working with patients dealing with eating disorders and body image issues. I've been educating young women on the importance of achieving and maintaining a positive body image. I've dedicated countless hours to training and becoming certified to lead these discussions. I've always felt confident and qualified to engage in these conversations. I'm open with my students, patients, and clients about my own past struggles with body image, which I've overcome using many of the strategies I now teach them.

Enter Perimenopause ~ Perimenopause is strange and frustrating. Just when you think you understand what's happening with your body, a new and unexpected symptom appears to unsettle you. The changes I find most challenging are those affecting my body's shape and size. Suddenly, my clothes fit differently, and the foods and drinks I consume have a significant impact on how I feel. Over the past few months, I've been researching supplements, altering my diet, and avoiding certain clothing. While some of this is appropriate, as my body requires different nutrients during this transition, much of my research has been driven by negative body image. Consequently, I've felt a sense of hypocrisy when discussing positive body image with my clients, knowing I am also struggling.

I've decided to change the narrative and follow my own advice. I'm focusing on what my body is capable of. I'm engaging in activities that make me feel strong and confident in my body's abilities. I'm prioritizing yoga and celebrating every pose. I'm pushing through physical therapy for my knee to regain my former abilities. I'm reminding myself that my changing body has different nutritional needs, and I'm trying to meet those. Protein, anyone?!?!?!? I'm also consciously acknowledging features I appreciate each day. Lastly, I'm reminding myself that these changes are normal. Change is daunting, but it can also be beautiful.

As I navigate these doubts and practice tools to regain a positive body image, I'm sharing my journey with my clients. We're all human and will have good days and days when we struggle, so let's talk about it. I explain how my social media algorithm suddenly inundates me with ads and reels about the insecurities I've developed. Sound familiar? I then guide the conversation toward how we can adjust our algorithms to show more positive and helpful content. I've noticed myself falling into the traps set by social media influencers and have to remind myself that they're selling a product. Has this happened to you? If my 40-something-year-old brain struggles to separate emotional from rational thinking regarding self-doubt, imagine how challenging this must be for an adolescent brain. Tween and teen girls want to feel understood, and simply telling them to "feel good about your body" isn't enough. As adult women, many of us are starting the perimenopause journey, and we should have open discussions with our girls about why body positivity is challenging and how we can navigate it together. It's incredibly important that we love ourselves. Life is beautiful, and so are we.