10 Steps Towards Body Liberation and Fat Embodiment
From Guest Contributor, Melanie Lossaco, SEP, Somatic Embodiment Coach
Understanding the interconnectedness and importance of body liberation and fat embodiment is paramount in fostering a society that values inclusivity, diversity, and respect for all individuals. By acknowledging and celebrating the myriad forms of human bodies, we empower individuals to embrace their own unique identities free from societal stigmatization. Liberation from oppressive beauty standards and the reclamation of fat embodiment are essential steps towards fostering a culture of acceptance, where individuals are liberated to inhabit their bodies authentically and without shame. This holistic approach not only promotes physical well-being but also nurtures psychological and emotional health, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and compassionate society for all.
Are you a person on the higher end of the weight spectrum, and feeling curious about how to feel a greater sense of embodied safety?
Are you curious about what helps folx reclaim the word fat as a neutral descriptor and build resilience in a world where your body is marginalized?
Here are some ideas for you towards this pursuit.
10 Steps Towards Body Liberation and Fat Embodiment.
STEP ONE:
Question the status quo -
Chances are you’ve been taught that your fat body is a problem that needs to be solved. The problem is actually diet culture and our obsession with weight and appearance, not you. Unlearning diet culture is a long process but even just naming the culture as the problem rather than yourself is a good place to start. (Bonus, you are already starting by checking out this information!)
STEP TWO:
School yourself on diet culture, anti-fat bias, ableism, white supremacy and how they all connect to our bodies. There are plenty of free resources on social media and at your local library. If you have some financial resources available, please find ways to support the folx who offer this knowledge - especially BIPOC and Queer Folx. Support their patreon, buy their books etc.
STEP THREE:
Start to challenge the ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ - in particular how you might reference your body and food. Ice cream is a food. Broccoli is a food. Neither is good or bad, they both offer different things to our bodies. Bodies come in all different forms, no one body is good or bad. What happens when we stop assigning meaning or value to ourselves and our choices?
STEP FOUR:
Ask yourself - How do I want to feel in my body? Instead of focusing on a number on the scale, clothing size or an appearance related goal, how do you actually want to feel? Energized? Comfortable? Neutral? Grounded? Strong?
STEP FIVE:
Learn the language of your body by engaging with your 5 senses. Awareness of our senses helps us to build communication with our bodies. Practice engaging with each sense as it feels doable. Some senses might be easier to access than others. That’s okay, go at your own pace. (What’s a smell you really love? Music that moves you? Art that you like to view? Favorite taste? Something that feels nice to touch?)
STEP SIX:
Find ways to move your body that work for YOUR BODY. Not to burn calories. Not because you ‘should’. Because building a relationship with our bodies is enhanced by movement and as fat folx we have often been taught to punish or dissociate from our bodies. Movement can mean lots of different things - it can be simply putting your feet on the floor and curling your toes. It can be clapping your hands or opening your shoulders. It can also be dancing, swimming, walking. There is no right or wrong way to move.
STEP SEVEN:
Seek out neutral/positive images of other fat people. Desensitize yourself. It’s really important for us to see images of ourselves that are not the traditional ‘before and after’ pictures or headless bodies on news reports covering the “obesity epidemic”. Are there things you can appreciate about others bodies or assumptions you don’t make when it’s another’s body instead of your own? Sometimes it’s easier to have acceptance of other people than ourselves. It’s okay if judgment shows up, too.
STEP EIGHT:
Interrupt and reframe - see if you can notice when negative self talk and behaviors arise. This doesn’t mean you have to immediately replace it with a cheesy self love mantra, but at least notice when these thoughts arise and see if you can challenge them or reframe them a bit. Even if you go back to the negative thought, the act of interrupting helps build our capacity to notice and change these engrained beliefs.
STEP NINE:
Have patience and compassion for yourself. Even though I listed these out in a way that might imply they are easy, they are not. The goal is not perfection, it’s to be curious and to practice. Some days this will be easier than others, some days it will be really hard.
STEP TEN:
Find support on your journey. These are starting points, each one has way more depth and there are nuanced conversations to be had. One way to get support is to work with an explicitly fat-positive, body liberation, anti-diet therapist or coach. If you’d like to find out more about Embodiment Coaching with me, reach out through the links below.
MELANIE LOSACCO, SEP
Melanie Losacco, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, offers Somatic Coaching to help fat folx get embodied in the body they have right now. You can find her here melanielosacco.com and on Instagram @embodiedmelanielosacco.
Seeking Support to Move Towards Body Liberation?
If you live anywhere in North Carolina or South Carolina and would like to start body liberation oriented, weight-inclusive, body-centered psychotherapy for your eating disorder recovery and body image healing journey, our experienced and effective therapists can help. Our therapists are able to see clients living anywhere in North Carolina or South Carolina. It’s important we get you matched up with the right therapist. The first step is to reach out online or give us a call at 828-279-7091.
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