Jelly Belly

Jelly Belly

I love starting my day with a quick run or Peleton ride to wake up my body and shake the cobwebs out of my brain. Typically, a quick twenty minutes wakes me up and gets me going. 

One morning, I was running down the block by our home—pushing my younger sons in the jog-buggy while my daughter scooted beside me.

New England weather can be unpredictable—a crisp, cool wind one moment, then blazingly sunny the next. 

A few minutes into my run, I realized that I was overdressed. With my long-sleeved shirt, sports bra, and full-length pants, I was roasting.

I had a choice. I could keep my shirt on (and feel overheated and uncomfortable for the rest of my run) or I could take my shirt off. 

Shirt off...or on?

Maybe this wouldn’t be much of a quandary for someone who’s never struggled with their body image (does this magical unicorn-person exist, somewhere?). But for most people, myself included, the notion of whipping off your shirt in public, in broad daylight, can feel daunting.

Truth is, I don’t really love my stomach. After five babies, hernia surgery, and diastasis recti, things don’t look like they used to anymore.  

As sweat soaked through my shirt, I realized that this was one of those “practice what you preach” moments. How can I preach self-acceptance to my clients if I don’t model it, myself? I need to walk my talk. Or in this case, run my talk.

So I peeled off my shirt. 

My daughter gave me a little side-eye glance. As my belly jiggled in the sunlight, I told her, "You know what, I don’t love this jelly belly, but this is what I’ve got, I accept it and am grateful that it was home for my babies!” 

You might be wondering, “Wait a sec, aren’t you supposed to ‘love’ your body? If you don’t love your body, that means something’s wrong, right?” 

In a word, no.

In a perfect utopia, sure, you’d love every inch of your body, every single moment of every day. In real life? For most of us, this isn’t realistic. 

Do you love your job 100% of the time? Probably not. But you recognize that it’s important. 

Do you love being a parent 100% of the time? Nope. Some moments are incredibly stressful and you’d rather be sipping a Mai Tai on a beach somewhere. Yet, you still recognize that parenting is rewarding and meaningful. 

Do you love your body 100% of the time? Maybe not, and that’s okay. You can still feel acceptance, respect, and even gratitude for something—like your body—even when you don’t feel madly “in love.”

If you don’t completely love your body, that’s okay. Work towards acceptance rather than love. 

Acceptance is liberating. Acceptance feels like, “I don’t love my jiggly belly but honestly, it doesn’t matter that much and it's definitely not going to ruin my day.” Acceptance feels like, “Who cares?” “Hey, no big deal.” “Whatevs!” “It’s all good.” Remember those super mellow sea turtles from Finding Nemo who are just…relaxed and unbothered? It’s like that. 

Jiggly, wiggly, boney, thick, curvy, flat, round, whatever you’ve got, try to accept it. Move on with your day. Keep your shirt on, or take it off, whatever you want. 

Acceptance is freedom. The freedom to focus on things that really matter in life—like the sound of your kids’ laughter on a bright summer morning, the sweet air filling your lungs as you run, the feeling of gratitude for your legs carrying you forward, feeling the sun on your jelly belly, and not even caring who sees. 

xoxo, 


PS. I can help you get comfortable with your body through my one-on-one coaching.  Last call for fall sessions.... just hit reply to this email!  

PPS. If you live in NYC or San Francisco, check out my friend Jenny Gaither’s Dare to Bare project, which encourages women everywhere to work out, get sweaty, and have fun in a sports bra—and bottoms, of course! Jenny’s mission is incredible.