How to Convince My Body That I’m Safe

I used to think weight loss was about trying harder.

Push more.
Eat cleaner.
Burn faster.
Suffer better.
Be better.

But what nobody ever told me was —
sometimes, your body isn’t holding on to weight because you’re lazy or broken.
Sometimes, it’s because your body is terrified.
Clinging.
Protecting you.
Surviving you.

It’s not betrayal.
It’s survival.

Because a body can resist weight loss when it doesn’t feel safe.
And mine?
Mine had been fighting invisible wars for years.

Mental exhaustion.
Emotional spirals.
Forcing myself to keep going even when my soul was dragging its feet behind me.

I exercised.
I ate vegetables.
I even became the slowest eater among everyone I knew.
I tried.

God knows, I tried.

But my body didn’t let go.
It held on tighter.
Because from the inside out, it believed —
"It’s not safe yet. I need to protect her."

I didn’t realize how deep survival could run.
How quiet it could be.
How a body can still be breathing, smiling, showing up — and yet be screaming inside to hold on, just a little longer.

So now, I’m not chasing weight loss anymore.
I’m chasing safety.

Because when my body finally believes that she is safe, she will let go naturally.
Not out of punishment.
Not out of desperation.
But out of trust.

So here’s how I’m learning to convince my body that she’s safe now:

I feed her enough — not too much, not too little.
I move her gently — because movement is a celebration, not a punishment.
I let her rest — deeply, guiltlessly.
I talk to her kindly — even on the days she feels heavy, slow, bloated.
I show up — again and again — with love, not shame.

I am telling my body:
"The danger is over now. You are allowed to live. You are allowed to bloom."

And you know what?
This time, I believe her.
This time, she believes me too.

Slowly.
Gently.
Steadily.
Forever.

This is how I heal.

This is how I bloom.