A while back, a gal I was following on Instagram did a post about eating ice cream as a form of self-love.

I unfollowed her after that, because I want my social media to show me stuff that inspires me.

And “spoiling yourself” with copious amounts of sugar, alcohol, and processed food isn’t my idea of self-love.

Oh, I get the temptation. I get the thinking. I wrestle with those thoughts, too. I’ve got an inner fat girl, just like you.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean I think it’s bad to enjoy the food you eat, or to have food present at your special occasions. It’s not!

My issue is the way we’ve taken it to the extreme and made everything revolve around food.

Every little tiny little thing becomes an excuse to eat, eat, and eat some more. Combine that with lack of activity and the terrible quality of our food, and you get the health mess we’re in now.

As for calling eating sugar and junk a form of self-love, let me ask you this…

Is constantly feeding yourself in a way that equates to “slow poison that tastes good” really showing yourself “love?”

Because to me, it sounds like the opposite.

To me, giving your body clean, healthy fuel, in amounts your body needs (instead of to excess) is the way you show yourself love when it comes to food.

Plus, food is not a substitute for love. Food is food.

Bottom line: A toxic relationship with food is not a self-care strategy.

It’s a symptom of problems that need solved.

If you’re struggling in this area, it’s not just you, so there’s no need to feel like a failure or anything.

A much better use of your time and energy is to learn how to show self-love without self-sabotage.

And you can start by answering this simple question:

What fills your cup without harming you?

For example, a bubble bath while listening to music. Walking your dogs. Getting a massage or a facial. Getting your nails done. Reading a good book.

See what I mean? There are lots of ways to fill your own cup.

Pick one thing that fills your cup and do at least once a week..

Especially because, when your cup is full, it’s way easier to stay on track with a healthy lifestyle.