Let's Talk About Body Image.

We see the cookie. It looks warm and soft, with melting chocolate chips spilling out the side. . . We WANT that cookie. We want to devour that damn cookie. But. . . we also have a voice in the back of our heads telling us: "two seconds on your lips, forever on your hips," "you'll regret it later," "you don't need it," "you'll need to workout for an hour to burn it off."

We all have inner debates with ourselves daily. It's annoying how much brain power and time we spend fighting cravings, being mad at our bodies, hating ourselves, comparing ourselves to others and stressing ourselves out about food and exercise rules. It's actually absurd how much time we spend doing this.

Imagine if we spent this time doing something else? Imagine if we practiced body kindness, loved ourselves and appreciated our differences. We'd be so much HAPPIER and more productive in living a fulfilling life.

I know what some of you are thinking: If I just lose the weight, I'll be good! I'll love myself and life will be great. Unfortunately that's not exactly how self-love works. If you don't love yourself now, you'll be hard-pressed trying to get to that point. That "perfect" point doesn't exist. It's much easier to love what is and work toward goals with body kindness in mind.

My Ironman race recently got cancelled so I stopped training and working out 10-15 hours a week. I lost muscle tone, my skin got more flabby and my confidence went down (you can see from the picture for this post - I've got some thick thighs). It took some time to be okay with my body. And I still struggle with body image. I think as an American who grew up in a culture that believes nothing is ever "enough" Body image will be in the back of my mind for most of my life. BUT I will not let it control my life or derail my happiness and self-love. You shouldn't either.

So, what can you do right now to start practicing body kindness and building up your self-confidence? Here are some things I keep in my arsenal:

1. Make a playlist that gives you Power Vibes.

Put together all the songs that get your heart pumping; songs that make you want to dance and sing like you're a rock star at Madison Square Garden. Whenever you're feeling down or negative about yourself, blast that playlist and dance and/or sing in front of a mirror for at least 10 minutes. Dance like no one is watching - only you are. Watch your body move effortlessly in sync with the music. Feel the Power VIbes.

Here's a link to two of my go-to playlists:

• Power Vibes

• Brushing Teeth

2. Create a List of Badassery. After my last breakup, I was feeling pretty crappy about myself. So I made a list of things that I loved about myself. The list consisted of quirky, unique things that I found special. Whenever I think of a new one, I add it to the list. Whenever I feel down, I read my list and am reminded of my Badassery. Some examples from my list:

1. You always drive with the windows down, no matter the weather

2. You never need a napkin when you eat, because you're just that neat

3. You schazam almost anything you hear, regardless of where you are. . . even if you're in a planetarium show

4. You can parallel park like nobody's business

3. Read a book. I recently read three books that pointed out things wrong with our culture; they helped me unlearn some of the concepts and cultural practices that are indoctrinated into us at birth.

• Body Kindness - Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN

This book educated me about how to eat mindfully, appreciate my body and renounce dieting and diet culture. Living life according to rules is crappy. We should be free to make our own choices. We just need to listen to our bodies, not our emotional urges. But if we do binge and eat three donuts, we also need to have the grace to forgive ourselves and move on. We shouldn't hunker down and hate ourselves, questioning why we have no self-control.

Rebecca taps into the science behind why we eat what we do. She points out what draws us to make healthy and unhealthy decisions. She helps layout tips and strategies in order to practice body kindness and love your body for what it is and what it can do.

I threw out my scale after reading this book. My worth isn't dependent on a man-constructed number. My worth isn't tied to my weight at all. It's tied to how I treat myself, what I do and what I'm capable of.

• Daring Greatly - Brené Brown

Brené Brown is a vivacious, funny and highly educated shame researcher. This book points out that we all need to be willing to be vulnerable in order to experience happiness. By facing our fears and embracing vulnerability, we're brave. We grow. She points out how society has shaped this thought of not being "enough." Not rich enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough, not nice enough, not good enough, etc. She also writes about how being vulnerable can fight and irradiate this way of thinking. We just need to dare greatly. (For the abridged version, check out her special on Netflix: "Call to Courage"

• Untamed - Glennon Doyle

A friend of mine got this book for me. I was skeptical at first. I thought it was going to be a preachy book telling me how to be a good feminist. But. It was INCREDIBLE - and has been widely revered as the best book the year. Doyle writes short anecdotal stories about her life in a genuine and sometimes humorous manner while subtly making you reflect on your life and experiences. She makes you realize you aren't alone in anything. Our society has put cages and unrealistic expectations around women, people of color, men and the LGBT+ community. You read about her love story with Abby Wambach and are touched by the pureness of her writing. From her experiences and research, you see that you are perfect just the way you are. It motivates you to want to help others and change societal expectations.

Bottom line: Treat your body with kindness, you'll be much happier with life if you do. I know this is easier said than done, but at least take some steps to work on it. Don't compare yourself to unrealistic expectations from the media, look around you and appreciate all our differences. Life is fickle, we need to support each other in our journeys toward body kindness and happiness.