Body positivity told me to love myself at any size. GLP-1s told me I could change. Can both be true?
I’ve been sitting with this weird emotional thing since starting tirzepatide 3 months ago. For years, I was really into body positivity – went to the workshops, followed all the accounts, truly believed I should love myself at any size. And I DID love parts of myself. But I also had pre-diabetes, my knees hurt, and I was exhausted all the time.
When my doctor suggested GLP-1s, I felt like I was betraying everything I’d worked to accept about myself. Like I was admitting defeat or saying body positivity was a lie. But now I’m down 35lbs, my labs are better, and I feel amazing physically. The confusing part? I don’t love myself MORE now. I loved myself before too.
I guess I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with this mental conflict? Can I believe people deserve respect and love at any size AND also choose to change my own body for health reasons? Some of my friends in the BP community have been weird about it, like I sold out. But this literally saved me from diabetes. I don’t think these two things have to cancel each other out but I’m struggling to articulate why. Anyone else been here?
I’m gonna be honest, I never really got into the whole body positivity movement stuff so I can’t speak to that side. But what you said about loving yourself the same amount before and after really hit me. I’m down 60lbs on semaglutide and my wife asked if I’m happier now and I was like… not really? Less physically uncomfortable, yes. But happier as a person? Same guy, different size. I think you can absolutely respect people at any size including past-you AND make a health choice for future-you. Those friends giving you grief might be dealing with their own stuff tbh.
This resonates so much. I work in healthcare and I see both sides – we absolutely SHOULD NOT stigmatize or discriminate based on weight, full stop. And also, metabolic disease is real and these medications are tools. What helped me was reframing it: body positivity isn’t about never changing your body. People get knee surgery, take thyroid meds, whatever. It’s about rejecting the idea that your worth is tied to your size. You had worth at your starting weight, you have worth now. You didn’t do this because you hated yourself, you did it because you loved yourself enough to address a health concern. Mike’s right tho, some people might be projecting their own fears about it.