I hate my body, I’m so embarrassed
This week, I sat with a few women who found themselves standing at a powerful crossroads—the moment of asking:
Is there another way to be with my body?
I’m SO tired of the body-battle!
One of them said something that cut straight to the heart of what so many of us feel:
“I don’t want to die hating my body.”
“I don’t want to take this to the grave!”
These words carry the quiet heartbreak of living in BODY-SHAME—something we rarely talk about openly, but feel deeply.
That persistent discomfort with food, our reflection, our aging bodies—it quietly drains us. It keeps us from feeling fully vibrant, from stepping into life with joy and confidence.
Maybe you’ve felt it, too:
“I have so much of my life together, but the body stuff is still holding me back.”
That inner comparison.
That critical voice.
That whisper that says, “You’re not enough.”
Let’s name it for what it is: SHAME!
As Brené Brown says,
“Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.”
And when it comes to our bodies, that shame often feels like a private failure. But it’s not. It’s not personal—it’s cultural.
We’re taught to critique our bodies, to shrink, to “fix” ourselves in order to be worthy.
But the truth is this…
You can’t heal what you don’t name.
And one of the most powerful steps you can take is to gently say:
“This is body-shame”
And I’m ready to not carry it anymore.
So how do we begin to unhook from it?
Here’s a practice to start experimenting with right away:
- Pause when you catch yourself in body-criticism.
- Name it – say it OUT LOUD!: “This is shame. This is the belief that I have to change to be lovable.”
- Remind yourself – put a gentle hand on your heart: Shame is a learned response. Not a truth.
In Body-Peace, we don’t bypass shame.
We meet it with compassion.
We practice a new way:
Care over critique, compassion over control.
It’s not a quick fix. It’s a practice.
But it is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.
If you’re feeling that quiet or sometimes VERY LOUD nudge—the one that says:
“I’m ready to be done with this war”
Let’s talk. (Hit reply and let me know what’s on your mind and heart)
Let’s get you walking on your Body-Peace Path.
With warmth and support,,
Nina
Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
Start your Body-Peace® journey with this free masterclass that will help you understand and shift your relationship with your body.
