What Have Your Thighs Done For You Lately?
This blog title best enjoyed if you sing the title like Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately?”
Bonus points for a dramatic eye roll and snack in hand.
We’re taught to see our bodies as something to fix or flaunt, to be adorned or altered—as if their worth lies in how they look to others. We often do this to meet the standards of someone or something out there. Then if you don’t meet the standards, you end up feeling badly about yourself.
Turns Out, Your Body’s Been Busy
There is another aspect of the body that most of us do not pay attention to—when you focus on what your body looks like, you’re not paying attention to what your body does.
Your body is not an ornament to be evaluated—it’s a living, breathing home that carries you through the world. It feels, it senses, it responds. It lets you hug the people you love, dance to your favorite song, rest when you’re tired, and speak your truth.
Bodies: Less About Display, More About Delight
When you focus on looks, it’s easy to forget that it is because of the body that you can walk along a rushing creek, hug a child or significant other, smell the gardenias that signal summer is right around the corner, hear the birds singing in the early morning, see a beautiful clear blue sky and feel the gentle breeze caress your skin.
It’s easy to forget that the body performs incredible, intricate functions every single day. Because of our bodies, you can read, write and make music; you can fight infection and heal injuries; you can digest food and use it to keep healthy; you can bear children, and you can relish in the beauty of the sun setting over the ocean.
My thighs! What have you done for me lately? Oh, just carried my child, helped me load up the stroller, and took me on a walk with my best friend. Thank you, glorious, wonderful thighs—for showing up, holding me up, and moving me forward. You’re doing amazing. 💛
Start Shifting from Criticism to Gratitude
The next time you catch yourself feeling like your body doesn’t measure up, pause—and ask yourself, what has my body done for me today?
Here is another simple ritual to help shift your focus:
Toothpaste & Thanks
In the morning, while brushing your teeth, say out loud one thing you appreciate about what your body can do—like:
I appreciate my arms let me carry me drink my coffee.
Thank you lungs for so effortlessly making sure I can breathe.
I’m glad my eyes can see, just a glance out the window helps me know what the weather is doing.
At night, during your bedtime brushing, name one thing your body did for you that day, such as:
At night, during your bedtime brushing, name one thing your body did for you that day, such as:
I’m so glad for my lap, my baby was so comforted as I held her there.
You know, my bum actually helps me to feel comfortable sitting at work.
I really appreciate my right ankle. It helps me go faster and slow down in the car! Without it, I’m not sure I could even drive!
What an ordinary moment, and yet, when I think about it, I am grateful to feel this cool water trickling through my fingers.
It might seem small, but these moments of gratitude build over time. They gently rewire how we see ourselves—less like an object to judge, more like a body to thank.
When we start to shift our attention from how our bodies appear to how they experience life, something softens. We begin to move from judgment to appreciation, from control to connection. And that keeps on the path of healing and connection.
Thanking the Body That Walks You Through the World
Your thighs—and the rest of your body—are doing so much more than just showing up for the mirror. They’re showing up for you. Every step, stretch, dance move, hug, and bike ride is a reminder that your body is a living, loving partner in your life—not a project to perfect.
As a prompt to help you shift from seeing yourself as an object to be judged and evaluated to noticing and appreciating your body for what it does for you, download our What Have Your Thighs Done For You Lately handout (free).
Download What Have Your Thighs Done For You Lately!
How might your life be different if you started giving your body the credit it deserves?
~ Maybe the mirror missed what mattered most. ~
About Eating Wisdom and Drs Karin and Hannah
We are two PhD level Registered and Licensed Nutritionists whose passion is to help others escape diet culture and to learn to use their natural, innate Eating Wisdom to, finally, find peace with food, eating and weight.
© 2025 Karin Kratina, PhD, RDN, LDN