I've finally joined the below the knee coat club

I know I spoke about my new below the knee coat on Tuesday but it really has been a revelation.

Why did no one tell me about just how toasty it was to walk around in a duvet all day?

If you had told me 6 years ago that I would have a below the knee coat at 38 I would have laughed in your face.

I did consider one last year when it was baltic but didn't commit.

And I know why.

Because of my body image.

Body image is how you see your body, not what it actually looks like.

As a 87 baby, I loved watching Trinny and Suzanna What not to wear, I only ever wanted to dress in a flattering way for my apple shaped body.

And to me that meant body con and wiggle dresses for the majority of my 20's and early 30's.

Tight not to show off my figure but to flatter it.

I wouldn't dream of wearing baggy clothes and making my body look bigger than it actually was.

But I've done a lot of work on my body image.

I coach women on theirs too.

One thing that changed things for me was the realisation that people can see your body no matter what you are wearing.

If you are wearing a safety cardigan in the middle of summer so not to have your arms out - people can still see your arms.

If you are wearing a pair of wide leg jeans - people can still see your legs.

Hiding away is pretty futile.

And so it not wearing anything oversized or baggy even if it is super comfy.

I've worked on my body image and that's finally allowed me to buy a massive coat which I need for my daily walks, walks to nursery and standing around at parkrun.

Not for what it looks like but for what it does for my body.

Keeps me warm so I can do a walk with my toddler instead of freezing my tits off.

Keeps me toasty when I'm volunteering at parkrun.

That's what clothes are for and that's what bodies are for.

I coach body appreciation whereby you appreciate your body for what she does for you instead of what she looks like.

It's the opposite of comparison culture.

And it's a powerful tool for moving that body image score higher and higher.

Something else which does that is ageing.

The older we get the more thankful we are for our bodies.

It's giving less of a f**k when you are 70 about your stomach showing through a jumper.

So channel your inner 70 year old and appreciate your body for what she does for you not what she looks like.

Buy clothes which fit (properly), have a purpose and show your personality.

Now then where's my coat I've got a walk to do......

You can listen to me talk more about this on my podcast Chatting with Cara which you can get here.