The “body positivity” movement started in the 1960s. It was intended to take the stigma out of weight and other physical attributes that deviated from what society deemed beautiful. It promotes the idea that every person’s body is gorgeous. The concept is that you should love and accept yourself exactly as you are.

While that might be a nice idea in theory, many people find mentally exhausting. According to Elizabeth Wassenaar, a psychiatrist, it “can be sometimes a stretch for people.” It can also be hard if you have health goals that clash with the idea. You might want to lose weight for your health, yet the body positivity mantra tells you that you shouldn’t try to change.

That is why Dr. Wassenaar and others prefer body neutrality. It’s a way of thinking that moves away from saying that your body is perfect and toward thinking your body is doing its job of letting you live your life. When you think about body neutrality, you accept what your body is today as you work toward what you want it to do tomorrow.

When you have goals, it’s essential to be honest with yourself. “Sometimes body positivity can feel ‘fake’ and body neutrality feels more authentic,” said Dr. Wassenaar. When you always tell yourself you like your body when you don’t actually like it, you can end up feeling worse than before you started. Instead of finding the practice empowering, many find it stressful.

Lots of people in the field talk about it as thinking of your body as a car. Instead of treating your body like a shiny sports car to be admired, you look at it like a vehicle that gets you from place to place. It has taken you on road trips, throughout your whole life, on every date, every fun night out, and it has survived car accidents. Every car needs oil, maintenance, new tires and tune-ups. You celebrate what the car does and how much you have done with it, not what it looks like.

“When we spend less time thinking about our bodies, it affords us room to focus on other things,” explained Alison Stone, a psychotherapist. “Obsessing, silently judging ourselves, and self-criticism take up a lot of mental energy. More importantly, these types of thoughts prevent us from enjoying experiences.”

Instead of focusing on loving your body, focus on appreciating what your body can do and working toward doing more with your body. It’s a healthy way to approach goals that can leave you with lasting confidence. Your body has taken you so far in life, and that should be celebrated.