Tag Archive for: healthy body image

5 Ways to Embrace Your Body

We have all been in the position where we’re standing in front of the closet, and although we see numerous clothes, there is nothing that looks appealing. So, you reach in and grab the closest item and just throw it on. Then you realize that outfit doesn’t look good, and the next thing you know you have tried on almost everything in your closet before reluctantly settling on something.

 

When you are uncomfortable with how you look, it is often hard to find clothes that you feel empowered in. Body acceptance is not an easy journey for most people. Even for those who do feel comfortable in their skin, often there will be days when they will go back and forth between how they feel about themselves.

 

How often do you look in the mirror and find yourself criticizing how you look?

 

“If I could just lose ten more pounds, then I would definitely be happier!”

 

This is not uncommon! In fact, several studies have found that 86% of all women are dissatisfied with their bodies and wish to lose weight to “feel better/happier about themselves.”

The Reasons for Body Dissatisfaction 

  • Bullying and teasing
  • Childhood traumas
  • The social media culture—Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, etc.
  • Other forms of media—magazines, television, computer ads, etc.
  • The culture we live in which is rooted in dieting and weight controlling behaviors to manipulate our bodies to appear a certain way.

In today’s society, many people use size and weight as a definitive element of their identity, personality, and a way of defining their self-worth.

 

For example: 

  • Not purchasing a pair of jeans because they don’t fit in the small size that you want
  • Saying no to a social event because you don’t fit into a certain dress or don’t feel good in your here-and-now body.
  • Using the scale as a way to determine your mood for the day

 

Loving your body and appreciating it takes time. No amount of exercise or dieting will help you achieve that goal. Only when you change your mindset can you truly feel comfortable with yourself.

 

There are some steps that you can take to help learn to love the body that you have.

 

Here Are 5 Ways to Embrace Your Body  

 

1. Acknowledge the Work it’s doing 

Your body has gotten you to the place that you are at today. Through many years of labor and hard work, you have survived and that’s all because of your body. It has even taken you through a pandemic! When you are feeling down on yourself, just try to remember all the wonderful things your body has accomplished thus far.

 

2. Say No to Negative Talk

When you feel yourself about to say or think something mean about yourself, rephrase your thoughts. Instead of focusing on all the negative, think about the positives instead. This also goes for what other people are saying about their bodies or yours.

 

Prioritizing your self-care can help with your perspective and self-talk.

 

3. Incorporate Joyful Movement

This does not mean exercise for weight loss, instead, move your body to help you feel good. Find a movement you enjoy and do it. Exercise releases endorphins, which can elevate your mood and help you see things in a positive light.

 

4. Create a more body positive newsfeed.

Start by doing a deep cleanse of your social media accounts, then fill it with all different body shapes, sizes and colors!

Remember: thin bodies are not the only bodies out there. Filling your newsfeed with all shapes, sizes, and colors will help change your perception of what is “normal” and allow you to learn to accept and love all bodies (even your own!)

Once you’ve rid your social media of all things “perfect” and “unrealistic” watch your “standard of beauty” will quickly change!

 

5.Embrace Intuitive Eating

Say no to dieting and all the empty promises. Understand the underlying reasons why you turn to food for reasons other than hunger, why you eat mindlessly, and commit to taking a different approach to eat. Commit to learning to become an Intuitive Eater, learning to identify gentle hunger and comfortable fullness as your guide to starting and stopping a meal. Learn to cope with your emotions with kindness and not food.

Don’t wait to find the love your body deserves, try to embrace the wonderfulness of you now!

 

Need support? Contact me to set up a free consultation now.

 

Pop Culture Permeates Body Image

Woman at ocean doing yogaIn 1959 Barbie burst onto the scene, meant to be a symbol for young girls to look up to and hope to be like.  However, throughout the years many mothers and advocates for woman’s issues complained about Barbie’s unrealistic proportions and the body image that it would represent to the impressionable young girls playing with her.  Now images of unrealistic body types are hard to escape in our country.  We are a nation obsessed with celebrity, and sometimes we forget that their lives are far from normal, and so are their body types.

I want to ask you a question.  Are you striving for the“perfect body?”  Are your looks what make you who you are?  I hope the answers to these questions are no.  However for a celebrity, their job and their responsibility to the public is to look good.  That means their days are designed to have hours to workout.  Their meals are delivered to their doorstep or handmade by a private chef.  Not to mention a little thing called airbrushing and spandex which are used to trick consumers when it comes to the magazines you see.  It is hardly fair to hold yourself to an image that is hardly realistic.

There is no person to whom you should be comparing yourself to.  Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another.  When it comes to body image, you are under no obligation look like anybody other than yourself, especially if it means putting yourself at health risk to do it.  You have to respect your body for what is and what it allows you to do.  Maybe your arms seem out of proportion, but those are the arms that are strong enough to lift your children with.  Or perhaps you would like your thighs to be smaller, but it’s those thighs that allow you to participate in your favorite sports or exercise activities.

There is always a positive to be found in the way you’re built.  The way you are built allows you to do the things that you do.  Try to internalize this thought; an improved self-image is the first step towards an improved body image.

Your turn to take action: Stand in front of the mirror with minimal clothing on.  Look at your reflection and ask yourself, “What one thing do I like about my body?”  If you can’t seem to find anything you like, then think about the way your body functions and all the good it’s done for you.  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.