Image by zharth via Flickr
What do you see when you look in the mirror? I can hear you saying, “Well, I really like my shoulders, but my hips are too big”, or “My biceps are coming along nicely, but my legs are too skinny.” Being critical of yourself is not allowing yourself to have a healthy body image. Having a healthy body image means you feel good inside your own skin, despite any flaws you may have.
So many people are unhappy with their bodies, and then punish themselves by either:
- Denying themselves food
- Obsessing about eating or not eating and never enjoying a meal
- Obsessing about exercising or not exercising instead of enjoying being active
- Following diets that never work
- Worrying about how they look rather than their health and quality of life
Wouldn’t it be great to love what you see when you look in the mirror so much that you WANT to take care of it? To actually exercise and eat right because it makes you feel good? With a few, easy tweaks in the way you think, you CAN be comfortable in your own skin.
- Stop nitpicking. When you pick on yourself, you only increase your anxiety at not being perfect. Try to see your body as a whole and concentrate on what you love about yourself. You would never criticize your best friend, so be your own best friend and cut yourself a break!
- Eat. Food isn’t the enemy and, in fact, eating regularly will actually help you with your weight loss goals. Remind yourself that you can control yourself and eat healthy. Clean out your kitchen and get rid of foods that can trigger your overeating. If you cannot control yourself by having these trigger foods around, then don’t bring them home from the store! Instead, stock up on healthy options so you always have something to nibble on.
- Get real. No one is perfect. Not even the models you see on the magazine covers. While they may be fit, they are not perfect. The only things that can create an image slightly close to perfection, is genetics or photo shop! Do some people-watching. Find a quiet place where you can sit and watch people walk by and notice all the different sizes and shapes you see. Everyone is unique. How boring would this world be if we all looked alike?
- Find the perfect fit. Filling your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good can go a long way towards improving your body image. Go through your closet and give away anything that doesn’t fit. Stop hanging on to those old sizes of the past (whether they be bigger or smaller) and live in the now. Well fitting clothes can make you feel great about yourself.
- Exercise. It’s a proven fact that people who exercise have a higher self-esteem. The more you exercise, the more you’ll build confidence and appreciate your body. Engaging in an athletic activity every day will make you feel great physically and boost your mood as well.
- Lighten Up. Are your imperfections so important that they deserve all that attention? When you find yourself obsessing about your body, ask yourself how important it really is. Everyday, tell yourself something you really like about your body or your personality. Don’t allow negativity to ruin the positive things you have to offer.
- Treat yourself well. The bottom line is this: You only get one body and one life. Do you really want to waste your time being negative? Don’t miss out building sand castles with your kids on the beach because you feel so self conscious in a bathing suit. Get out there and live your life! If you need some help getting yourself in shape, talk to a personal trainer or nutritionist to help point you in the right direction. Spend your quality time on improving yourself, rather that beating yourself up.
