We are a society of perfect people! We’re all tall and weigh around 8 stone for women and 12 tone for men!!!.

Doesn’t that sound like you? Well, according to what you see in the media (television, magazines, movies), it should be – otherwise you just aren’t beautiful.

How does that make you feel? If you’ve developed a negative body image because you’ve figured out that you’re not perfect, you’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Nobody’s perfect! In a world where we’re all different, our uniqueness should be celebrated, yet most of us are bombarded daily with messages that we’re not good enough, and then we start to believe it.  

Building confidence in yourself and in your body is the foundation to achieving what you truly want out of life and letting go of all the needless worries of vanity.

Learning to love yourself for what you are isn’t an easy thing to do, but it’s worth it. Learn ten ways to help you break away from your negative body image and move on…..

Statistics tell us that more than 80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies, and the problem starts young – 65% of young girls think they are too fat and dabble in dieting at an early age, which begins the dangerous cycle of yo-yo dieting.

There’s no quick fix to accomplishing this goal – it takes a lot of trial and error to finally accept who you are and the body that you have. That’s not to say that you can’t improve yourself, especially if your weight is compromising your health, but no matter what body you have, whether you need to get in shape or not, you can love it for everything that it already is!

• Write an “I Like Myself Because…” ListFirst, write down 10 things that you like about yourself without referring to your body or appearance in any way.  Include things that you’re good at, or various ways you’re proud of yourself. Then, after this list is done, make another list of 10 things you like about your body and appearance. Depending on your level of self-loathing, this might be hard to do at first, but just do your best and add to the list later when you think of something else.

• Take a Closer Look at Nature. Go outside and find something in nature – a flower, leaf, twig, grass blade, or anything that catches your eye.  Is it perfect?  Or does it have irregular edges, rough sides and blemishes here and there?  Chances are that it is imperfect, yet it is still so amazing and complex. Nature is beautiful despite its “failure” to be perfect.  Take this wisdom and use it on yourself – you are imperfect, yet you are also beautiful. 

• Admire Successful People, not Slender People. Ask yourself who your role models are in life. Do you look up to them because they have a pretty face, slender body and nice clothes, or rather because you respect their intelligence and who they are on the inside?  Admiring successful people and surrounding yourself with these kinds of people can help shift your focus away from outer appearances. Look at what’s inside of a successful person that makes you admire them so much. 

• Undo Negative Self-Talk. Every time you hear yourself talking negatively about how you look, spend an equal amount of time giving yourself positive feedback. Your worst critic is yourself, which means only you can change that. You do have the power to focus on the positive, change your own state of mind and trash negative self-talk whenever it pops up. 

• Be Realistic. If your ultimate goal is to lose weight and get in shape, don’t expect it to happen overnight. Don’t buy a closet full of clothes that are too small for you to fit into, hoping that you’ll fit into them soon – it’s just depressing and it doesn’t always motivate you either. Buy and wear clothes that you are comfortable in, and if you can’t stand looking at the size on the label, cut the tag out! Weight loss is a slow and gradual process and you can’t expect instant results, no matter how much you want it to happen. 

• Don’t Throw a Pity Party. Feeling sorry for yourself is rarely productive, but it can be even worse when you get a group of your girlfriends together for a massive “woe is me” body bashing pity party. As much as women need to talk about their feelings and concerns, continually wallowing in self-pity can negatively affect your progress toward self-acceptance. 

• Get a Nutrition Boost. Stop feeling guilty about what you’ve been eating and start eating right! Good nutrition means you’re nourishing your body by eating healthy foods, like veggies, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, lean meats, legumes, and nuts, and limiting sweets and unhealthy fats. Try to slow down or stop eating processed foods that have a lot of man-made ingredients on the label and stick to whole natural foods, which are nutrient-dense and provide more energy for fewer calories. 

• Learn to Love Exercise. Everyone should exercise, and not necessarily just for weight loss. Regular aerobic exercise improves heart and lung health, and therefore benefits the rest of the body, increasing muscle endurance, circulation and overall body health.  Resistance exercises, such as weight-lifting, tones your muscles and helps boost your metabolism, too. If you don’t really like to exercise in the gym, explore your many other options for being physically active, like learning how to play like a kid again. Staying active is a great way to give back to your body for all it does for you. 

• Get to Know Your Body. Women are most familiar with their face, and are therefore most likely to be accepting of this part of their body. In this sense, you should also try to get used to the rest of your body. Look at yourself in the mirror and study the shape of your body and how it looks. If you can do this every day, you will be less likely to be shocked by the appearance of your naked self and more understanding, knowledgeable and accepting of it. 

• Pamper Yourself. Your body deserves a break sometimes, and so do you!  Treat yourself to relaxing retreats, like taking a bubble bath by candlelight, getting a massage, shelling out for a manicure and pedicure, or indulging in a rich piece of dark chocolate, or another favourite treat (keeping moderation in mind). Buy a new scented lotion and massage it into your arms, legs, fingertips, toes, and entire body, studying each part as you pass it by. Treat your body with respect and treat it regularly, too!

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