Why are we so tough on ourselves? We put ourselves down with negative self talk, don’t give ourselves the credit we deserve, strive for perfection which is impossible, and worst of all – we don’t hear or see the good stuff! We ALL have good stuff, regardless of the shapes of our bodies!!! I’ve been in the fitness world for the past 23 years; everything has always been about the exterior – your appearance. Well you know what? The INSIDE counts more than the outside because the outside is the vessel for all the stuff inside! The inside . . . now that’s where the nitty gritty stuff is! These are a few tips to help you appreciate and honor the inside rather than the outside:
- Develop positive self talk. For example, “I have strong legs” or “My body is healthy”. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
- Avoid people who make negative remarks about your body. Honest! Do you really need to spend time with someone who is pointing out all your external flaws? Nope!
- Avoid meals with people who are constantly obsessing about their calories and always on a diet. Negativity isn’t good for digestion!
- Limit marketing and media “crap” that glamourizes extremely thin figures. Granted, you might have to drive with your eyes closed, never watch tv, or avoid the grocery store check out lines, but c’mon ladies . . . we are not MEANT to be see-thru!
- Focus on health goals rather than body weight goals. For example: hold a plank for 15 sec more than last week, do 1 more push up than you did last session, get 10,000 steps/day, or try one new veggie meal per month.
- When you’re feeling bad about yourself or throwing yourself a pitty party, stop! Write down 3 things you LIKE about yourself. Focus on those things!
If you think I’m coming down kinda hard on thin people, I’m not! My issue is about seeing ourselves as healthy. Not every “heavy” person is unhealthy and not every “thin” person is healthy! YOU are YOU! You have to love the body you have, work with it, and most importantly – love what is INSIDE that body of yours! We need to define ourselves by who we are as humans. We need to be empowered by our health!
All you can ask of yourself is that you be THE HEALTHIEST version of YOU possible!
