Are You Unhappy With Your Shape?
The ongoing pressure to change the shape of your body can be hugely damaging to your self-esteem. This relationship with your body can lead to a process of self-punishment and feeling an overwhelming need to change it by spending months, or sometimes years, yo-yo dieting and restricting foods. Over time, this will severely damage your relationship with food and eating.
It may take some time to repair your relationship with your body, but it’s worth it and will help strengthen your self-esteem. Having a positive outlook on your body has been shown to result in improved health outcomes, as you’re more inclined to want to look after yourself by exercising or eating healthy, energising foods.
See our tips to get you started on improving your relationship with your body (and your overall health!).
Choose To See What Your Body Does For You
Having a healthy and functioning body allows you to do all the things you love, such as playing with your kids, going out to events with friends, or spending time doing all the hobbies and activities that bring you joy. ‘Looking good’ is one of the least important things a body can do. We should love our bodies because they allow us accomplish amazing things!
Pick ONE Simple, Healthy Change
Picking up healthy habits has a ripple effect on your mood and mental health. It makes you feel good inside and out.
Start with a small change or habit, set a goal, and consistently apply it daily. For example, you could start by trying to drink 2 litres of water every day. Showing up for yourself every day and staying consistent helps you build faith in yourself and your abilities. Once each goal becomes a daily habit, set a new goal and start again.
Don’t Skip Meals
Purposefully skipping meals is not good for your body. It slows your metabolism and makes only you hungrier. This restriction drives you to over-consume when you do allow yourself to eat, leading to discomfort and bloating. This inconsistency with your body can damage your self-esteem.
Try to stick to a balanced diet with consistent snacks and meals throughout the day.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
Keeping too-small clothes around in the hopes that one day you might fit them is not helpful for building self-confidence and love for your body. It will only serve as a reminder of external pressures to change your shape. It’s like a form of self-punishment.
You should only keep around clothes that fit you comfortably and make you feel confident when you wear them.
Eat For Wellbeing
Let go of eating to change your shape. This is easier said than done – though this ideal has been ingrained into most people their whole lives. Eat to feel GOOD and have energy. We need food consistently throughout the day to provide energy and mental clarity. Choose foods that you know will make you feel good. Regularly nourishing your body with healthy foods will help you learn which foods work best for your body and needs, and you will start to feel the difference in your energy levels after choosing healthier options.
Research has shown the better your perspective on your body, the healthier you are. Every day, challenge your negative talk to yourself, and you begin to feel more confident and happier.
