Love your body
Stop making your body the target of a self-perpetuated smear campaign. A good self image makes you feel better and helps you achieve your goals. Here are some tips for giving your body confidence a boost.
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Do you think your life would be so much better if you dropped one dress size, had slimmer hips or looked like Heidi Klum? Then your body image needs a boost.
"Left unchecked, a lack of body confidence can interfere with your quality of life, career and social time," says counsellor Jenny Garth.
Sound familiar? Then stop beating yourself up. Looking good is all about feeling good. Here's how to get your body confidence back for keeps.
Watch your thinking
Poor body image is the result of:
- Extreme thinking: "I'll never be attractive because my thighs are too big."
- Unrealistic expectations: "I wish I could be as skinny as I was before I got married and had three children."
- Jumping to conclusions: "Everyone is staring at me thinking, 'No wonder she's so big — look at the dessert she's having.'"
- Exaggerating: "There's no point in buying new clothes. I look horrible in absolutely everything I wear."
To break these unkind attitudes, work on your own PR campaign. Below are some ideas to get you started.
Avoid self-criticism
Enough of that self-flagellation. "I ask women, 'Would you put down your daughter, best friend or mother this way?' Of course not — so it's obviously not OK to say these things to yourself," says Garth.
In the long term, critical self-talk can destroy self-respect. Instead, aim to:
- Replace every negative thought with a positive one (eg, instead of "I hate my hips", try "I have pretty eyes").
- Exercise to invest in a healthier, longer life; not just to change the way you look.
- Praise yourself for your ongoing efforts to reach your Goal weight.
- Say "thank you" to compliments, instead of putting yourself down in response.
- Think beautiful: Walk, talk and relate as though you're a beautiful gazelle, and a beautiful gazelle you will be.
Stop obsessing
- Banish your scale to the garage and weigh in only at Weight Watchers meetings.
- Take down all but one mirror.
- Don't beat yourself up for skipping a workout or eating one more cookie than you had budgeted for. These are the times when you learn what your weaknesses are. Just take note and strengthen your resolve to watch out for the same situation next time.
Look at other women
Few resemble supermodels (and let's face it, supermodels only look that good with the help of cooks, personal trainers, makeup artists and air brushing). Most of your friends, co-workers and neighbours probably don't have a supermodel's figure, so why should you stress about being the "perfect 10"? Concentrate on improving your overall health, and your body confidence will soon soar.
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