According to Body Image Statistics, 90% of women hate their bodies. This could be due to media presenting the “ideal” thinness, or comparing our bodies and weight to other people. I can say that I am guilty of that. I used to be obsessed about my weight. I was so obsessed with the idea of losing weight and being skinny that I got caught up in it. I am sure everyone can relate to this in some way or another. You tried dieting, or you didn’t eat that piece of cake because you didn’t want the extra calories. You went to the gym not because you wanted to, but you felt the need to.
Believe me, I get it. I was the exact same way, but something changed along the way. Here are some ways that can help you to start loving your body more that I followed and were helpful.
1. Accept yourself, love yourself, and never get down on yourself.
I know that you probably have heard this a million times, and it is not easy. The first step of loving your body is to try to dig deep and understand what is causing this self-hatred. Did someone comment on your weight? Did social media influence the way you thought about your body? Are all your friends skinnier than you? You need to really find out what is the reason behind hating your body and come up with a solution. If it’s the media, then I am here to tell you that the “ideal” thinness is far from ideal. I know you have heard many times that all the models are photo shopped, but many people don’t even process that. It’s not real. You also can’t compare yourself to your friends because everyone’s body weight is different. 150 pounds looks different on people because everyone is built differently.
2. Weight is just a number
When I wasn’t comfortable in my skin, I would go to the gym and weigh myself after every single work out session. It honestly determined my mood. If it went down, I would be happy and feel confident. If it went up, I would feel like a failure and be in a bad mood. After a while, I finally realized that weight is just a number and doesn’t define me. Weight looks different on everyone. I know that I was focusing more on getting stronger, so if you’re adding muscle, your weight will go up but society has us thinking that “skinny” is below 130 pounds and it messes with our minds. I stopped weighing myself about 7 months ago, and I have never felt more confident and happier with how I look. A quote I love is, “workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.” I used to work out because I wanted to lose weight, but now I work out because it’s a stress reliever and I genuinely enjoy going. I also don’t feel like I have the obligation to go every day. I will only go when I feel like it.
3. Ditch the diet plans and move towards the right eating mindset
Obviously, it is important to eat healthy, but everyone’s definition of healthy is different and that’s okay. I remember I completely cut out junk food and just ate fruits, vegetables or anything that was low in calories. I used to not go out to eat when my friends asked me to because I didn’t want to consume that many calories. Many people have this mindset and it isn’t healthy. Eating healthy is all about balance. You can’t cut out junk food from your diet because you eventually are going to give in and have it. Plus, life is too short not to enjoy ice cream or cookies. Some days you are going to eat healthy and have a salad with an orange on the side. Other days you are going to have a huge plate of pasta and a piece of cake for dessert. That is still okay. Once I started telling myself it is okay to eat junk food, I naturally started to eat better and on some days, I decided to treat myself with treats that weren’t low in calories.
Being confident and comfortable in your own skin is so important. It is not easy, and most girls struggle with loving their bodies, but once you start to feel comfortable in your own skin and love your body for what it is, you will feel so much more happy and confident.