photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography
We live in an unbalanced culture when it comes to weight–some would even go so far as to say schizophrenic. Over 60% of us are overweight or obese and yet our ‘models’ are 23% skinnier than the average woman and our media is obsessed with the current weight crisis of the young hollywood starlet du jour. Even when we try to be healthy we are given to extremes– no carb diets, weight loss pills full of caffeine or worse, working out all the time….it is a fertile breeding ground for dysfunction around food, exercise, and our bodies. Most of us are completely dis-empowered, which only makes it more impossible to treat ourselves well. So how do we fight the power?
Rethinking Perfection: When we hold ourselves to the standards of what we see in movies and magazines we don’t have a chance. These media images are just that: images created with pretty women and a whole lot of lighting, makeup, and airbrushing, used to sell beauty and diet products. There is a different way of understanding beauty, one that respects strength and individuality.
Every single body is different. Let’s start celebrating health instead of perfection. Try eliminating or cutting down on the time spent reading magazines, watching t.v, etc. while finding examples of women of all different sizes and shapes who love their bodies, who are in shape but not malnourished, who treat their bodies as the tools of strength and perseverance that they are.
Understanding Resistance: The more we try to resist thinking about something, the more we think of it. That’s a proven fact. It’s why so many diets that rely on restricting calories, cutting out ‘bad foods’ and generally resisting so much in your life don’t work. Yeah, maybe we lose the weight for a while but eventually it comes back on because we are working from a place of negativity. In reading the blogs and talking to people who have kept the weight off successfully, one common theme keeps coming up: Lifestyle Change. They didn’t see themselves as dieting, rather they saw a life that didn’t work and in which weight was only one symptom of a larger problem. By understanding the reasons behind why we eat, the emotional compulsions and holes that make us fall into cycles of unhealth, we have a better chance of making the changes we need in order to come back to ourselves and be more aware of why we engage in the behaviors we do. So instead of resisting food, try to figure out ways of making whole and healthy foods a part of your life in a way that is sustainable. Take a healthy cooking class, make good substitution for unhealthy or fatty foods, and find fitness that you love (it is possible–whether it’s running, a dance class, simply walking–there is a form of movement out there that you will love, so explore your options!).
It is time to take our bodies and our self esteem back, empower ourselves to make healthy choices, and understand that a healthy body is not a cookie cutter shape–it is your own body in its own top form.
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4 Responses to “Beauty and the Beast–How to Take Back Your Body Image”
this was a great post and so true. thanks for the motivation. we could all use a boost in our self-esteem.
I see that this was posted on my birthday and it’s such a welcome reminder that we shouldn’t let our bodies, our selves, be pulled this way and that by others’ opinions. I struggle with it constantly – I admit to looking in the mirror and fretting over the jiggle here and the flab there. I appreciate your insight!
Being that Im constantly struggling with my body image, I found this post motivating and reassuring. It’s nice to know Im not alone and it’s even nicer to find ways to deal with it!
so true unfortunately……I find I’ve been obsessed with weight, food, and counting calories for 38 years! Enough. The “problem” is our society is one of abundance and food is too available to say the least. Also, very little inclination or need to exercise/move.
Honestly, if I don’t count calories, I gain weight eventually because I love to eat and love sweets. So I always revert to counting calories. Although I really love feeling trim, I also envy married woman (I’m single) who accept their plump bodies and so do their husbands who take them out to eat and stuff their faces. Must be comfortable.
When I’m really honest with myself, I live this never-ending cycle because I’m good at losing weight, it makes me feel successful and it keeps me from focusing on other aspects of my life.
Society applauds you when you lose weight or stay skinny–no need to accomplish anything else………
this was a great post and so true. thanks for the motivation. we could all use a boost in our self-esteem.
Comment by kristisummer — May 27, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
I see that this was posted on my birthday and it’s such a welcome reminder that we shouldn’t let our bodies, our selves, be pulled this way and that by others’ opinions. I struggle with it constantly – I admit to looking in the mirror and fretting over the jiggle here and the flab there. I appreciate your insight!
Comment by Tangled Noodle — June 2, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
Being that Im constantly struggling with my body image, I found this post motivating and reassuring. It’s nice to know Im not alone and it’s even nicer to find ways to deal with it!
Comment by Will Eat for Comfort — June 3, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
so true unfortunately……I find I’ve been obsessed with weight, food, and counting calories for 38 years! Enough. The “problem” is our society is one of abundance and food is too available to say the least. Also, very little inclination or need to exercise/move.
Honestly, if I don’t count calories, I gain weight eventually because I love to eat and love sweets. So I always revert to counting calories. Although I really love feeling trim, I also envy married woman (I’m single) who accept their plump bodies and so do their husbands who take them out to eat and stuff their faces. Must be comfortable.
When I’m really honest with myself, I live this never-ending cycle because I’m good at losing weight, it makes me feel successful and it keeps me from focusing on other aspects of my life.
Society applauds you when you lose weight or stay skinny–no need to accomplish anything else………
Comment by Mary — June 13, 2009 @ 9:08 am