If you have any issues with your body image, this article can help you. Check out the following tips and learn to appreciate yourself and be happier with who you are.
How To Improve Your Body Image And Be Happier At Any Size
1. Get Rid of The Scale
The scale is a tool that we use to measure weight, but we often depend on it more than we should. The truth is that the scale offers an inaccurate way to measure our fitness or the attractiveness of our physique.
You see, certain tissue types weigh differently than others. For instance, muscle weighs more than fat tissue which is why people with big muscles are heavy even though their body may contain very little fat. It is your body composition that you need to worry about, not your weight.
I track my progress with my clothes. If they fit me nicely than I know I’m doing alright. You can use a measurement tape and track your improvement with inches rather than with pounds.
2. Avoid Nasty People
Some people get a kick out of bringing other people down. They like nothing better than criticizing those around them. You may have people like that in your circle of friends and family members.
You need to either avoid these people, talk to them and instruct them to stop criticizing you no matter what they think, or learn to disregard their nasty comments. These are not the sort of people that can help you improve your life. They just make you feel lousy.
3. Know The Truth About Magazine Covers And Commercials
To look at magazine covers or commercials for certain products is to see extraordinarily beautiful people beside whom one can’t help but feel inadequate. The problem is that these images and ads don’t provide a true representation of how these models look. Most, or even all, images of this nature are tweaked and honed with special software that makes the beautiful even more gorgeous, unrealistically so.
When you look at these models you need to remember that this is not how they really look. They may have blemishes and small scars, their body may not be as toned nor their stomach as flat. It is an illusion to a large degree. So, don’t try to compete with these images. It’s an unfair fight.
4. Learn Your History
Who are the greatest heroes of history, the people who get the admiration of generations of people? It is the Einsteins, the Lincolns, the Mandelas. It is not the models. People are ultimately judged by what they do and achieve, not by how they look.
True, the first impression is mostly superficial, but the longer impression is made on merit, not on looks.
5. Exercise And Eat Right
While you may not be thrilled with your current physical condition, it is the direction in which you’re going which is more important. If you start working out regularly and follow a healthy diet plan you will feel better about yourself as you’ll know that you are making progress, that you are improving continuously.
So, don’t worry about where you are. Focus on where you’re going. If it’s to a good place you will feel better about yourself.
6. Relish Every Compliment
We all tend to disregard the good and focus on the bad. We hang on to every insult and not give the compliments we receive our attention. This is part of the reason why so many of us have poor body image.
The truth is that you probably get plenty of compliments on your looks, clothes, etc. It may be small stuff that you hardly notice about your hairdo, eyes, smile, shoes, and so on. You need to take these compliments and relish them. It may even be useful to write them down and go over them often.
7. Wear Nice and Fitting Clothes
Clothes make the man and also the woman. The way we look has a lot to do with the way we dress. People who take the time to find and wear clothes that compliment them look better, garner more compliments and end up feeling much more positively about themselves. It is worth spending some time and money on this.
8. Congratulate Yourself On Achievements
Each achievement and success needs to be celebrated. You can’t just shrug them off. You need to take pride in even the smallest achievement. Doing so plays a trick on your mind and builds up greater confidence and feeling of worth inside of you.
These don’t have to be just physical achievements like losing 10 pounds, being able to run faster or losing an inch off your waist. Just take an overall self-congratulatory attitude toward life and you will feel better.
9. Don’t Talk Yourself Down
Whenever you make a mistake or don’t succeed as planned, don’t berate yourself. Don’t engage in any self-hate. This will not make you better next time. It will slowly erode your self-confidence and belief. This is counterproductive.
You need to learn from your mistakes and be built by them. Don’t use them as a weapon against yourself. It will leave you weaker than you are now. When you think badly about yourself in regards to weight loss and fitness, you are actually reducing your chances of improving how you look.
10. Explore New Ways To Enjoy Your Body
This is not a sexual thing. I’m referring to finding new ways to move and enjoy your body’s capabilities. This may include dance, martial arts, sports, traveling, etc. The more connected to your body you become, the more fun you have with it, the more you will like it and they way it looks. This is a great way to get in shape and to improve your body image.