Respect your body…
It’s the only one you have!
Learning to RESPECT ourselves, our bodies, and the way they are NOW is how we are going to stop self-sabotaging and start achieving our long-term health and well-being goals.
Weight loss needs to be put on the back burner, it is a secondary goal.
Food needs to stop being a REWARD or PUNISHMENT.
We are stuck in a paradox.
We need to learn to be happy and accept our body and shape, learn to accept ourselves as we are but also not get complacent or give up on being the best version of ourselves, inside and out.
How can you Respect Your Body?
Intuitive Eating teaches us that rather than focusing on changing our bodies we should treat our bodies with the RESPECT that is deserved.
When you are caught in the trap of hating your body it is all too easy to keep delaying good things for yourself.
I know I have done it.
Do any of these statements resonate with you?
- No new underwear until I reach a certain number on the scales
- Not buying new jeans until I can buy them in the size I want them to be
- Putting off events until you are a certain size or weight – holidays/spa days etc
Are you always waiting until you have a body that is more deserving?
That day never comes because the targets we set ourselves are short-term, unachievable or unsustainable.
Life gets emptier as you wait to deserve, which breeds negative thoughts and more self-loathing.
What do we turn to during these emotional times, our trusty consistent friend – food.
Mindset change
YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY TO RESPECT IT. RESPECTING YOUR BODY MEANS TREATING IT WITH DIGNITY AND MEETING ITS BASIC NEEDS.
-INTUITIVE EATING BY EVELYN TRIBOLE AND ELYSE RESCH
You can see why we must change our mindset and accept ourselves as we are NOW.
I use the words, RESPECT and ACCEPTANCE rather than love as you may not love your body but you can learn to be grateful for everything it does for you.
Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your body focus on what you appreciate about your body:
- I love that my arms can hold those that I care for
- I am grateful for my legs so I can walk
- My skin protects me inside and out
By treating yourself with respect and meeting your basic human needs you can learn to accept yourself and learn to feel good about yourself.
Try treating yourself with RESPECT by:
- Honouring your hunger
- Finding Satisfaction in what you feed yourself
- Going to get measured for a bra that fits properly
- Wear clothes that make you feel good
- Make a date with friends (they don’t actually care what size you are)
- Plan that holiday or special day
Have fun, make memories, and live an enriched life because that is what you deserve. These are not rewards for after you have reached your target weight.
Be Realistic
I love social media, I use it to keep in touch with a wide circle of friends and I use it for my business but you have to be protective about what shows up in your news feed.
Remember many people with picture-perfect bodies and lifestyles are just showing a snapshot of their life or are airbrushed.
Alternatively what they are showing is their job, they are a model and they are paid to look the way they are.
It can also be down to genetics.
As an analogy, think about how we each have a shoe size. We can’t expect to fit into a size 5 shoe if we are a size 7.
We would never purposely try to fit in a shoe size that’s not ours…so why do we do that with our bodies?
Some people are genetically predisposed to have larger bodies, and most of us will never have the thin, lean, “ideal” body that our culture sells us or we once had many years ago.
Once we make peace with this and become more comfortable respecting ourselves, other areas of our life will fall into place naturally and we will have more time available to focus on living and loving life.
Get Support
Book your complimentary 30-minute menopause assessment.
Gain understanding and get clarity about your menopause journey, take my free Empowered Menopause Workshop.
Choose a free downloadable resource to get you started on your journey to optimal health and well-being.