Whatever you are looking for you will see… AND... When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change!

Tips for Improving Your Body Image:

• Accept your genetic body type: Remember that your weight, height, and bone structure are strongly determined by your genes.. Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.
  

• Stop comparing yourself to others. How others look has nothing to do with you.
  

• Be media conscious. We are bombarded with media messages telling us our bodies are not perfect… Most fashion and women’s magazines focus on an ideal of beauty that is just not something that anyone in real life can be. Remind yourself that the body images you see are manufactured by make up artists, hair dressers, airbrushing specialists, fashion designers, lighting specialists, and cosmetic surgeons. Also know that many fashion models have eating disorders and are not able to maintain their low body weight in a healthy manner.
  

• Create a Why I Like Myself List. Think about all the things about you that you like… are you Funny? Creative? Honest? Intelligent? Think of all the reasons you deserve to love yourself and write them down. Remind yourself of all the things you are besides a body. Read this list daily and add to it every time you think of something else you like about you.
  

• Create a Body Appreciation List. Think about how your body has continued to show up for you no matter how much you fed or starved it, exercised it or not. Write these things down. Remember that your heart has continued to beat, your lungs continue to breathe, and your liver continues to detoxify your body. As well, maybe your body has learned a new skill, gotten stronger, taken you to the top of a hill, rejuvenated during sleep, or allowed you to comfort a child, share love with a spouse, or go shopping with friends!. Celebrate your body and the marvelous things it can do. If you’ve had Weight Loss Surgery note all the things that your body can do now that it could not do before. How has your life changed because of the changes your body has gone through? Read this list daily and add to it every time you are grateful for something your body has done.
  

• Stop thinking that thinner thighs are the answer to all of life’s problems. When you find yourself hyper focused on your body stop for a moment and ask yourself what you would be doing, thinking, or feeling if you were not obsessing about your body. What is this preoccupation stopping you from being present to in your life? Are you in anyway benefiting from focusing on what you believe to be your physical flaws? Commit to feeling the feelings that arise as you ask yourself those questions and really listen to the answers you hear/feel.
  

• “Act as if you” were comfortable in your body even If you are not quite “feeling it” yet. How would you walk, what would you wear, how would you speak to people, what kind of self talk would you be speaking, what kind of eye contact would you make with others? Use these questions as a guide for “acting as if”. Notice how it feels to carry your body with an air of love and respect.
  

• Speak (and think) only kind and loving words and thoughts to and about your body!! If you find yourself being critical of your body, stop and acknowledge that this will not support you feeling good about yourself. Then, respond to yourself as you would to a best friend. For every negative thing you catch yourself saying about your body, apologize to your body and say 2 loving/ appreciative things about your body.
  

• Make a decision to truly “nourish” yourself. Read a good book, take a bubble bath, schedule a massage, get a haircut, dance to your favorite song, make plans with a friend, take a nap, ask for a hug, give yourself permission to say “no”, meditate, pray.
  

• Make it your intention to move and enjoy your body: go walking, swimming, biking, dancing, do yoga, tai chi, etc… not because you have to but because it makes you feel so good. Your body deserves to be treated well.
  

• Surround yourself with people who celebrate and appreciate you.
  

• Say “thank you” to compliments without discounting them.
  

• Know that you can control your experience of your life by the thoughts you choose to think. How you experience your life is a direct consequence of your predominant thoughts and feelings. By making a decision about the thoughts you choose to think (which are the precursors to your feelings) you take responsibility for creating your reality. So if you decide to think about what is not good about your body you will attract to you experiences of your body not being good enough, and more than likely will live in a state of “waiting till things get better (i.e. my thighs get thinner)” before you can really be happy. If you choose to think about what is good about you, what you like and appreciate about you, you will feel gratitude and be more likely experience your life as abundant and joy-filled!
  

The next time you find yourself being critical of a particular body part, sit down and write a letter to that body part telling it exactly what you don’t like about it and how it makes you feel. Then have that body part write back to you telling you how it felt to read that letter. Then write back to that body part…….. and just notice what happens……….

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog I would love to hear from you. You can respond below to this blog or email me at louisa@louisalatela.com.

LOVE this!!

These are such great tips, and so necessary! It’s really important to be positive, since that’s motivating, and not be negative, since that can be a barrier.

I try to think about making good diet and exercise choices in terms of positives. I try to think, “I’m lifting weights because I love way it makes my arms look,” and not, “I’m lifting weights to try to get rid of my flabbiness.”

Thanks for telling us why we need to feel good about ourselves, and how we can!

Good post! Thank you.

thank you for these reminders. as females yes we are constantly reminded on body image no matter what our appearance is. if your overweight, underweight there is contraversy everywhere and it does affect us. I have been guilty of the inner neg dialog myself..losing over 100 pds and still seeing the imperfections of the over 50 class...yea its been hard. some days I hold my head up high and feel confident and proud with what I have accomplished and I wonder if its being over cockiness or if its sheer confidence that I have refound..I don't want to appear as cocky "truly" confident yes. so I am in the kinda "hiding myself" phase again. it's really hard to "hide" this weight loss.. my weight loss is not up for conversation with anyone. when it's brought up I change the topic quickly. I don't like attention..and yes I have a phsycologist I talk to and see thru out the yr still..I am relearning still how to love myself ..thanks again for the article I am glad I seen this!