How do you feel good in your own skin when there are constant conflicting messages on what is “acceptable” or not? From our families, to the local gym, to the work cubicle, regardless of who we are and where we come from, we are constantly evaluating if our bodies are good enough. Here is some news for you: it is possible to feel great in your own skin in spite of what you currently look like. No. We are not talking about fake affirmations that stroke the ego. We are talking about truly feeling happy about what your body looks like now, whether you are on a journey to looking “better” or not.
Images of perfection are not real
As the definition of beauty has become more stringent, both men and women have been affected with the distorted idea of the “ideal body”. Unfortunately, this is a phenomenon that is reinforced by the media and the multi-billion dollar diet and weight loss industry. Morning, prime time, late night television and social media is filled with this type of programming. The truth however is that photographs used in magazines are always photoshopped. The truth is that celebrities have a team putting on makeup that makes them look flawless just minutes before they are recorded on television. The images of perfection that are presented to us through the media are not real. It might be the reality for one to two percent of the population. But it is not the norm. Once you are able to allow this basic fact to sink deep down, half of the battle to feeling good in your own skin has been won.
Surround yourself with true friends
In the quest to fit in, it is easy to find ourselves with the wrong set of friends. These are the people who are constantly putting you down and making you feel less than you are worth. It is neither good for your physical nor your mental health to stay around such people. Disconnecting yourself from these people and finding true friends who like you for being you will ultimately do wonders for your sense of self-worth.
Celebrate your body for what it is right now
This can be the hardest part of the journey to feeling good in your own skin. When your mind has been conditioned to see a certain size as “gorgeous”, accepting your current body as beautiful can indeed be a struggle. It is however important to get to that place where you celebrate your own body while working on any weight and fitness goals you might have.
Make small changes when it comes to food
Eating healthy food is not as difficult and boring as people assume. It starts by replacing one food choice with another. For instance, if it is 9 p.m. and you are craving a late night snack. Perhaps a bowl of yummy popcorn could be replaced by a small apple. Cravings for soda can be replaced with sparkling water or seltzer. These are small choices but over time, the compound effect kicks in as a result of all those smaller steps you are taking. When you begin to see inches come off your waist in this slow but steady fashion, it is empowering and will drive you on to keep making more great choices that will help you meet your weight and fitness goals without stressing so much about your body as it is right now.
Exercise often – slow and steady wins
As mentioned above, the seemingly small choice to replace a bowl of popcorn with an apple makes a big difference over time. Popular television shows that show extreme weight loss over a short amount of time while empowering, is not the sustainable way to lose weight. In fact, a very interesting study at the National Institutes of Health showed that losing weight very rapidly was a reason why contestants on such shows regained weight after leaving the show. Do exercises you are comfortable with. The point is to move at least for thirty minutes per day. The MediKeeper Health Assessment Risk tool can evaluate your current health profile and make suggestions on the types of exercises that you can easily incorporate into your day so that it is not overly stressful.
How To Feel Good Closing Thoughts
It is possible to feel good in your own skin whether you are on a weight loss and fitness journey or not. It all starts with realizing that the idea of perfect bodies in the media is grossly overstated. Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark this page or share with someone who will find it useful.
