I have had a love/hate relationship with my body since puberty. I think it all started when my breasts started growing at the same rate as my overbite. I felt awkward and ugly and was in constant comparison with others. I look back at pictures of when I was in my teens and I discovered the girl that was dressed in black clothing, trying desperate to camouflage, was in fact not FAT. Nope, I was a healthy size 14, but at the time I perceived myself as probably being size 20. I would berate myself with horrible names. I am not going to include them here because I am sure you probably have called yourself something similar. As I grew older and struggling with my self esteem, I made several poor choices and continued to try and disappear. I would buy clothes, sometimes a size too big so that nothing touched my body or gave hint to my rolls of flesh. I could of continued like this but luckily for me something started to change in my thought process. I stopped focusing on the negative but looked at the positive in my life. This did not happen over night,was not always effective and I could feel myself every now and again slip back to my destructive thought process. I would regroup and again start reminding myself not to be my worse enemy. Here are some coping strategies that work for me.
1. Do not call yourself any negative name. Ask yourself this, would you allow your best friend to be called horrible mean names...of course not. Why do this to yourself? Become your own best friend. Praise yourself for something positive.
2. Do not say this sentence " Once I lose the weight I will...." What are you waiting for? Don't miss an opportunity to seize your dream. You might never lose the weight and you could lose out on something much more valuable.
3. Buy clothes that fit, not by the number. I currently have jeans that run from size 16 to size 22. They all fit me. Each clothing company has its own model size. You want to look good and no one is going to see that little tag on it but you! Buy clothes that you love to wear and look good on your body now! I get a confidence boost when I am wearing something that embraces my curves.
4. If you are trying to lose weight, don't set a goal number. Again no one but you and your scale will know how much you weigh. Lose weight to be healthy.
5. Don't compare yourself to other women! (this one I still struggle with). A woman who is thin can be struggling with her own body issues.
6. Love the person you are right now!
You are so much more then a number. Weight does not define you.
AMAZING!
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