“Love your body” is a phrase that gets tossed around like, “Don’t worry, just be happy” or “Think positive”–Sounds good and theory, but sometimes it’s just tough to do.
Consider these ways you are NOT taking care or loving it today…and how to change that.
What was the first thought when you woke up this morning and looked in the mirror?: “I love my body!”
Eh…nope…chances are, if you are like the majority of women (approximately 97%), it sounded more like this:
Ugh.
Oy vey.
Ew.
Ahh!
Look at that/those ____ (you fill in the blank: thighs, dark circles, gray hairs, bony nose, etc.)
In other words: Not kind to yourself.
We need to have a heart to heart.
Why are you hating on yourself so much?
Really—why?
Think back to when you were a little kid: What were the thoughts and messages you said to yourself?
Chances are they sounded something more like this:
• I am a princess!
• I am going to be a _______ (ANY DREAM JOB you wanted) when I grow up
• Whoa, look at those muscles!
• I am super fast!
• Life is good
• I think I could fly (as you jumped off a high ledge)
• I look like Cinderella in this dress
You were pretty self-confident; very little negativity standing in your way.
Fast forward to adolescence—your teen years—and by that time…those messages probably started to sound different:
• Ugh, I’m such a loser
• Zit-face
• Nobody likes me
• I’m so fat
• Brace face
• Frizz head
• Ugly
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
And the beat went on…well into your adult years.
You actually began to believe that “that voice”—that inner critic that was speaking—was your very own.
Consequently, so as we think, therefore we become.
We believe the LIES and negative thoughts we’ve ingrained into our heads after years of speaking to ourselves in that way, and while our negative thoughts may be just focused on one or two things (our thighs we hate, our nose, our posture, our boobs, our butts, our waists, our under-arms, our frizzy hair, etc.), we’ve let those negative thoughts shape and define our own thoughts for FAR TOO LONG.
Today’s post goes out to all you folks who are ready to stop being at war with your bodies:
Your body is the only place we have to live…and, if you want it to work for you, you need to work with it.
In other words: Take care of it.
Consider this: Your body is a Ferrari.
When you own or drive a Ferrari, what does that look like?
You take care of it!
You totally love it–after all, you worked hard to buy that Ferrari…you saved up, you invested, you shopped long and hard for it. And once you have it, you:
• You put premium gas in the tank
• You wash, polish and shine the heck out of that silver or red thing
• You drive it with gusto, style, speed, confidence
• Nothing or no one can stand in your way
• If it gets a dent in it, or a fender bender, you don’t just ‘let it be’—you fix what is broken, you take it to a shop you trust to repair it
• You make wise decisions with it—you don’t go out mudding in the woods; or off-roading
• You don’t load it down with a bunch of junk and crap—you keep the seats and interior clean
• You don’t eat your fast-food burger and fries in it, on the go, and leave the wrappers and cups on the floorboard to collect dust
• You take it in for regular check-ins and tune-ups—keeping its oil changed and tires rotated regularly
So if this is your body we are talking about…and it is a Ferrari…why do you:
• Feed it crap (fast food, diet foods with tons of additives, not feeding it at all)?!
• Not take pride in it? (Not the boasting kind of pride, but the humble kind of pride that shows you care enough about yourself to: Get your nails done occasionally, do your hair, dress in clothes that make you feel good, exercise regularly for fitness—not to break your body down, nor sit on your butt thinking about changing tomorrow)
• Walk around with your head down, shoulders rounded, ashamed, insecure or not confident in WHO YOU ARE?
• Let other people’s opinions, thoughts or comments shape or define how you think about yourself?
• Keep going when it is broken?
o You workout when you are injured—still running on a sprained ankle or stress-fractured foot
o Keep going—without resting—when you are sick
o Pound the coffee or Diet Cokes for a much-needed caffeine booster (rather than looking to drinking more water, getting better sleep, and energizing your nutrition for the booster)
o Try to ‘band aid’ your distress over your weight with weight loss supplements, quick-fix diets, cosmetic surgery, or metabolic boosters—rather than getting to the root of a sustainable weight for a healthy life
• Make ‘unwise’ decisions, that you know are not healthy for you—saying ‘tomorrow’ will be the day to change (keep on with that sugar habit; or say ‘tomorrow’ will be the day to add something to your diet for healthy weight gain; or tomorrow will be the day to quit smoking)?
• Clutter it with a bunch of junk (Cheap, poor-quality, chemical-laden beauty products that are leaving your skin and hair filled with toxic chemicals; Alcohol several nights a week out of ‘habit’ and need to ‘be social’; Lack of water because it ‘makes you have to pee too much’—therefore leaving your insides dry and dehydrated; Foods that make you breakout or leave you gassy, bloated, constipated, craving more sugar, fatigued, etc.)?
• Avoid regular check-ins or tune-ups with a coach, a nutritionist, a therapist, an accountability partner, a person who has your best interest, your goals, your success at heart!?
Your body is a Ferrari.
If you want to learn more about how you can take care of it. How to:
• Stop under-eating
• Quit over-training
• Break-up with diets and the diet mentality
• Quit hating on it so much
• Feed it foods that energize and enliven it
• Move it in ways that are fun and move you!
• Do what you love and love what you do
• And on and on…
Let’s chat! I love nothing more than partnering with you to change your body, change your mind, and change your life!
Shoot me a message here and we will chat!