Can we really change the way we feel about our bodies

[Aries Woman]

What does it take to change how we feel about ourselves?

[Lily Mershon]

I think we can! It takes a positive step in the right direction though. If you see everything in a negative light, it can really bring you down. Also, it's soooo good to take time out for you! If you are taking care of others constantly, you can become burned out and start thinking negatively, which can lead to downing yourself when it comes to your body- "I'm not pretty enough, thin enough, worth enough to take care of myself. Others deserve to be taken care of, not me." Those sorts of thoughts takes us down the scary road to low self-confidence, and being women, we tend to translate emotions through our body image.

[Chloe]

I think it takes proving to ourselves that we are worthy & beautiful in our own unique way. It takes being able to see through the whole thing about size & being able to see our own qualities such as eyes, hair, skin, etc.
& proving to ourselves that we have our own talents & are good at different things & each have our own great personality.

[lisa ann]

well i used to be self conciouse. like majorly.
and now i'm content with the way i look.
inner beauty is more important than outerbeauty.
yet outer beauty still matters to me. but i have learned
to love my self... probably because i keep telling my friends the way i feel about my self and they are like " why do you think that" and stuff like that. hahaha. so the people around you help change how you feel about urself. eather for the better or for worse. and this time it was for the better. and it kind of grows on you.

[Lori]

I think one of the most important factors in changing the way we feel about our bodies is to change our thinking. Change your thoughts, change your life.

Because our negative thoughts seem to pop up so readily, it can be very difficult to break free from the beliefs that are holding us down.

It will require very deep and persistent work to actively change our thoughts.

I wonder if anyone has a story to tell about successfully changing their thoughts.

[vickyann]

Feeling positive about ourselves should be natural, it's a pretty amazing thing to be human, we can adapt to the harshest environments, our bodies can heal like a miracle and we never stop exploring.

Somewhere over time the negativity which helped us to admire the positive qualities of life overtook daily lives. I believe when we recognise the potential inside us all we can begin to change how we feel about ourselves for the better. It will never happen overnight but working together we can do it.

Vx

[Laura]

I think it is possible--difficult, but possible, but also very worthwhile

[Melissa]

One of the most significant things I did that influenced the way I feel about my body was to become a nude model for fine art students. It was scary at first, but also incredibly exciting to dare myself to be nude in front of people I don't know. But it also was a safe place to do that, I didn't have to compromise any of my values.

What I discovered is that artists notice every detail, shade, color, and crevice of the body. They are so grateful that you are there no matter your size, shape, height, or weight. They highlighted areas of my body that they felt were beautiful. It made me realize how amazing the human body is and it made me realize how significant it is that God created me like an artist molds clay.

[Rhonda Dunkley]

I do. I have had 4 kids and things just dont go back the same. BUT i think on days that you feel "blue" then this is what i do...I wear (even undergarments) clothes that I feel sexy in. It makes you feel good about yourself. Take yourself out on the town and see the response. Even though I am happily married it was nice to go out with a group of girls the club and have a few guys come up to me...I still have it...lol

[Lori]

Great tip!

I think it's SO important for all women to embrace their sexy side. Whether it's wearing sexy clothes, dancing to your favorite song, engaging in some harmless flirting, etc. Healthy behaviors that keep you feeling good about yourself are most certainly the key to feeling alive and vibrant!

[Elizabeth]

Definately a new outlook. Realizing our bodies are not outside ourselves, they are not our enemy. Realize how much our bodies do for us everyday instead of what they 'don't' do (like our body's only function is to look a certain way). Realize our body KNOWS how much we hate it.... where do you think all the stress impacts come from? yes, from daily harsh lives, but also from our negativity directed towards our body.

I just read Jessica Weiner's "Do I Look Fat in This?" Excellent book to help change your negative body thoughts into positive ones. Our bodies were not meant to look a certain way, we are not meant to be some trophy woman. Our bodies are meant to look unique. We each have different genes, different reasons our bodies look the way they do.

One of the biggest tips I learned from that book is to realize how utterly STUPID it is to body bash! It takes up so much time! time we could be doing something fun and enjoyable with our lives! There is no REAL reason to body bash. it's a creation by society, simple truth. Look at the world around us... not all cultures have the same beauty ideals as western cultures. There are some African cultures who prize a larger woman, try to plump up a woman who is about to be married because it is adored and sexy to the men! We need to finally realize this beauty myth is just that... a myth. It is made up. Most likely to sell stuff and make money.

We need to get down to the most simple of thoughts to love our bodies... concentrate on breathing once and awhile. Realize how absolutely beautiful a simple breath made by our body really is. you don't need to be skinny or beautiful to breathe.

[Sonober Abidi]

Hello,

I really hope that I can change the way I see myself. I am working on it. I work out 3x a week and feel good that I am doing something healthy for myself even though I have not lost and ounce of weight. Any advice is welcomed.

[Elizabeth]

Good for you! Doing something that is good for you, both body and soul, is more important than losing weight. Many women lose sight of why we should really be working out.... it's not to look like someone else. i beleive it's to work the wonderful bodies we've been given, achieve healthy results, feel good about ourselves, and maybe have some fun and enjoyment along the way! forget about losing weight! the most important thing is you are out there DOING it! i beleive society is always changing the "goal" for getting skinny... i just read an article saying instead of the 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week excercise to be healthy, no they've upped it to 55 minutes! and it made me so mad... they said and that's just if you are doing it for health reasons. if you want to "lose weight" you have to do more... WHO CARES! shouldn't the health reasons be the only reason you need to exercise and be healthy?! i'm reading an excellent book i recommend to anyone struggling with excercise. it's called "Reality Fitness: Inspiration for your Health and Well-Being" by Nicki Anderson. no, it's not written by some doctor... it's written by a busy mother who struggles with the very same issues many of you have addressed in this forum already. it's a very small, cheap book i found on Amazon.com for 99 cents, but it has definately helped me change my outlook on health and excercise for normal, everyday women. Check it out!