Today I want to talk to you about making some minor changes that will leave you feeling a lot better about your body.
When I was in high school, a popular very outspoken guy, made a comment about my butt being big. When he made the rude comment, I ignored him because I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of effecting me with his hurtful words. However, Later I realized that the comment actually DID effect me.
Is my butt too big? Is there something wrong with my butt? Should my butt be smaller?
I wasn’t totally aware of it, but the comment actually stayed with me for years to come, and somewhat dis-morphed my opinion of my body.
Flash forward to a few years ago, I posted a video on my Instagram of me doing a routine that targeted the glutes. Most of the comments were the typical positive responses of “yes! love it!” or “I need to try this out tomorrow” … etc. But there was 1 comment from a guy who said something to the effect of “why would you post this? you have no butt”.
The comment reminded me of how I felt in high school. All of a sudden I was doubting my butt. Do I not have a butt? What’s wrong with my butt? Is it too flat?
The bottom line, I took a hard look in the mirror and realized that I wanted to train my body to look the way I wanted it to look! I don’t care if someone else thinks my butt is too big or too small. I want to train my body in a way that makes me feel confident and strong.
So I started lifting 3X a week… and I LOVED the progress I made! I LOVED MY BODY! and because I did, I didn’t care what others thought.
When you improve how you feel about your body, it does so much for your self esteem! And there is research that supports, that when you have a more positive view of your body, your body tends to cooperate with you and you’ll experience better results!
Before I dive into my tips, I wanna get real with you for a moment… like really real…. Get close. Lean in. I really want you to hear this. If you don’t like yourself and your body…. working out like a mad man, doing tons of cardio, lifting non stop, isn’t going to change your mindset. Sometimes the issue is deeper. Deeper than the surface. So my hope is that these tips will get you moving in a more positive mental direction on how you view yourself when you look in the mirror.
Start this process by becoming more aware of your own personal negative talk. Even though it might feel weird to look at yourself in mirror and say “damn! you’re hot!” or “I love my shoulders and I love how strong my legs are”… even though that might feel strange and uncomfortable, it is actually a proven technique that is used in behavioral therapy. This is about becoming you’re own body image advocate!
Tips to feel great about your body!
1. Continue to hang with your friends, but when the conversation turns to negative body talk, re-direct the conversation elsewhere. If you don’t feel comfortable directly changing the topic, then shift the topic to creating a plan! What routines work for you? What exercise routine leaves you feeling amazing? Talk about action you’ve taken! Share what’s worked for you!
2. Catch your negative self talk. Acknowledge that its negative, acknowledge that its not based in truth, and then find something positive to say about yourself.
3. Use post it notes. Post positive affirmation anywhere in the house that you know are negative triggers.
4. Limit activities, social interactions, social media, and any kind of interaction that makes you feel inferior. Avoid anything and everything that triggers you to have negative thoughts about your body.
5. Re think getting on the scale. If getting on the scale makes you feel and about yourself, then why are you getting on the scale? Yes, measuring and tracking your progress is important, however you and I both know that the scale is NOT the only way to do that. AND… your weight can fluctuate multiple pounds day to day, and hour by hour, depending on what you’ve eaten, how much water you’ve consumed, and if you’ve had a bowel movement. There is a side to us that has been conditioned to believe that regardless if we like what we see in the mirror or if our clothes fit better, the scale is ultimately the deciding factor.
6. Set up small wins! Don’t set yourself up for failure by creating unrealistic expectations or goals. Create small, attainable, measurable goals and congratulate yourself when you achieve them!
If you’re ready to make 2017 your best year ever, my first edition SmartLife PUSH Journal’s are almost sold out! Just click below for details.
To Listen to the Chalene Show episode that covered this topic, head to iTunes!
I really appreciate your tip to avoid activities that make you feel inferior. My hope is that everyone can feel happy about their bodies. And if there is a reasonable way to change their body to feel better, I think it’s definitely something worth considering.
Thank you for changing my life! And enlarging it in so many ways for the better!