I’m stealing from another blog today because I think it’s a critical message: we need to get to a place for ourselves where we have a good body image.
I have known so many people who just have a sad body image. I want to shake them and tell them they are SO MUCH MORE than their bodies!!
I have been watching old TV shows on Netflix for the past few years: Magnum PI, Charlie’s Angels, Rockford Files… all great fun. But one thing strikes me again and again: the people are REAL in those shows. No plastic surgery, no digital enhancements, no soft focus. What I see on those TV shows are what I would see if the actors were standing in front of me… and what I see when I see real people, now.
So why do we feel the need to “improve” on nature?
As the blogger explains:
There’s nothing wrong with desiring a shapely or fit body, but the reality of how we are made can often prevent us from being real with who we really are and accepting that genetics, medical conditions and other physiological factors play a role in how our bodies literally take shape.
The key to feeling good about your body is to learn and respect our natural shape. We must get rid negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. We can do this by learning more about the physiological factors that may influence the result of your training efforts and desired outcome.
Body Image is…
- How you see or picture yourself.
- How you feel others perceive you.
- What you believe about your physical appearance.
- How you feel about your body.
- How you feel in your body.
It’s been studied, that people with negative body images have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem and obsessions with weight loss.
I think having diabetes gives us yet another excuse to hate our bodies (or at least our pancreas). But what good does that do? It just leads us down a miserable and uncomfortable path.
The blogger here gives suggestions on ways to work towards having a better body image for ourselves. I think her suggestions are well worth a try:
One list cannot automatically tell you how to turn negative body thoughts into positive body images, but a few tips can help you think about new ways of looking more healthily and happily at yourself and your body.
- APPRECIATE all that your body can do. Everyday your body carries you closer to your dreams. Celebrate all of the things your body does for you: running, surfing, stand up paddling, dancing, breathing, climbing, laughing, dreaming, etc.
- KEEP A TOP-TEN LIST of things you like about yourself that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read your list often. Add to it as you become aware of more things to like about yourself.
- REMIND yourself that true beauty is not simply skin-deep. When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you carry yourself with a sense of confidence, self-acceptance and openness that makes you beautiful regardless of whether or not you physically look like a supermodel. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body.
No one is a perfect “10” but you can see yourself as a whole person. When you look in the mirror next time, see yourself as you want others to see you; as a whole person.
Living with diabetes or without it, we all deserve to feel good in the body we have.
