topic Healthy body image tips in Staying well

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:01:55 GMT

Hi everyone,

I thought this thread might be helpful for developing healthy body image.

In saying that, these are just general tips and can't replace medical and allied health advice but I thought such a thread would be helpful.

You may or may not find these tips helpful- either is okay- but I thought that I would share things that I have learnt over the years.

Please feel free to share your own tips 😊

- not labelling food as "good" or "bad." Food is food.

- get a full body check to make sure there aren't physical health problems that are causing food/appetite issues.

- this is a really difficult one (because it's hard work and emotionally painful) but finding the root cause(s) of your binge eating/purging/deprivation/etc because food is often a "symptom" of a deeper wound. Sometimes this requires help from a psychologist, counsellor or other health professional.

- avoid discussions about kj/calories with friends and loved ones. Same goes for conversations where you put yourselves down for your weight and physical appearance.

- when complimenting friends and loved ones, try to make it about their personal attributes as opposed to their appearance.

- remember that photos online and in magazines are usually airbrushed.

- be wary of competitive dieting and exercising with friends. While it's great if you and a friend want to motivate each other to exercise and eat well in a supportive and healthy way, it's another thing when it turns into a competition.

- try to avoid fad diets.

- minimise constantly checking e.g. obsessive use of scales, pinching your stomach, etc. Try to set limits as to how often you check yourself/body e.g. weighing yourself once a week (for general health reasons).

- if you find that there are certain things that "trigger" unhealthy behaviours then minimise contact with those things/get rid of them. For example, I don't own a set of scales anymore because every time that I've had easy access to one, I end up weighing myself multiple times every single day, which in turn, triggers another set of unhealthy behaviours and on it goes...

- surround yourself with people who don't make you feel bad about your body and appearance. By the same token, minimise contact with people who criticise you for your appearance, engage in competitive dieting, etc.

- only lose/gain weight for your own sake and not because someone else is pressuring you to do it. It's your body.

- And remember, your weight doesn't define you.

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

blondguy — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 10:13:33 GMT

Hi Dottie123

Another great post. You have posted some great advice.

I just have 2 words that I have lived by with having a solid build and the tendency to easily put on weight....which I avoided and seem to have the willpower to make it work. (I have no idea where the willpower comes from)

Portion Control (apologies if this isnt what I should be posting Dottie)

You have listed so many great points I hope you dont mind me quoting one of them...

"remember that photos online and in magazines are usually airbrushed."

A great and informative post

my kind thoughts

Paulx

Healthy body image tips

SubduedBlues — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 10:21:14 GMT

That's all good advice Dottie, I should endeavor to follow some of it.

Raises a lot of questions in my mind, but to not jump your thread, perhaps I'll start a new one.

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:10:06 GMT

Hi there,

Paul, thank you for the encouraging words and advice about portion sizes. That's an excellent tip in terms of eating in moderation. I think it's great that you seem to manage your health well. Good on you!

SB, I appreciate your dropping in and commenting. Thanks for the support!

I must admit that I'm now actually very curious about your questions haha.

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

Zeal — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:55:54 GMT

Hey Dottie,

I really like your healthy body image list of tips. The third point about finding the root cause of unhealthy eating behaviours is a crucial one. This is what helped me overcome disordered eating.

A few other things I have personally found helpful are:

Not having or using Instagram
Only owning clothes that make me feel comfortable with my body/figure. For example, I am fine with showing my legs in shorts or wearing fitted jeans, but I don't feel as comfortable in a tummy-hugging top.
Not watching TV shows like Supersize vs Superskinny or current affair programs about food choices, dieting or the obesity crisis

I've already mentioned these to you Dottie, but I thought I'd include them here too 🙂

Thanks for the great thread!

Best wishes,

Zeal

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 05:59:42 GMT

Hi Zeal (shoutout to everyone else),

Thanks and I appreciate all the helpful tips you shared 😊

I completely agree with you about the 3rd one- finding the underlying reasons- being super important.

Oh yes, wearing clothes that don't make you feel self conscious is helpful. True, certain TV shows can sometimes be very, very triggering.

Thanks again!

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

Guest_3072 — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 03:40:06 GMT

Thanks for the tips Dottie!

I especially like the one about giving compliments on personal attributes rather than appearance and how you said that weight doesn't define you.

Gabby x

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 07:20:23 GMT

Thanks Gabby!

I'm glad you got something out of it. Happy to hear that.

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

romantic_thi3f — Tue, 02 May 2017 00:59:37 GMT

Hi,

What a great thread!

Here are some other tips (and stolen quotes!) to add to the pile:

Try to remember that you are already enough. Nothing changes that.
Great tips so far about avoiding Instagram and magazines; but we can only avoid things for so long. Remember that companies thrive on you feeling like you're not good enough. The beauty industry and the weight-loss industry make millions just because society feels like you're not okay in your skin. (spoiler alert: you are).
The scale will only tell you a number. It will not tell you how beautiful you are, or how much you are loved.
Surround yourself with not only people but everything that boosts your appearance. I've switched from reading women's magazines to National Geographic and I haven't regretted it. There are also lots of blogs and books on self-esteem and acceptance.
You are not fat. You have fat. You also have fingernails. You are not fingernails.
Do exercise! Yoga! How great are legs that take us where we want to go. How great are lungs that help us breathe. How great are arms that help us reach for things and cook things. How great are bellies for allowing us to digest food and use it as fuel! It's not a body's job to be perfect, it's to keep you alive.
People don't really care. That sounds negative but it's something I wish that I learned when I was younger. Isn't there enough things that are more important then our size? JK Rowling (author of Harry Potter) said 'is fat the worst thing that we can be?'
Get rid of 'feeling fat' from your dictionary. We can feel anxious, doubt or fear, but not fat. Feeling fat makes us believe something should change. It's a sensation of monitoring how much space you occupy, and then judging it. Your body isn't going anywhere. Your body deserves to take up space. (from a comic by C.Mucha)
Life is way too short to spend another day at war with yourself.

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Wed, 03 May 2017 14:18:03 GMT

Hi romantic_thi3f,

Thank you so much for sharing your awesome tips 😊 I think that a lot of people will find them helpful (including me).

They're all great tips but I particularly liked your reminder that we are already "enough."

I also particularly liked your tip about appreciating all the things that our body does for us and how its job is to keep us alive. Very true and how easy it is that many of us- most definitely including me- take our bodies for granted.

Thanks again!

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

SubduedBlues — Sun, 07 May 2017 00:04:20 GMT

Two tips for eating less:

Always drink a bottle of water before eating. The water occupies the space in your tummy.
Take smaller bites and chew more. Tricks the brain into thinking it's eaten more than it has.

Healthy body image tips

MaiiBear — Sun, 07 May 2017 01:15:01 GMT

I found a quote along the lines of "snow is beautiful, and so are Christmas lights. Both are completely different but they're special in their own way." That helped me a few years ago so I hope it does some good here knowing everyone is beautiful and unique enough to feel comfortable in their own skin.

I know it's not a thing everybody can do, but one day something in me just clicked and I stopped caring about weight or what image I'm presenting of myself. What's the point of being extremely skinny or vice versa if I'm going to make myself unhappy by missing out on one of the best things life offers to you? Just so that you can be a step closer to looking like that model on a magazine, who was already skinny but was edited further on another platform to become something that just isn't physically possible. Everybody is self-conscious, and that made me care less to realize nobody was thinking of me because we were all essentially in the same boat.

I'm not trying to skinny-shame, either. If you're naturally skinny and healthy, good on you for being you. However, if you're hurting yourself to get to that point and you don't feel like you're getting anywhere, it's not worth it as you're doing more harm than you are good. I'm now working on putting on weight and when I tell people that they gawk at me as if I'm some kind of alien. On one hand it is funny but on the other it's a little sad people have shifted to thinking being skinny is the only way to feel beautiful in this world.

I believe everybody is beautiful and should be judged from who they are instead of what they look like. You're all valid and deserve a chance to be happy, so I hope your day is as lovely as you 🙂

Healthy body image tips

TBella — Sun, 07 May 2017 02:38:26 GMT

Awesome advise

thank you for sharing them.

kind Regards

Tbella

Healthy body image tips

TBella — Sun, 07 May 2017 02:43:22 GMT

That's Beautiful wise advice.

thank you for sharing 😊

Kind Regards

Tbella

Healthy body image tips

Just Sara — Sun, 07 May 2017 02:49:18 GMT

I've been in tears reading through these wonderful posts. Thankyou all for your heartfelt and helpful words.

Personally, I find the word 'beautiful' a great addition to my posts when describing people's hearts and minds, but when it's used to relate to the body, I just can't get past the comparison to others.

I have a very large and unattractive scar on my knee due to surgery. When people see it they cringe and furrow their brow. But to me, it's the most beautiful thing on my body. It's a reminder of the mobility and freedom I wanted for decades and now have. I don't have the pain anymore either.

Beautiful is the opposite of ugly. Who do we compare ourselves with for this term? Is old ugly and young beautiful? It feels that way at times when I hear men talking about young blonde women with legs up to 'here'. Or how they're probably bitches, but oh how great their arse is.

Yes, we do have to learn to feel good about ourselves, but language used by those who comment on looks instead of the whole package don't help.

I don't know how many times people have commented to me about my weight as if it's open slather for conversation. I oblige and reply with an uncomfortable smile, but deep down it hurts. It's no wonder the marketing sector use full time psych's to bolster their influence on consumers.

In days of old, women would never have been caught out without a proper hat on in public, or dressed up to the nines to go to the market. It might be more liberal now, but the premise is the same.

I sometimes look in the mirror while naked and tell myself how beautiful I am. I'm alone in more ways than one. As you say Dottie, it has to be a 'Healthy' body image.

Thankyou to all who've shared here...

Sara x

Healthy body image tips

TBella — Sun, 07 May 2017 03:49:58 GMT

Thank you for sharing a beautiful post also.

I personally love scars & think they are beautiful. They tell a story of survival! They serve as beautiful reminders that something that intended to finish you off, didn't ( be it an accident, cancer, other illness/injuries or acts of violence) Scars say you had a fight to fight & YOU WON!!! 😊

Kind Regards

Tbella

Healthy body image tips

quirkywords — Sun, 07 May 2017 07:57:34 GMT

Dottie

Thanks for starting this great thread.

Romantic, I like you are not fat you have fat.

Sara: Thanks for your honest post.

After many years of living, I embrace my fat, my thick thighs, my wobbly tummy , this is me and I am glad I am alive and I can move. I eat well and will never be thin.

Thanks for all the contributions

quirky

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Tue, 09 May 2017 09:16:04 GMT

Hi everyone,

SB, thank you so much for visiting and sharing your tips on managing meal time.

Maiibear, wow, what a moving post.

snow is beautiful, and so are Christmas lights. Both are completely different but they're special in their own way

That was beautifully worded and I love your message. I'm glad you have come to a place of peace and acceptance- maybe even happiness- with your body, body image, etc. Thank you, your inner beauty shines through.

TBella, it's lovely to see you here. I agree with you that many of the posters have shared wonderful tips and trusted us with stories- it help to feel less alone, I think.

Thank you all again,

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Tue, 09 May 2017 09:39:02 GMT

Hi again,

Sara, what a powerfully honest admission about some of your own body image and body struggles and triumphs. Thank you so much for sharing.

I agree with TBella that scars can be beautiful as they are a physical reminder of survival. The scar on your knee represents exactly that. Freedom and mobility indeed.

Sometimes I feel that because our physical appearance is visible for most to see that some people think it's their "right" to express what they think about another person's weight, style, hair colour, etc. Never mind that those comments are unasked for and often very hurtful (and it's really not their place- they don't know what others' bodies have been through or why those bodies are the way they are ). Yes, words can indeed hurt.

Sadly, I think what society deems "beautiful" is often restricted to a certain look and physique. I think that's why romantic_thi3f's comment that each one of us is "enough" is so important. Just the way we are is enough. Mind you, it's much easier said than done. I definitely struggle with that one.

quirkywords, thanks for popping in. Your post made me smile. I love your self acceptance and loving attitude towards your body.

Dottie x

Healthy body image tips

Guest_322 — Tue, 09 May 2017 09:47:14 GMT

Hi again,

Okay, take 2...it seems my first post disappeared so I'll try to remember what I wrote.

SB, thank you so much for visiting and sharing your tips on managing meal time.

MaiiBear, wow, what a moving post.

snow is beautiful, and so are Christmas lights. Both are completely different but they're special in their own way.

This was beautifully worded and I love your message. You seem to have come to a place of peace and acceptance- maybe even happiness- with your body and body image.

Thank you for seeing beauty in others where others may not see it in themselves. Your inner beauty shines through.

TBella, it's lovely to see you here. I agree that the posters have shared great tips and trusted us with personal stories. I think it helps to feel less alone. I also loved you supportive and uplifting comments about scars.

Thank you again,

Dottie x