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
