"Body confidence does not come from trying to achieve the perfect body, it comes from embracing the one you've already got."
It's such a shame that society has taught us that in order to love our bodies, we have to change drastically to be the shape that we want to be. But in my opinion, that is so wrong!
We don't have to alter ourselves in any way in order to be loved. We need to accept the bodies that we were given and embrace what we already have.
But it's not as easy as it sounds. We can't just force ourselves to feel confident in our bodies without putting in the work and knowing where to start. That's why, I have dedicated this blog post to helping people find confidence in their body no matter what shape or size they may be.
I have heard people of all ages, sizes and genders asking me for advice on how to lose/gain weight and I can't help but feel broken for them. Is society really that messed up that it has taught us to hate our bodies?
Meghan is twenty seven years old. She is five foot six inches and she weighs one hundred and sixty pounds. She came to me one day and tried to beg me to make her lose thirty pounds but I refused and told her that she was beautiful just the way she was. But she refused to believe me.
Sometimes when someone comes to you and asks you for advice but they want unhealthy advice, you have to not give them. As tempting as it can be, it's better not to let someone else suffer for your own good.
I also had a guy named Nathaniel who wrote me an email, asking if he could gain seven stone. He also attached a picture of him in nothing but shorts and trainers and there was absolutely nothing wrong with him, based on the picture he sent me.
I asked him why as he was beautiful just the way that he was, but his response was that a girl he was trying to impress said that she would never date him because she found him "too skinny." I find that heartbreaking.
So I decided to put together some steps to gaining more body confidence, (no matter what your background or size is!)
After reading this entire blog post, I hope that you feel even just the slightest bit of confidence in your body.
We only get one body, so try and make the most of it....
Exercise regularly to lift your mood. It's a proven fact that if you exercise and improve your overall health, you will feel so much better in your own body.
When you exercise, your body increases your level of endorphins, which will instantly lift your mood.
Exercising is a good way to feel better about yourself, so you can exercise to help you feel better about your body. You will also feel more in-control of your diet and health.
Don't compare your body to others. Every body is different and every body is beautiful. Don't look at someone and feel that just because they are thin, you need to be thin too.
If we all exercised the same and ate the same foods, we would still all be different shapes. Don't let someone else's qualities be your goals.
Knowing that we are all beautiful just the way we are, should make you feel more special in your body since your body is as unique as you are.
Change any negative comments to positive ones. If you have bad days where you are constantly criticising yourself and your body, you can change any of those negative comments to positive ones. For example, if you are saying "I hate my legs: they are so chunky", you could exchange that comment for "I love my legs: it contains the muscles that helps me to walk."
When you practice positive self-talk, your life becomes so much easier and you become a more happier person overall.
Give yourself a break. Don't keep doubting yourself, day-in and day-out. It's better to give yourself breaks from anything that is causing you stress.
If you are constantly worrying about your body shape and how much you eat in a day, it's better to have some days where you don't focus on your body at all.
