You can’t stop your body from changing but you can change how you think about it.
It’s easier said than done to love your body just the way it is, especially living in a culture with all kinds of predetermined body ideals. We’re often left with unattainable standards in every department—from appearance to weight and age.
It’s time to stop hating your body for its imperfections. After all, no one’s perfect! Here are 5 ways to learn to love your body more even when you hate it.
#1 Acknowledge That Fitness Is Way More Than Just Getting Skinny
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness. What works for one person might not work for another. Instead of judging your body, start looking at yourself as a whole. You’re so much more than your pant size—you’re intelligent, funny and unique. Own that!
This doesn’t mean you should stop trying to improve—it just means that you should spend your time wisely. Focus on positive affirmations to build the best, strongest and healthiest version of yourself.
#2 Tame Your Inner Critic
Your inner dialogue does one of two things—it fuels your success or prevents you from reaching your full potential. The way you speak to yourself quickly becomes reality, so make sure you’re sending yourself kind sentiments. Practice taming your inner critic and silencing the negativity.
If you’ve been self-critical for as long as you can remember, taming your inner critic will be difficult at first. And let’s face it, we’re usually our own worst enemies. But most of our self-criticism involves real issues that can easily be addressed. So if certain parts of your life need improving, do something about it!
If you’re critical of yourself for not working out regularly, start a fitness program. If you’ve been eating fast food after work far too many times, start cooking healthy meals from home. If you’ve gained a few extra pounds during the pandemic, make it a goal to walk every night after dinner.
You’re in control of your destiny, so silence your inner critic by taking tangible steps to improve. Set obtainable goals and track your progress. Over time, you’ll notice how those negative thoughts are replaced with positive ones.
#3 Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
The biggest obstacle that gets in the way of accepting your body type is constantly comparing yourself to others. When you spend your time focusing on other people, you lose out on investing in yourself. Acknowledge the times you’re comparing yourself to others and replace your negative thoughts with healthier ones.
Don’t waste your time comparing yourself to someone else. Instead, spend time investing, creating and caring for your own personal growth and make decisions that will move you in the right direction.
Just remember—no one is perfect. Free yourself from this negative thought process by embracing the fact that you’re perfectly imperfect.
#4 Step off the Scale
The scale is notorious for stealing your happiness, so don’t let it be the gauge of determining your self-worth. Unfortunately, the scale doesn’t factor in things like muscle compared to fat, how much water is in your body or how your body is responding to exercise.
So get rid of the scale! After all, muscle weighs more than fat. Because of this, your weight loss may not look as significant as you’d like.
If you just can’t seem to toss it, hide it instead. Set a date in the future to step back on. If you step on the scale two weeks down the road, you might notice a more drastic weight change compared to stepping on it every day. Instead of obsessing over the number you see, learn to create a healthy lifestyle. That’s much more important, especially for your overall happiness.
#5 Appreciate What Your Body Can Do
Turn from appearance to gratitude for everything your body is capable of. If you’re one of the lucky ones who has no underlying medical conditions, count your blessings. You’re one of the fortunate ones who’s able to walk, jog, spin, dance, bike and work out without limitations. Every time you do something active, think about how grateful you are that you’re able to do so. After all, an active body is a beautiful body, no matter the shape or size.
Takeaway
Has it been a while since you took the time to appreciate your body? If you’re like most of us, you haven’t been taking the time to do this. Now’s your time. Whenever those negative thoughts start circulating, revisit this article and get inspired by what positive self-talk and action can do for your life.
At Gymondo, we pride ourselves in helping people worldwide develop positive lifestyle changes, gain more confidence and learn to love and accept who they are. There’s no better way to feel good about yourself than by incorporating fitness and healthy eating into your daily life. Start your free Gymondo trial today and explore 100s of effective workouts and 1000s of healthy recipes.
