Say Goodbye To Negative Body Image: We Will Teach You How To Love Yourself

Negative body image. It is something many people have and it can be quite hard and stressful. But, you can always do something about it. Here is how to build your confidence step-by-step.

I would love to say that I am body positive. Am I working on it? Absolutely. Am I there yet? Not quite. My resolution for this year is to be body positive. First, I’ll explain how it feels to be down about your body, and then what I am going to do to become more body positive.

I am sure so many women, and men, know how it feels to have a negative body image. No matter how thin or heavy someone is, we all can experience it. It can be quite stressful and hard for your psyche.

This is what hating your body feels like

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1. You worry about every single bite of food you eat. You worry that it is going to make you gain weight, even though you know logically in your head that having one cookie won’t make you gain weight, or rule out the healthy smoothie you drank.

2. Instead of noticing the positive things in the mirror, you always point out what you feel is the most negative part of your body whether that is your stomach, legs, hips or elsewhere.

3. You constantly worry about how you look in what you are wearing. In some cases, that can mean changing multiple times, or in my case, wearing clothes that are not form-fitting.

4. If someone else is taking a picture of you, you always worry how your body will look. If you don’t like how it looks in the photo, it can ruin your day.

5. You dread going to the doctors for at least one reason: the scale.

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6. You have probably looked up diets to lose weight easily and quickly, even though you know it will make you miserable and does not actually work.

7. You may have a good day where you feel confident, but that can all come crashing down in hours or the next day.

8. You always feel as though wherever you go, people are looking at your body and pointing out every flaw you see.

There are many other factors to how it feels to have a negative body image. Sometimes all of these factors come out at once and it is beyond overwhelming. This is what I plan to do to start loving my body and having a more positive body image.

How to start loving yourself step-by-step

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Instead of obsessing over the way I look, the food I eat, how some piece of clothing looks on my body, I will start to change my mindset and with that start building my own confidence.  This is what I plan on doing every day and I know that you can do it to. For one day, just try it out and you’ll see the results.

1. Keep telling myself that the food I am eating is good for me. Reassure myself that if I treat myself, it won’t do me the kind of harm I think it will. Train my mind to think positively about food. Take it day by day, and cook foods I will enjoy eating.

2. For any negative thought I may think when I look in the mirror, immediately say something positive after. If I say, “I hate my stomach”, immediately tell myself something I like about myself. Then, keep telling myself the things I love about myself.

3. Wear the outfits I feel the most confident in and realize that anyone can work any outfit with one key thing: confidence. Realize that I see more negatives than anyone else.

4. Realize a picture is just a picture. Chances are, I am the only person obsessing over it so much. Tell myself that I do look nice in it. Reinforce those positive thoughts.

5. Know that the number on the scale does not mean anything if I am happy with my body. The number will not bring me down. Tell myself that if I gained a pound or two, it is not the end of the world.

6. Know that those diets don’t work. There are so many bad health issues that can come along and these can slow down your metabolism. Switch to a healthier lifestyle change. This is a change I am already making.

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7. Truly embrace those moments that I feel my most confident. Tell myself that it is okay to always feel that way about my body. Realize that the moments where I feel so down about my body will not last forever.

8. Always tell myself that I am not the center of the universe and, chances are, no one is actually looking at me that intently when I walk into a room. I am not the kind of person who judges other people’s bodies. People aren’t so bad; you are always your worst enemy. Chances are, other people are also freaking out about their own issues.

One of the main things I have realized is that body confidence truly comes from within. I take myself for example: I lost twenty pounds in a year, and do I get compliments from it? Yes. But, do I feel much different in terms of body positivity? No. The change to loving your body comes from within and then shows on the outside.

It is my resolution to love my body this year and every year after. I believe I can do this. Who’s with me? If you have any tips on taking steps forward to being body positive, please comment below!

About the author

Lindsay Roseman

Lindsay is a nursing student (aka a walking zombie from no sleep) that has always had a knack for writing, and she also loves high fashion and beauty. She also has a big passion for cooking and loves coming up with a bunch of healthy recipes to share.

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