Hello Everyone! I want to take the chance to thank you all for your efforts in regards to FTFW. I loved seeing the post-it notes and hearing gentle reminders about being kind to ourselves. However, I want to make sure we can take away what we have learned from this week and apply it beyond the HRC. Here are a few tips you can try to carry on this knowledge.
1. Looking for inspiration? America the Beautiful and a Ted Talks are must sees! On the Ted Talks website, you could spend hours finding infinite videos of people promoting positive body image. I particularly like this one by supermodel Cameron Russel.
2. Try going a day without magazines, TV and yes, Pinterest. A day where you don’t have as many options to compare yourself to others.
3. When making new goals for yourself, don’t surround them around appearance. For example, instead of saying, “I want to lose 5 lbs. so I can look leaner,” try “I want to eat greens at least five times a week so I feel healthier.”
4. When feeling negatively about your body, think about all of those who care about you. Do they care based on your appearance (if so, they might need some re-evaluating)? Probably not. So why should you tie your appearance to your self-worth?
5. If you do want to make a change, see someone with an educated background who can help you get to where you want to be and determine if your goals are healthy. Talk with your physician, dietitian or personal trainer first Remember, you must love your body even if you want to change it! These changes should be made for overall health, not for aesthetics.
6. Talk to someone. This might be a good opportunity to utilize Butler’s Counseling Services. This is a place where you can talk about your insecurities and work with someone to help you appreciate yourself more.
We all have our days, but negative body image should never take over your life. Continue to love and respect yourself. You always deserve it and by doing so you can work up to a Fat Talk Free Forever.
