4 Things I Followed While Overcoming My Negative Body Image

A negative body image is more a function of how you feel about yourself. That can certainly change with some effort, as this woman found out.

It goes back to my early adolescence when there was no guilt, no anxiety and no prerequisite for precision. I ate ice-creams, pastries, and slurped those fizzy, sparkling soft drinks without any thought of how many calories I was ingesting. I was a happy-go-lucky girl. I wish if I could just hold on to those moments of my life once again.

You have gained weight girl – That apparently guileless remark from my friend totally changed my opinion about myself. From that day, I was not a hale and hearty, fit individual anymore. Whenever I looked into the mirror, all I saw was a flawed body.

I felt that losing weight would improve my appearance, and make me feel better about myself and my body. I was exercising at bizarre hours every day. Calculating calories, following a diet chart, and exercise sessions was the only routine. Somewhere in the process of calorie counting and diet restriction, I lost control, which resulted into patterns of messy eating and ultimately to a binge eating disorder.

Here are some of the things I learned on my way to salvage that situation.

What is Negative Body Image?

Body image is an impracticable and naïve opinion of how someone perceives their body or physique. It is a very common phenomenon in women, but various men also suffer from this condition. You instigate and establish your own observations of your body’s shape, appropriateness, attraction, strength, vigor, and desirability. This perception about your own body remains with you as you grow old and accept comments or criticism from others, mainly from your friends and family.

So how to overcome this negative body image? Here are 4 things I depended on.

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Negative thoughts are not real

Negative thoughts about your body can become the reality of life. Instead of dwelling on your negative thoughts you should ask yourself do you really want this negative vicious cycle. Defy those negative thoughts and swap them with constructive ones.

Let go of the urge to control

Eating ailments are all about control. The more you exercise control over food intake, the lesser amount of control you have on your body. The main element is to let go of the urge of controlling your diet. All carbs and fats are not bad for your body.

No one is perfect

Setting enormously impractical and high goals and standards in life won’t do you any good. Accept your genuine self. There will always be someone who will judge you for something in your life. How we nurture our bodies is a great deal about self-worth.

Your body needs love

Start loving yourself for who you are. Change your focus away from the shape, contour, and size of your body. Focus on how you feel. You can try meditation, yoga, running, dancing. Just learn to feel healthier, better and happy in your skin.

Yes, my negative thoughts resurface at times but they do not control my life. I still put an emphasis on my looks and appearance, but I have realized that food is not an enemy. The timeworn eating disorder sneaks up sometimes, but I have learned to focus on my health now. It is more about nourishment now rather than calorie counting.

Image source: pixabay

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