The journey of weight management can often be a difficult and stressful road to navigate. It involves making difficult changes to your lifestyle, potentially feeling frustrated when progress does not come as quickly as desired, and constantly struggling to remain positive and motivated throughout the entire experience. But one thing you may not have considered is how body positivity can help you along your weight management journey. Embracing your body, accepting it, and learning to appreciate it for where you are right now, can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself and about the journey itself.
1. Shifting Perspective to Foster Body Positivity
There is an ever-growing pressure to look and feel a certain way in our culture, and it can weigh heavily on a person’s sense of self-worth. Shifting one’s perspective to foster body positivity can help to combat internalized beliefs of unworthiness and inadequacy. Here are a few steps we can take to cultivate this way of thinking:
- Recognize that beauty is diverse: beauty exists in all sorts of shapes, sizes, genders, ethnicities, ages, and more – it has no boundaries.
- Look to yourself and others for inspiration: observe the beauty that surrounds you, both inside and outside of yourself.
- Focus on what your body can do, rather than how it looks: appreciate that your body allows you to move, express yourself, and explore the world.
When trying to yearn for body positivity, it can be really beneficial to try to quiet the inner critic. Seek out affirming and calming thoughts, and take care to avoid words like ‘ugly’ and ‘fat’. Instead, focus on kinder words and use language such as ‘strong’ and ‘worthy’ to build yourself up.
To further foster body positivity, start celebrating the small wins in life, and take time to give yourself credit for all that you achieve. Celebrate each accomplishment, no matter how ‘minor’, and recognize how amazing and capable you are. Even small achievements such as consistently exercising, meeting a goal weight, or even simply going for a walk can be celebrated and acknowledged.
2. Committing to a Positive Weight Management Journey
It’s no secret that embarking on a journey to healthier weight can be intimidating, but don’t let that stand in the way of achieving your goals. There are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure that your voyage to a healthier self goes smoothly.
- Turn intentions into goals. Develop small, measurable goals that are attainable and realistic. Tell yourself that you will meet all of these goals before you start your journey.
- Develop healthy eating habits. This includes reducing processed foods, limiting snacks, and eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. It also helps to set reasonable portion sizes and schedule regular meals.
- Keep a weight management journal. Keeping track of what foods you eat, how much you exercise, and how your body feels. Noting these things will help you to stay on track and focused.
Partner up with friends and family. It is easier to stay motivated and accountable when you have a friend or loved one to help you along the way. Setting dates for regular check-ins and discussing your progress are great ways to stay motivated and encouraged throughout your journey.
It also helps to find a physical activity you enjoy. Whether it’s running, swimming, or yoga you’ll be more likely to stick to it and thus, reach your goal. Set aside time to exercise each week and try to create a routine that works with your lifestyle.
3. Strategies to Embrace Body Positivity Every Day
Making positive changes towards embracing your body can be difficult, but it is possible. Here are three strategies to help you start and maintain a body positive journey, one day at a time.
1. Be Kind to Yourself:
The most important component to self-love and self-acceptance is self-compassion. It will be difficult to embrace your body if you are not kind to yourself. Cut yourself some slack and practice self-acceptance. Negative self-talk and judgment will only take your sense of self-worth downwards. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negatively, counter those thoughts with kind encouragement.
2. Concentrate on Things You Love About Yourself:
We all have insecurities and flaws. But instead of spending energy stressing about areas you dislike, shift the energy to aspects you appreciate. It could be your kind heart, your lively laugh, your passion for baking, or your adventurous spirit. Whatever it is, draw attention to the qualities that make you unique.
3. Invest in Quality Self-Care:
Whether it’s going for a run, trying a new hobby, or meeting with a life coach, regular care and attention to your emotional, mental, and physical needs can make a huge difference in the way you feel. Build a support system of friends and family members, and if you can, hire a professional. Taking care of yourself increase the body positivity process.
- Cultivate an attitude of kindness and acceptance towards yourself.
- Remember and emphasize the aspects you love about yourself.
- Regularly nourish and invest in your emotional, mental, and physical needs.
4. Attaining Balance to Foster an Accepting Mindset
As we learn to accept ourselves, it’s just as important to foster an equally accepting mindset for those around us. In striving for balance, we debunk the destructive cycle of envy that can be so pervasive in our lives. When we foster a non-judgmental attitude, we not only create an atmosphere of acceptance, but we enable ourselves to grow as individuals.
In order to attain the balance of an accepting mindset, it’s essential to practice compassionate listening. When we can actively hear, without judgement, another point of view, it allows us to make progress in understanding one another. This compassionate listening gives both parties the space and respect to share their thoughts.
We can also foster an accepting mindset by creating a safe space. This means ensuring everyone feels welcome and comfortable in sharing their ideas and perspectives. Practicing active listening and communication that is anger-free can encourage understanding between parties.
Fostering an accepting mindset is a process that we can continue to work on every day. Here’s how you can practice attaining balance and an accepting mindset:
- Practice self-reflection
- Take time to care for yourself
- Be mindful of negative beliefs
- Create boundaries where needed
- Practice communicating respectfully
- Be open to hearing another point of view
With a little effort, we can make a lasting impact in attaining balance and creating a mindset of acceptance.
As you continue along your weight management journey, remember that you don’t have to wait for the end to start embracing body positivity—your journey starts right now. Every step you take, make it about learning to love and appreciate your body instead of focusing on things that need to be “fixed”. It’s time to create a sustainable journey that honors and cherishes your body and finds success through acceptance and self-love.
