7 Ways to Feel Proud of Your Body

There are many components to a healthy body image. One of them is body pride:   being proud of the image that you see in the mirror. Loving our bodies means caring for our bodies so that they look and feel their best. It’s good to take pride in your body – to be the best you that you can be. Losing excess weight feels good, getting in shape feels good, honoring your unique style feels good. Feed your self-esteem with a healthy appreciation for your body:  what it does, as well as what it looks like. Here are 7 tips for increasing your body pride:

1. Does your “happy weight” honor both fun and function? My happy weight makes me feel good, not only because I have abundant energy and a strong, healthy body, but also because my body looks good:  it’s toned and in proportion. Clothes fit better. I can wear a greater variety of things and indulge my love of fashion. Likewise, I feel good because I’m well nourished:  I take pleasure in my food without overindulging or conversely starving. What is your happy weight? Does it take into account a need to both look and feel good?

2. Can you embrace your vanity? Many women, especially those who consider themselves spiritual, have difficultly accepting their human vanity:   that they like to look good. I know many women who disguise their weight loss with comments about how they’re “just trying to get healthy.” These are often the same women who’ve been complaining about their weight for years! What if we accepted that we like being beautiful? How freeing to admit that, yes, we like to look good. By accepting this natural desire, we can integrate it with our contrasting desire for self-acceptance:  balancing the two so that we’re not going to extremes at either end.

3. Question your preconceived ideas about what you “should” look like. Whether you’re a mom, a grandma, or a college student, you probably have an idea in your head about how that person “should” look. You may be conforming to this ideal – even if it doesn’t speak to you. If you could wear anything, what would it be? How would you dress? I’ve been a stay at home mom for nearly 12 years, and it’s taken me about 10 to recognize that just because I don’t “work” outside the home that doesn’t mean that I can’t dress up. I love watching Project Runway for this reason, because the designers are so flamboyant, and very confident in their style of dress – no matter how outrageous or seemingly “impractical.” While this lesson is true of our bodies, it can be applied to many areas of our lives. Don’t change yourself to fit the mold, change the mold to fit you.

4. Make small changes to feel better. Make a list of things that make you feel proud of your body, then take baby steps by implementing one thing this week. Maybe you start by giving your ragged nails a manicure. Perhaps you add one 20 minute walk to your evening routine. Trade one unhealthy treat for a healthy treat:  fresh strawberries for dessert instead of half a plate of brownies. If you’re like me, you may be tempted to go overboard and institute 37 changes at once, only to be overwhelmed and give up in defeat. But don’t discount the positive, cumulative effect of many small changes over time.

5. Honor your unique style.The other day, when a fellow mom admired my chutzpah for dressing up “just because,” she relayed, “I tell my husband that we need to go out more, so that I can dress up and feel pretty.” Question this type of thinking that puts your life on hold, waiting for someday, or that says you have to be either-or:  glamorous or casual. How can you be both? Can you think of 1 thing you can do this week to give yourself a luscious taste of your unique style? Try it, and see how differently it makes you feel.

6. Don’t wait to feel pretty until you’ve lost the weight. How many of us put off buying pretty clothes or treating ourselves to a new outfit until we’ve lost weight? Most women I know are quite practical, which makes it hard to shell out money for clothing when you intend to be at a smaller size. But not having anything nice to wear, or trying to squeeze into tight clothes is the surest way I know to feel fat and frumpy. This often leads to self-sabotage, such as overeating, or a defeatist attitude -  “I’ll never lose the weight!” – that will impede your very efforts. Be kind to yourself and let yourself feel pretty now. You don’t have to go overboard, but find a few mix and match pieces that fit the body you have today. After all, healthy weight loss takes time – you may be wearing these clothes for a while.

7. Think of ways your body has served you. Body pride is about more than appearance. Why are you proud of your body? Has it nursed babies or delivered children? Have you run a 10K or completed a triathlon? How you conquered an illness? Do you enjoy good health? Can you do a pull-up or a tricky yoga move? Have you taken up a new exercise routine after years of inactivity? Stop and pause, meditate on what you’re body has accomplished over the years, and let yourself bask in well-earned pride. Thank your body for the ways it adds pleasure to your life.

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