There’s a vicious cycle of body negativity that many experience in their lifetime. Recognize that you have the power to change your perspective, and stop hating your body.
BY: REBECCA CLYDE, MS, RDN, CD
Do you find yourself hating your body? If you ever find yourself feeling negative about yourself, the first question to ask yourself is…why?
Your body is an instrument for awesome and incredible things, more than just a physical object to be looked at. Beyond that, hating your body doesn’t set you up for healthy behaviors or help you lose weight in the long run. In fact, hating your body won’t likely motivate you to make positive behavior changes.
Certain fitness professionals, influencers, and media prey on the fact that many women have been conditioned to hate their bodies.
Their solution? If you’re hating your body, change it.
Cut out all those foods that you love, and spend endless hours in the gym that you can only achieve through pain. You’ll work hard, potentially be miserable, but you will achieve results and love your body for it.
You hate your body because of the comparison you make to other standardized ideals of beauty. Through that hatred, you believe you’ll absolutely be motivated to change it, and all the diet and fitness industry folks have the tools to deprive and exercise your way to a hotter physique.
If this isn’t crazy town, I don’t know what is.
So, does all of that ‘fitspiration’, clean eating plans, images of how you “need” to look actually motivate people to improve their health? Not if you already dislike your body or these tactics lead you to hate your body.
Research shows that teenage boys and girls are more prone unhealthy health habits, smoking, and disordered eating when they dislike their bodies. In fact, they were less likely to practice healthy eating and exercise practices if they disliked their bodies. Guilt, shame, and unrealistic ideals don’t motivate people to work harder, improve our eating, and be healthier.
In fact, it does the opposite.
Think about it. When you look at a magazine and see your favorite celebrity on the cover, photoshopped and detailing her new diet and workout plan to get the pre-photoshopped body. Guess what, even her chiseled body wasn’t good enough for print. How did we go so wrong?
Fitspiration and all the shame-inducing ‘motivation’ that’s prevalent in our society not set up for your success. After all, how can the weight loss industry be worth over $60B, yet almost 2/3 of the adult American population still be overweight or obese?
Long story short: you’re not failing at diets, diets are failing you.
Adapted from the original article.
HEADER IMAGE: KIRA AUF DER HEIDE
Rebecca Clyde, MS, RDN, CD is a Utah-based registered dietitian nutritionist helping people make healthy lifestyles realistic by taking the stress out of eating and moving away from dieting. She creates quick and nourishing recipes for busy, on-the-go people by sharing food and health inspiration on her blog Nourish Nutrition.