Internal Acceptance Movement

The key to feeling better about yourself is not to change your body, as the diet industry would have you believe, but rather to change the way you feel about your body.

The best way to do this is not intellectually, but on your body’s terms, through the five senses:

CHANGE WHAT YOU SEE

Stop watching those tv shows. Stop reading those magazines. You call them a “guilty pleasure,” but in reality, they cause only pain. Under the guise of improving your sense of self-worth, they offer a barrage of airbrushed images, negative advertising, and impractical advice geared towards changing your body. 

Statistics show that 70% of women feel significantly worse about themselves after only three minutes looking at a women’s magazine. We see hundreds of altered images for every one normal body we encounter every day. Not only are people with model’s bodies a tiny percentage of the population, they are extensively retouced.

CHANGE WHAT YOU HEAR

Listen to music that lifts your spirits, rather than depressing you. This doesn’t mean restricting yourself to easy listening or instrumentals. Just be aware of the lyrics of your favorite songs, and the messages they send about men and women and their bodies.

Choose not to spend too much time discussing food, diet, or exercise. If you have friends for whom these are central issues, take note. Friends can be a great source of support, or a self-fueling engine of destruction. You can help steer conversations into more positive and constructive spheres. Talk about feelings, about hopes, fears, struggles, achievements. These are the important things, the things that friendship is based on.

CHANGE WHAT YOU SAY

When you look in the mirror, chances are you give yourself a running commentary. “My legs are too fat, my stomach’s too round, my breasts are too saggy, my face is too lumpy…” Instead of focusing on the negatives, try your hand at some self-affirmations. At first, you may just feel like you are saying empty words. Say them anyway; everyday. I promise you, your opinion of yourself will improve. Words are powerful. 

Instead of focusing on your physical attributes, make a note of all the positives aspects of your being that have nothing to do with weight or appearance. Your body size does not define who you are. 

CHANGE WHAT YOU DO

Your body is your life partner. Treat it well, so that it can return the favor.Appreciate what your body does for you. When you find yourself bogged down in negative self-talk, remind yourself what part each organ and extremity plays in helping you live a full life.