Want to feel healthier about your body image?

Do you struggle with the way you look in the mirror? Are there certain body parts you are fixated on that you just hate? Many of us struggle with how our body’s look and the ideology of what we think it should be. If you are one of those people, I have wrote this to help you.

The way we think about our bodies has a huge impact on our health and success in training programs. I want to show you how to love and appreciate your body for what it is, accept the things you cannot change and strive to create the body and life you truly want.

Here’s the challenge. It’s super difficult to focus on the parts of your body that you love instead of what you think is wrong with it. Cultivating a healthy body image is something that takes time and is difficult with the unrealistic expectations portrayed by media and entertainment.

Let me ask you this. Instead of taking into consideration your own body, lifestyle, values and goals are you creating unrealistic expectations about the body and life you think you should have?

This could be a hard and very personal subject. Learning to love yourself and your body could be the biggest thing you do for your health. It will help you achieve your health and exercise goals and ultimately the life you’ve always wanted quicker!

Let’s start here:

1. Become consciously aware of the unrealistic expectations that are set out by society. Let’s face it we live in a culture that glorifies a size 0 (size 0??? that doesn’t even make sense from a man’s perspective – how can you be a size be 0!?) instead of a healthy body. Even men get more concerned with bigger biceps instead of a healthy, active lifestyle. Make yourself aware of these manipulative messages and CONSCIOUSLY ignore them – this is key. The truth is your life doesn’t magically get better when your body looks a certain way.

Like most people, I feel pressured to have my body look a certain way. Through my years of education and training I have come to realize that I much more enjoy getting my body healthy through proper movement and lifting heavy things. It took my a while to be comfortable in my own skin with my bald head and large thighs – but I have consciously shifted my attitudes to love these parts of me (especially now that my beautiful bald head is accented so nicely with a luscious full beard).

2. Focus on what’s STRONG with your body, not what’s WRONG. It can be extremely difficult to look in the mirror and not see anything other than that birth mark on your shoulder, crooked nose, or stretch marks. Here’s where we go wrong when we get advice about this. Don’t ignore these! It is ok to notice those areas and accept what they are. Ignoring them is unrealistic. Acknowledge that those parts of your body exist. But now, focus on the parts of your body that you love! Maybe you have a small waste or strong sturdy legs, or a smile that could light up a room. Acknowledge those shoulders that pressed up that weight 50 times in class this week, those legs that let you get deep into a squat, the chest that pushed the earth away from you, and those arms that supported you during all those burpees. Embrace your inner strength and that beast inside of you!

Look at all these things your body is capable of doing! Focus on that and how far you’ve come since first starting your journey! This is key – appreciate what your body can do for you.

3. Recognize and accept your body’s physical limitations. We are human and come in all different shapes and sizes (so cliche but accurate). No matter how hard I try I will never be able to hit that 6’ tall I wanted to be as a child. There is no magical time machine to eliminate your age (although with todays anti-aging creams and formulas you’d think they were close), your children didn’t ruin your body but rather blessed you with so much love. Accept your body’s limitations, appreciate its strengths and set realistic goals to help you achieve everything you want in your life.

Be kind to yourself. Life is short and we should not spend it beating ourselves up. Enjoy yourself and your body. You will never be happy with your work out goals, body weight or progress unless you are first happy with yourself.

Acknowledge the great strength in your body, accept its limitations and imperfections and most importantly have fun and be in control of your own thoughts and emotions. Don’t leave your happiness in the hands of culture’s ideology of body image. In the words of a true Belieber – “You should go and love yourself.”

Dr. Alfredo Petrone

Dr. Alfredo is an health enthusiast who’s goal is to help people and families live healthier happier lives. My philosophy on health is simple -our body’s have the amazing ability and potential to self-adapt, self-regulate and THRIVE in this world.

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