For as long as I can remember, I disliked the way my legs and thighs looked.
These thoughts started around puberty and lasted well into my late 20s and early 30s. I thought they were too white, too stubby & big, looked fat, and I was pretty sure that I had thunder thighs. I could also add that I didn’t appreciate the dimples and cellulite, that had found a comfy home nestled on the backs of my thighs, not too mention, the stretch marks that showed up during my rapid growth spurt.
So what did I do about this predicament?
Well, I spent many years exercising excessively and dieting, so that I could have legs like Cameron Diaz! But really, doesn’t she have the best legs? If only Cameron knew how many miles I ran striving to get legs like her!
Boy, do I wish I could get some of that time back, considering Cameron and I have very different body structures, and I’ll never have her legs, no matter if I start ballet and run 50 miles a week. #aintnobodygottimeforthat
The journey to improving my self esteem and body image.
It wasn’t until my late 20s that I really started to work on increasing my self esteem, and the way I viewed myself and my body. I had always been self-critical because of my perfectionist mindset, and I thought that if I showed myself some self-compassion and body love, that it would cause me to slack off, and then I’d really have thunder thighs.
But after many personal development seminars and self-help books later, I started to see a pattern. Most people struggle on some level with body image, and it’s a natural human tendency to obsess over our faults and the things that we want to change vs. focusing on all the things that we love and think that we’re doing well at.
Furthermore, what we focus on expands. When all we focus on is the things that we don’t like or want to change, more of that keeps showing up and we feel defeated, like we aren’t making any progress. This usually leads to feelings of guilt or shame, and then self-sabatoge.
So How Did I Turn This Around?
I started small. Whenever I had a negative thought about a certain body part, I’d compliment myself on something that I did like about my body. For instance, when trying on a swimsuit, I would think, “My legs don’t look that great in this, but I have a nice waist/stomach or arms.” It was a small shift, but every time I had a negative thought about this area of my body, I thought about a body part that I liked and focused on playing up that feature.
I remember the first time I ever thought to myself, “You know…your legs don’t look that bad, a lot of this is all in your head,” how uncomfortable it felt to have a positive thought about that area of my body that I had disliked for so long. It got easier though, as I did it more and more.
The next step, was starting to appreciate my legs for what they could DO, instead of what they looked like. This was the game changer. I started to appreciate and be grateful for what my legs & thighs helped me do instead of what they looked like. For example, I started telling myself how lucky I was to have legs that can run, lift heavy weights, jump around, and swim. When I focused on that, I saw even more of my strengths.
Are you ready to change the negative thoughts that you have about your body without having to lose another pound?
Join us for a FREE 10 Day BODY LOVE Challenge! Get all the details by clicking >> HERE <<
We spend so much time trying to change all the things that we don’t like about ourselves, that we rarely stop and appreciate all of the things we love about ourselves and our bodies, that enable us to do great things.
Do you think that if we switched our perspective about how our bodies looked, that we would have more energy, FEEL better, be more productive, and feel more accomplished in our goals? I certainly do.
ALL we can do is become the BEST version of OURSELVES! Chasing a physique of a movie star or someone you look up to is a recipe for disaster. It’s time to start admiring yourself instead of others, and believe me, a lot better for your mental state and attitude, too.
Here’s to changing the way we perceive our bodies,
Tommie
P.S. Are you struggling with the shame of not being able to attain the “perfect” body or all the negative thoughts that you have about your body? Then join my bestie, Alicia and I for the FREE 10 Day BODY LOVE Challenge. Get more details and sign up by clicking >> HERE. We start on February 14, 2017!