Love your body, love yourself

14 Aug 2011 04:56 AM | Posted by bh'sOlivia

If you’ve ever suffered a ‘fat day’, or looked at your skinny jeans in terror, odds are you’re like every other woman on the planet – body conscious.

Part of being a female is having days when you just don’t feel like rocking a skimpy bikini, because your floaty dress that hides your big lunch just seems like a safer option. It’s okay, you’re not alone! Following our recent live forum chat on body issues, we called on Christine Morgan, CEO of The Butterfly Foundation (an organisation that specialises in the prevention, treatment and support of those affected by eating disorders and negative body image) to answer your questions on how to battle body consciousness and what you can do to feel better about yourself….



Q: “If I’m having a 'fat day', I will isolate myself socially, I wont feel like going to work, or eating healthily/being physically active, which in the end just creates one big downward cycle. How can I try to avoid this?” - Alicerose



A: What I try and do when I am having a day like that is remind myself that just because I feel a certain way doesn’t mean I have to follow my feelings. When I don’t feel like exercising I encourage myself to just start – I say to myself to spend just 5 minutes exercising and if I still don’t want to I can stop. Surprise, surprise – I usually manage to keep going and feel better at the end of it. In terms of eating, when I want to indulge then I try and opt for something delicious that is still relatively healthy. A beautiful fresh bread roll, a lovely hot soup – something comforting seems to hit the mark for me. Remember too, on a ‘fat day’ dress for comfort! Don’t try and put yourself into an outfit that is going to make you feel worse – and anything remotely tight will do so. Opt for the loose, relaxed look – and ease up on yourself generally. We all have those days and you need to be gentle with yourself.


Q: If you do struggle with obesity, how should you go about losing the weight and implementing a healthy lifestyle without yo-yo dieting?


A: I believe the best thing you can do is stop dieting! I know that sounds contradictory but dieting has been proven to cause us to put on weight. The second thing to do is try and get in touch with your natural appetite. If you can slowly but surely encourage yourself to eat when you are naturally hungry, go for foods that your body is telling you it wants (believe me, it does) and try and stop when you are satisfied (rather than stuffed full) then you will be well on the way to your body gently taking you to the right weight for you. We come in all shapes and sizes so it is important to let your body find the right balance – rather than having something set in your mind in terms of weight and shape. Another important factor is regular and gentle exercise. This not only improves how your body functions, it also helps keep stress levels down and therefore helps you avoid the ultimate trap which is emotional eating. Also, find things to do which you love doing – for those times when it is particularly tempting to reach for the chocolate even though you are not physically hungry. Have a bubble bath with scented candles, listen to music, hang out with a friend – anything that helps lift your mood that doesn’t involve food.  And most important of all – do not ever ignore physical hunger. It is a sign that you need to eat – and enjoy yourself in doing so!


Q: “Do you have any tips on being less self-critical? Especially when going clothes shopping?”  - Stensen


A: The most important thing is to start with the most positive approach you can manage. Remind yourself that you are going shopping to find clothes that will enhance how you feel about yourself and how you want to project yourself to other people – as someone who loves colour, as someone who likes a very feminine look, or perhaps as someone who loves to push the boundaries and go for the funky side of things. Then have fun! Don’t get hung up on clothes sizes – they differ between every designer and manufacturer! Rather, go searching for what feels great. Taking a friend who will have the same approach is a good option. And have fun along the way – stop for a coffee, laugh at the clothes that don’t look the best, and remember that accessories can make any outfit look fabulous. In other words, when you are tempted to be self critical remind yourself of your natural beauty and all those inner qualities that make you who you are – the unique you!


Q: If your friend/family member is overweight, how do you encourage them to lose weight without destroying their self-confidence?


A: The first thing would be to let them set the pace – in other words, let them come to you for help rather than making the suggestion they need to lose weight. Most of us know if we are carrying more weight than is ideal for our bodies but we hate it enough without someone else mentioning it. We also need to be in the right head space to tackle it – and that may not be when someone else thinks we need to do it!  Secondly, encourage someone to go gently as I have mentioned above – following their natural appetite. Encourage them every step of the way – not about their weight loss as that just sets them up for judging themselves on a number on the scales – but rather for who they are. Remind them about all their wonderful qualities and that they are much more than their size. Help them to have fun and feel good about themselves every day and they will find that the weight issues gently take care of themselves.



(Stay tuned for part two of this interview.)

 

How do you make yourself feel better on a ‘fat day?’

For a bit of a boost, why not check out the girl’s guide to feeling good about your relationship…

and your body…