For such a long time I have struggled with my body image. As a perfectionist I always picked at the things that were wrong with me, and told myself I wasn't good enough. It all started in high school where I overloaded my scheduled, got sick, didn't take time to get better, stressed and worked my self until I was so sick in college that it started effecting my job and school work. I figured that by working hard I would reach the weight goals and the academic and social goals I set. In my mind not reaching those goals meant I was a failure. I realized that I have developed and anxiety disorder with a great fear of failure, I started having lots of panic attacks, my immune system broke down, and I have also developed IBS from my anxiety. With the IBS came extreme fatigue and bloating, I kept gaining weight, getting more depressed with each pound, but not having the energy to stop it.
I came to a rude awakening that my body desperately needs me to change my ways and take care of it. I've also come to the realization that my mind is in as desperate need of help as my body. I need to slow down, take the time to get better, and learn to live in a way that my body will last a long time. I need to give my body the self respect I deserve, by taking the time to feed it with good foods, and allow it to heal as well as my mind.
I've set five guidelines to allow myself to try and heal. Whether you are feeling sick or not I would highly recommend these guidelines. From my research they are the start of living a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle, which us busy stressed out obese Americans need!
1. Break up with bread and pasta and start a love affair with veggies and other Natural low carbohydrate foods. Our bodies know how to digest them well. Unlike processed foods, and foods high in carbohydrates that our bodies have a harder time digesting. As my body gets better I will reintroduce small amounts of my favorite carbs. The key is in the servings high veggie and protein, and LOW carb. Make sure to drink lots of water. If you have a problem with gluten, a gluten free diet works too, the diet I'm mostly following is the south beach diet. Here is my Pinterest board of food ideas I've found so far. http://www.pinterest.com/magneticromance/south-beach-diet/
2. Have an exercise and a hobby outlet. For body and mind peace healthy outlets for stress are so important. The exercise outlet doubles as allowing your body to burn of unneeded fat, and it allows you to let go of stress, and it releases healthy mood boosting chemicals. The exercise methods I'm going to try include Zumba, Yoga, and Walking/ Running. Above all don't stress about what you look like while your working out, sweat it like nobody's watching.
The second outlet is a hobby that makes your heart happy. By doing something you love and using it to let out your negative emotions, your taking the negative energy and putting it towards something positive. Whether it's your journal, or art, or sports, or scrap booking, or music, poetry writing, photography do something that you love, make sure you can vent with this outlet as well to let the negative out in a constructive way. Also, do something where you are being productive and where you can make goals and you can say to yourself, I made that, or I achieved that. By doing so you will build confidence in your own strengths and abilities. Focusing on your strengths allows you over time to conquer your weaknesses and give them less power over you. I know music and blogging so far have been such a great help to allowing me to vent, but feel that I'm doing something worth while.
3. Good hygiene. It's simple good grooming shows that you take care of yourself, and that you have pride in who you are as a person. So pamper yourself, and show yourself that you accept you, and that you may not be at the weight goal you want, or you don't like your nose, but you still respect yourself enough to treat yourself well. This will be one of the biggest self esteem boosters you can do. Detox baths, massages, acupuncture, facials, nail care whatever it is you want to do to show your body you love it do it! This can also be a great way to let out stress and relax. The point is to take time to take care of yourself. And to get the rest and sleep that your body needs.
5. Most importantly believe in yourself, tell yourself that you believe in you. Go somewhere where you can feel peace, and where there are not negative influences in your ear. Meditate and reflect on how far you have come and where you want to go. If you are religious connect more to your beliefs, build your self identity. Get closer to the deity/ higher power you feel is out there, and make peace with it. Explore, find in yourself the person you want to be, and would be proud to be. Learn to love yourself, because you are going to be with you for a long time. This is the most important guideline as it allows you to find inner peace. I know that for me, connecting to Jesus Christ my savior has/will help me through any change or any storm I feel is inside me as long as I learn to trust him and myself. Learn to have faith and trust in yourself, and in your ability to do great and marvelous things.
I hope this helps you in your search for body/mind peace I know it will help me. I love you all!! And I know finding peace in this crazy life is difficult but it will be so worth it.
Mucho Love, Bekah
This year I thought both my children would be leaving home and as I haven't made many friends where I live now, and my true friends still live in my old town, I bought two puppies for company. I thought they would be good for me because I would have to take them for walks and this would get me out of the house regularly. Maybe, I thought, I would even lose a little weight actually doing something active now and again.
ReplyDeleteThe puppies are absolutely the best things that have happened to me for years. We have only been on a handful of walks in 4 months and I haven't lost any weight. But my puppies have reminded me of the most important things in life: puppies love you because you take care of them - feed them, wash them, rub their tummies when they have hiccups and play with them with squeaky toys - also because, at night, when it gets cold, they can cuddle up to me to get warm again. Puppies don't care what I look like, what I am wearing or about the state of my hair.
The puppies are brothers. They play fight all the time. They are chalk and cheese. Despite eating the same diet, one is shorter and a little fatter than the other: Romeo is loving and capable of licking you to absolute death. He doesn't bark, but he does whine and talk to me a lot. Rocky is the skinnier one - quite rare for a Yorkshire terrier, he will eat anything. He hides his toys in the garden because he doesn't want to share them, and then whines a lot when Romeo finds them. But he doesn't snatch them back - he sits and waits, and waits and suddenly dives in and grabs them back when Romeo goes on to something else. Romeo comes to bed with me; Rocky is going through his teenager stage and chooses his own spot somewhere in the house - until he gets cold and then he gives in and cuddles up behind my knees.
God makes everything the way he wants it to be and the way you need to be for you to enjoy your life. We are all different shapes and sizes, with different talents and vices. No-one who matters is going to love you differently because of your size. You will not be able to do your job or enjoy your talents any more or less depending on the way you look. You do need to take care of the temple that is your body because it houses you. But you also have to accept what makes you you. Body and soul. My puppies have never looked in a mirror - they don't even know what they look like! In fact Yorkshire terriers are renown for being totally unaware of how small they are! The best bits of our days are going for walks - not to exercise but for them to sniff out the neighbourhood and find new things to enjoy, and for me to enjoy watching them sniff out the neighbourhood and cuddling up in the evening - our way of enjoying how much we love each other. Michelangelo said the answer to every human problem was in nature: and that's why God gave us puppies. To teach us what is important in life - there's nothing about 'improving' yourself - it's all about accepting and growing what you already are.
Agreed April:) But I'm still trying to figure out what I am right now, I've been sick and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get better and live life. I think your puppies sound awesome! You have found an incredible out let to find happiness which is what i've found with music and design so far. Life is an incredible journey and there are so many things to try. Sometimes the unknown and risky will make us happy. But you do meed to accept yourself at the same time, but I always want to grow into more. Thanks for reading and your awesome input April :D
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