For a long time I had a terrible, terrible body image.  In my teenage years, hours would be spent trying to hide my bum with various clothing combinations and I’d squish my thighs into control pants as I really believed they were fat and disgusting.  I remained very body concious for a long time, but over the years my body image improved and I have to say that these days I’m much more at peace with my body shape .  So a couple of months ago when I looked in the mirror and thought “I feel fat” I had to give myself a little pep talk to shut down that old voice that very occasionally pops it’s head up.

I didn’t ‘feel fat’.  No one ever ‘feels fat’.  Fat isn’t a feeling!

Sure I am pregnant and my body is changing, but it wasn’t even really that that set off the thoughts when I thought about it.  What set off the thought was that my jeans were feeling a little tight around the leg area, I felt uncomfortable and I didn’t really have many clothes I felt good in.

So that voice that snuck into my head and said “I felt fat” wasn’t about feeling fat.  It was the fact that I wasn’t wearing clothing that made me feel good, and I was uncomfortable!  So, I went on a wee shopping trip, brought a couple of new dresses, some ponte pants and a couple of tops that I felt good in.  I didn’t even spend much money – under $100.  I just brought cheap chain store items on sale that fitted the baby bump with room to expand.   And I felt much better!

So the next time you ‘feel fat’  – stop and think, what are you really feeling ? ?  Are you feeling body conscious? Are you feeling unhealthy?  Are you feeling down?  Break it down to what is really bothering you.

Sometimes we go randomly from one thought to another without a proper connection.  EG – you have a bad day at work, then when you get home, you look in the mirror and tell yourself you feel fat.  Really, you just feel bad because you’ve had a horrible day – feeling fat isn’t even really part of the equation.

The other part of ‘feeling fat’ is all tied up  in our body image. How to tackle that is a big post in itself, but for now here’s some tips.

Tips for better body image:

1.  Respect your natural body shape and avoid body comparisons.  In modern society, it seems there is always one type of body that is showcased as being the ‘ideal’ and that changes over time.  But we are all different shapes and sizes and no matter what you do, you won’t change your natural body shape. Embrace it. You are uniquely you.
2. Start to respect your body for what it can do for you.  For example, if you love running, think how great it is that you have strong legs that carry you to do this activity you love.
3. Speak nicely to yourself!  How often do you have thoughts like “I hate my stomach”,  “My thighs are too big” or “My bum is too flat”.  If you’re at a bad place with your body, then it’s probably multiple times a day.  These thoughts only serve to make us unhappy, they don’t have any positives – at all.So it’s time to stop that negative self talk.   Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, focus on what you do like.  Start saying what you like about yourself, eg “my hair looks great today”.  It can also be useful to switch negative thoughts to neutral thoughts if you find it too hard to focus on the positives.  For example change “I hate my fat legs”   to “My legs carry me round each day so I can do my job in retail” or something fitting for you.
4. Treat yourself nicely.  Wear clothes that make you feel good.  If you like make-up, wear it in a way that makes you feel good.  Paint your nails.  Get massages.  Whatever it is, treat your body nicely.

It’s time we all started being kinder to ourselves, so next time you tell yourself you feel fat, stop that thought in it’s tracks.  You deserve better 🙂

 

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