Feeling good in your skin has nothing to do with whether you’re a size 2 or 12; it’s all about having a positive body image. Think of yourself as sexy, not schlubby, with these ten tips.
1. Think of what your body can do, not what it looks like.
You can walk and run and bike and lift and grow little people inside of you! How amazing! Instead of criticizing what your body looks like all the time, show it a little love by appreciating what it does for you every day. Set goals to do something (like run a marathon), not be something (like a certain pants size or weight), and you’ll be more likely to accomplish those goals and feel good about yourself.
2. Redefine “health.”
You eat a balanced diet, you fit activity into your daily routine, and you enjoy yourself when you’re out with friends rather than fret over how many calories you’re consuming. Isn’t that healthier than being at a certain weight or size? Health is about feeling great, and if you’re killing yourself trying to be “healthy,” something’s wrong with your approach.
3. Throw away your ideas of “normal.”
Serena Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger (whose BMIs are 32 and 33, respectively) are both considered “obese” according to the accepted healthy range of 18.5-24.9. But neither one is anywhere near fat. Remember that everyone is built differently, with different heights, bone densities, and amounts of muscle (which weighs more than fat) on their bodies. Just because your friend is a size 4 to 6 doesn’t mean that’s the right place for you to be.
4. Don’t look at clothing sizes while shopping.
According to a New York Times article, clothing sizes vary so much from store to store that one retailer’s 12 is another’s 8. So why bother paying attention? It just makes you feel bad about yourself when the size you think you should be doesn’t fit. Try not to look at the size and when you get home, cut out the label so the “size 8 pants” just become the “pants that fit me really well.”
5. Stay off the scale.
Daily fluctuations in water weight can tip the scale up to five pounds in either direction, so if you step on the scale every day, you might be tempted to micromanage yourself. If you need to monitor your weight to stay on track or maintain, set aside a weekly or bi-weekly time to step on the scale. And don’t weigh yourself the week before your period, because you’ll most likely put on two to five pounds of water weight then. If you think you can do without the scale altogether, toss it and just go by how your clothes fit and how you feel.
