Do You Wish Your Body Was Younger?

Clients often like to tell me how fit or lean they were when they were younger and are secretly longing to have their body be 16 or 21 again. Then there are those who are in better shape now then they were in their younger years and are quite proud of themselves.

Embracing who you are today is actually the best remedy to improve self esteem and acceptance. I believe self acceptance is the first step towards making healthy changes. Sounds paradoxical but being happy where you are right now is a perfect place to begin anew. You see, if you do not like your present physical state, you will end up unconsciously sabotaging your efforts – possibly berating yourself at every turn. That’s not very helpful or supportive. So learn to be OK about not being a lean teen (unless of course you are at this moment). Today you have more wisdom and probably more drive to remain healthy, strong and lean long term.

Here are 5 Tips on How to Be Happy with Your Body Today:

Tip #1   Treat Yourself: If you haven’t had a pedicure or massage recently, treat yourself to one. This kind of pampering can actually connect you physically to your body. You, like most, are often living most of life in your head somewhat disconnected from you body.  Getting in touch with your physicality will also help you feel more in tune with yourself. Exercise or dancing will have the same effect.  Even taking a sculpting class is also richly tactile experience and physical as well.  Explore…

Tip # 2  Best to Let Go:  If the jeans you wore when you were a lot younger are those “someday jeans” – you know the ones you want to fit into again – I would recommend you re-think this idea. Your body shape  changes as you move into your 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.  Even after you lose the weight you want to.  You may end being the same weight on the scale as you were when you were younger, but your body may look a whole lot different.

Due to hormonal changes, women’s waist size and upper body size tends to increase. I know, I know you probably didn’t want to hear that, but it’s true.  Loss of estrogen, progesterone and often decreasing testosterone are signals to your body that you no longer need to prepare for childbirth and changes are inevitable as you move into perimenopause and menopause.  The weight shifts and so will your dress size, so throw the jeans out if they’re 15+ years old. You might not be fitting into your old clothes again, so find some new flattering ones for right now. 

Tip #3   Don’t Be Afraid: Don’t be afraid to go to the beach or sit by the swimming pool.  Even if you feel self conscious, as most do, just go ahead and enjoy yourself! Don’t forfeit having a good time, getting some great exercise and feeling like a kid again just because your body isn’t perfect.  Don’t wait to do anything because your body is less than ideal. You will miss out on so much if you do.  There is no such thing as perfection and letting go of that myth sooner than later will increase your happiness a hundred fold.

Tip # 4   Create Something:  Creativity is a powerful tool to improve self esteem. There is nothing like the pride of having made something out of nothing. The creative process gets you away from focusing on any problems (your weight or lack of health) and puts you right into present time where worry seldom exists.  You immerse yourself for a time and feel good as you move into a rhythmic flow.  You discover new things about your creative project and most important about yourself.  There is a sense of accomplishment and meaning when you create. No you don’t need to be a Mozart, Picasso or J.K. Rowling.  Just paint,  draw,  play or code – just for the fun of it.

Tip # 5    Be alive: By expressing yourself fully an extraordinary feeling of being alive will come over you.

As Marianne Williamson once wrote Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you notto be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Feel alive, be yourself and truly appreciate all of who you are today, now.

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