Love Yourself! why so hard?

Beautifully stated. Love yourself enough to live a healthy and active life! It's how we plan our journey to a healthy lifestyle that reaps the great reward! I read this article in a magazine the other day that read" When you look in the meats, dairy and produce Isles you will find SKINNY PEOPLE". I laughed so hard, but I knew it was true as well. But I’m not skinny and I have choose to love myself and live a healthy lifestyle too. So I’m changing that theory that was made in the article as well. Happy shopping down the produce, meats and dairy Isles to a healthier lifestyle and to Loving Yourself!:flowerforyou:

If you diet correctly and eat the proper foods, youll see a huge difference in no time!
I used to avoid full length mirrors!
Now I cant stay away from them!

I think a lot of it has to do with genetics and how you were brought up.
You said your family has self image issues?
Thats where you get it from!.
Do yourself a favor though and be sure to take as many pictures of yourself throughout your journey.
You wont be sorry. You can go back and say "That was me? God i'm hotter now!"

If you need help with calories and macros let me know!
Hugs!

IMO, it started in your childhoods somewhere. Growing up with a low esteem, whether because of you family or peers, is something that takes time to reverse. I grew up with a very healthy aspect of myself. My parents always gave praise when it was due and not just to do it. I don't recall them ever saying I wasn't good enough. I was told I was a skinny geek by my peers though and that motivated me to put on weight and muscle.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Honestly I have a huge problem with this too. I've been trying to switch to more positive talk, especially when I'm working out. I have a love/ hate relationship with myself. I love what my body can do, frustrated with what it looks like. I think I especially feel this way because I feel that although I do take care of my body I feel it betrays me. In the past year my body has decided that I no longer need my uterus, ovaries, gall bladder, appendix, or gluten. Fun stuff. So although I feel that I eat realitively well (I have my moments yummy whoppers!), I exercise 3-5x's/ week, my body doesn't want to recipricate the care LOL

I think when we as women (people) begin to see who we are and what we look like as two separate entities, we will then be able to love our self, AND THEN accept what we want to change in our looks.

Our society is so obsessed with pounding it into our heads that our looks, what we look like on the outside, is the entirety of who we are as a human being. Remember when Susan Boyle auditioned to become a singer? EVERYONE in that audience LAUGHED at her because she didn't LOOK "beautiful". Our society doesn't care how talented or gifted a person is. If they are not "attractive", our society believes they cannot be good at anything else.

*I*, personally deal with a lot of "You don't look like a power lifter". The only place I earn ANY respect for my skills at all... is in the gym. Once I walk out of those doors (and this happens almost daily), instantly, there is someone to cut me down because I LOOK "unhealthy". They don't see the 225 pound bar I just dead lifted. All they see is a fat red head walking to the bus.

There is a difference between self image and body image. How you see and feel about your self, is where the loving your self comes in. When you feel love and compassion for yourself as a human being, then you can look at your body objectively. THEN you can look in the mirror and say "I would like to change this or that", but without hating who you are as a person simply because your body isn't at your own desirable state.

Who said stick-skinny models are beautiful?