Women’s lack of body confidence often stems from a struggle to find the motivation to change. A lack of conviction that you’re worth it, the belief you’ll never really make a difference and the consequent conviction that you can’t find or prioritise the time required.
Body confidence
Many women don’t like the way their body looks and feels after having babies. When Moms start losing their pregnancy weight and restoring their core muscles, they often find a lot more than their waistline along the way – the joy and empowerment of feeling strong and fit, renewed energy, sexual confidence and above all BODY CONFIDENCE. They learn to like their body a little bit more, and in turn they want to look after it better.
For many women, it’s not just about body image since pregnancy. Often it turns out they never liked their body very much. And the vicious circle when you don’t like something very much is that you have very little respect for it, probably no love for it and therefore… why take care of it? It’s ‘fat and ugly’, it doesn’t look good and it doesn’t make you feel good. It doesn’t deserve healthy food or exercise to make it strong and fit. That’s for other people – skinny, ‘lucky’ people who have bodies that warrant looking after…
These same women “laugh” at themselves a lot. I use inverted commas because they don’t find it very funny really, but if they make cruel comments about themselves, then at least they said it first, right?
You don’t have to do anything about it
If you’re happy, and no woman should EVER judge another for wanting to change her body shape, or for not wanting to. If you’re happy and contented and satisfied and healthy then by all means stay as you are.
But if you’re NOT happy or contented
If you don’t like having your photo taken, you don’t feel sexually confident, you’re stressed and you’re eating crappy food that makes your body look and feel worse… then maybe its time to make a choice.
So, if this is how YOU feel, then maybe ask yourself : Do I really want to change this? Do I WANT to feel different?
If the answer is yes then the next vital step is to look at yourself in the mirror, look yourself in the eyes and decide that you deserve to feel different, and that you can take some control.
No one else controls what food goes into your body. No one else controls the choices you make. Say it to yourself, and believe it, you can ALWAYS choose. To walk faster, further, brisker and to make your heart work and your legs do what they were made to do… or to shuffle along, head down, hoping no one notices you.
Get started
There’s only one way to start. And that is just to start. TODAY, don’t eat crap food. Go for a walk, but walk twice as fast, stand up twice as tall, and go up twice as many hills as you usually do. And that’s it! you’ve started!!
And you’ve done it TODAY. Not *tomorrow*, not after the holidays, or when your little one starts pre-school, or when it’s sunnier or when you’ve got more time (btw, you will never ‘have more time’ you can only choose how to spend it!).
Share you tips, your frustrations or your obstacles by leaving a comment below! If I can help I will and if you want to just rant or share or vent that’s fine too :)
Great article, I’m ready to change for myself I’m going to buy the 12 week programme at the special price this week and then I’m into it.
Great!
Great article, I’m ready to change for myself I’m going to buy the 12 week programme at the special price this week and then I’m into it.
Great!
funny you should have posted this on the day my husband has finally got through to me about my body image. He found a picture showing the national average body size, the mens ideal and the womens and I am pleased to announce that yes I need to tone up and feel fitter but I am an average person and am very very proud of it! thanks for posting this and re-iterating to me that getting started takes just making that first decision :-)
funny you should have posted this on the day my husband has finally got through to me about my body image. He found a picture showing the national average body size, the mens ideal and the womens and I am pleased to announce that yes I need to tone up and feel fitter but I am an average person and am very very proud of it! thanks for posting this and re-iterating to me that getting started takes just making that first decision :-)
This is so true Wendy. Also though, the thing that has made me happiest since I started running and working out is that I just feel fit for life in general. When i take my daughter to the park I run along side her while she rides her bike. Today we went to Bewilderwood which is basically an incredible huge adventure playground in a forest with masses of stuff to climb, slide down, run along, balance on, jump off etc and I was literally running around it all day from 11 till 5pm faster than the kids. I felt so lucky that I have my health and am making the most of it.
I’m not a fitness expert and I am not perfect, I am by no means as slim as I ought to be and I am still a bit of a slave to the biscuit barrell but I am very strong and fit and that makes me feel confident, energetic and much more positive about life in general. This actually means alot more to me than what size clothes I wear.
Also, (sorry to go on but I feel really passionately about spreading this message to other women!) your confidence rubs off on others and you will be amazed at how many people will tell you that they have entered a 5k or started swimming again or whatever because they thought that if you could do it then so could they, and this is in addition to the brilliant example you set to your kids.
Set yourself some goals and DO IT! You will be so glad!
This is so true Wendy. Also though, the thing that has made me happiest since I started running and working out is that I just feel fit for life in general. When i take my daughter to the park I run along side her while she rides her bike. Today we went to Bewilderwood which is basically an incredible huge adventure playground in a forest with masses of stuff to climb, slide down, run along, balance on, jump off etc and I was literally running around it all day from 11 till 5pm faster than the kids. I felt so lucky that I have my health and am making the most of it.
I’m not a fitness expert and I am not perfect, I am by no means as slim as I ought to be and I am still a bit of a slave to the biscuit barrell but I am very strong and fit and that makes me feel confident, energetic and much more positive about life in general. This actually means alot more to me than what size clothes I wear.
Also, (sorry to go on but I feel really passionately about spreading this message to other women!) your confidence rubs off on others and you will be amazed at how many people will tell you that they have entered a 5k or started swimming again or whatever because they thought that if you could do it then so could they, and this is in addition to the brilliant example you set to your kids.
Set yourself some goals and DO IT! You will be so glad!
Thanks Lucy – brilliantly positive! I feel pretty strongly about it too (& I remember that biscuit barrell only too well ;)… You might like these 2 posts too my Lovely http://mutusystem.com/on-be… & http://mutusystem.com/its-j… xx
This is so true Wendy. Also though, the thing that has made me happiest since I started running and working out is that I just feel fit for life in general. When i take my daughter to the park I run along side her while she rides her bike. Today we went to Bewilderwood which is basically an incredible huge adventure playground in a forest with masses of stuff to climb, slide down, run along, balance on, jump off etc and I was literally running around it all day from 11 till 5pm faster than the kids. I felt so lucky that I have my health and am making the most of it.
I’m not a fitness expert and I am not perfect, I am by no means as slim as I ought to be and I am still a bit of a slave to the biscuit barrell but I am very strong and fit and that makes me feel confident, energetic and much more positive about life in general. This actually means alot more to me than what size clothes I wear.
Also, (sorry to go on but I feel really passionately about spreading this message to other women!) your confidence rubs off on others and you will be amazed at how many people will tell you that they have entered a 5k or started swimming again or whatever because they thought that if you could do it then so could they, and this is in addition to the brilliant example you set to your kids.
Set yourself some goals and DO IT! You will be so glad!
Thanks Lucy – brilliantly positive! I feel pretty strongly about it too (& I remember that biscuit barrell only too well ;)… You might like these 2 posts too my Lovely https://mutusystem.com/on-beauty-perfection-the-need-for-a-little-sistahood.html & https://mutusystem.com/its-january-so-we-have-to-get-thin-now-right.html xx
That’s a great post…inspiring! Thanks x
Thank-you Wendy – I hope to inspire you to start, to show you how to make it really, really work for you… & then to keep going :)
That’s a great post…inspiring! Thanks x
Thank-you Wendy – I hope to inspire you to start, to show you how to make it really, really work for you… & then to keep going :)
l Love this post. I agree that body image is a minefield. With so much negative influences, I think it hard for most women not to feel frustrated at times. Thanks for your great insight. I will definitely be keeping up with your blogs!
Thanks Whitney & ditto the compliment! Your blog is fab. A friend of mine is a great example of ‘just start’ though – she has signed up for a 10K in Sep & 1/2 marathon in October (so ‘do-able in the time she has). I asked how far she can run now. ‘Nearly a mile!’ she said proudly. Perfect :))
l Love this post. I agree that body image is a minefield. With so much negative influences, I think it hard for most women not to feel frustrated at times. Thanks for your great insight. I will definitely be keeping up with your blogs!
Thanks Whitney & ditto the compliment! Your blog is fab. A friend of mine is a great example of ‘just start’ though – she has signed up for a 10K in Sep & 1/2 marathon in October (so ‘do-able in the time she has). I asked how far she can run now. ‘Nearly a mile!’ she said proudly. Perfect :))