Body Image
This is a hard topic, but its an important one. As a Dietitian, a lot of people come to me looking for help in changing their bodies, expressing a desire to change the image they see in the mirror and how they feel about themselves. You cannot address a person’s relationship with food and weight without addressing their body image. And it isn’t just women, men also deal with body image questions but they are often less open to discussing this sensitive topic. Most clients want to know: Does the image in the mirror reflect how other people see me? Whats normal to feel about my body?
These frequently asked questions can open the door to a more sensitive discussion about how we feel about ourselves and our motivations for changing our bodies. Most of what I’m about to say comes from my work in Eating Disorders, but is helpful for everyone. I’ll start by saying that body image is exactly that…an image we see of ourselves in our mind. Therefore it is largely a psychological concept. For some people dealing with low self esteem and body confidence, working with a licensed psychologist can help work out the root of that problem and build skills on how to alter that mental image. How we feel about that image and the value placed on that image is determined by a lot of factors – our mood, our self esteem, our hormones, external comments from family/friends, external triggers from media, traumas, etc.
Its also a spectrum, which means we’ll feel differently about our body at different times in over our lifetime. When your mood is low, be cautious in how you view yourself and the messages you say to yourself. Normalise the fact that EVERY human on the planet will have days they feel both positively and negatively about their body!
To answer the 2 questions above – NO, the image you see in the mirror is NOT the image others see, because it is uniquely made up of your brain chemistry and thoughts/feelings. And YES, its normal to feel a range of emotions about your body.
My first recommendations are not to aim for some ideology of self-love, but DO aim to feel comfortable in your body. Practice exercise and movement in your body that feels good. Wear clothes that feel comfortable, allow for movement, and colours that you like and reflect who you are as a person. For example, if you hide your body in oversized clothes or wear black because its slimming. Try wearing a shirt in a color that reflects your personality. Wear a textured shirt if you like satin or velvet, or a pattern, or wear a color that you feel compliments a feature you like about yourself. And practice self-care, such as:
Massage
Facial
Manicure or pedicure
Walk in Nature
Listening or dancing to music
Meditation
Art
Do this regularly, and you’ll shift something internally that no diet on the planet can give you.
