From skwigg's journal:
Here are some more mindset and body image thoughts. I realized that my head is a very pleasant and entertaining place. It's not at all scary or mean. I see things as I want them to be. In my mind, my body looks exactly like Zuzka's (except for the breast implants, hair extensions, and 20 year age difference, LOL). I feel just as curvy, strong, and confident in shorts and sports bras. It's not that I don't have any cellulite, stretch marks, jiggly fat, or crinkled old-people skin. I do! But that's not what I focus on when I look at or think about myself. Negativity is poison. It doesn't help your state of mind or your subsequent behaviors one bit. We've all heard about "fake it 'til you make it" and "acting as if." Those aren't cliche. Those are powerful. What if you were nice to yourself? What if you were proud? What if you were happy and confident right now, just as you are, and genuinely excited about all the changes still to come? Because if you think about it, we're telling ourselves stories either way. It's just as easy to build yourself up and focus on what you like as it is to tear yourself apart and dwell on everything that's wrong. The only difference is that the positive approach increases confidence and skill and the second way destroys you.
When I exercise, or make food choices, or look at myself in a mirror, I celebrate everything that's right, encouraging, or improving. I look forward to where I'm going and how things will be. I'm not still kicking myself for something that happened yesterday. I'm not imagining that the extra brownie, the new belly roll, or the unplanned rest day are proof of shameful, hopeless, failure on my part. I tend to turn those things around and see them (rest, nourishment, adequate body fat levels) as opportunities for amazing muscle gainz! I was SLAMMING out dive bomber burpees like a total bad ass this morning because I'm full of lasagna and brownies. LOL Would I weigh less if I had kale and quinoa for dinner? Probably, but I'd also feel like crap and faint when I move fast, so...
What do you think? Helpful? Crazy? :-)
From skwigg's journal:
"How I treat myself affects my self esteem more than my scale weight."
Yes! It's so important to treat ourselves well regardless of weight or appearance. You can't punish, bully, or guilt-trip yourself happy, not ever. It backfires in horrible ways. When you address your real needs (sleep, nourishment, zone-out time, stress-relief, feeling feelings, connection to others, fun) you don't twist it all into restricting or overconsuming food. It's when those basic needs are not being met, or being met grudgingly, that things get weird.