6 Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Your Body Header image with Neepa holding a cup that says "more self love"

6 Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Your Body

On January 6th I spoke on a panel about body image with a personal trainer, photographer, therapist, and nutritionist.  We each encounter body issues when working with clients and we shared how to overcome them.

The idea for the panel came from my friend Aimee who was put on a diet by her mother at the age of 9!

What's more alarming is that 20 million American women admit to having an eating disorder and over the course of the pandemic, the National Eating Disorder Association helpline has reported a 40% increase in call volume.

Every body deserves to be LOVED

Can you imagine how much more powerful women would be if we weren't trained to hate and obsess over our bodies!  And we didn't get sucked into a culture of constant dieting?

Here are 6 Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Your Body

01 Focus on being body current

In order to have body acceptance and to move away from body shame, it's important to focus on accepting your body in its current state.

Stop holding onto the weight you used to be or become obsessed with a certain number on the scale. You're perpetuating a fantasy that being thinner is better. That somehow losing weight will make your problems go away, or give you a reason to go after what you want.

Appreciating the body you have in this moment allows you to focus on your whole self and dress for the body you have NOW.

02 Get rid of the extra sizes in your closet

When you walk into your closet and the clothes that used to fit are staring at you, off course it's gonna make you feel inadequate.

Who needs a constant reminder that you've gained weight. This isn't motivating, it's actually deteriorating for any healthy weight loss plans. Instead take the clothes that are 2 sizes too small and donate them or put them away. Now you can focus on the pieces that do fit. And if there are none, than buy a few pieces so you feel comfortable.

03 Cut out the negative self talk

Words are weapons and if you're constantly putting yourself down or talking about losing weight, it's all you can focus on.  If you have kids at home, they will take in these messages and the cycle of diet culture continues to the next generation.
When you catch yourself saying something negative about your body, stop and say, I wouldn't say that to a friend.

04 Focus on balance and proportions

Your body architecture doesn't change if you gain or lose weight so instead of worrying about the clothing size on the tag, focus on how your clothes fit and flatter you.

To figure this out, identify your body type and learn on how to dress for your shape. You can also show off your best feature so the eye is away from the area you don't love.

Rise + Style members get body shapes training included in their membership. Get on the waitlist to join the next time we open our doors.

05 Diversify your social media feed

If you're social media feed is full of women sharing how fabulous life is as a thin and pretty person, it's time to diversify your feed.

Look for accounts that promote body positivity and body acceptance and for people who are different sizes. For example if you're looking for style bloggers consider looking up the hashtag #stylehasnosize.

Increased time on social media can cause unrealistic expectations of idealized body types. If your child is on social media constantly, breaks are essential to their mental health.

06 Normalize the clothing sizes in your closet

Fashion is a global industry. Size scales vary by country and brand. It's normal to have multiple sizes in your closet and it's normal to own the same exact jeans in two colors and different sizes. Nothing is wrong with you if you don't fit into a specific size. It just means that the specifications of the garment is different for your shape.

You Are Beautiful Exactly as You Are

The next time something doesn't fit follow my mantra in this video:

Spring is around the corner, let's level up your style so you're ready for ballet flats + brunches.

Schedule a free consult to learn more.

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