Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
A negative body image is more a function of how you feel about yourself. That can certainly change with some effort, as this woman found out.
It goes back to my early adolescence when there was no guilt, no anxiety and no prerequisite for precision. I ate ice-creams, pastries, and slurped those fizzy, sparkling soft drinks without any thought of how many calories I was ingesting. I was a happy-go-lucky girl. I wish if I could just hold on to those moments of my life once again.
You have gained weight girl – That apparently guileless remark from my friend totally changed my opinion about myself. From that day, I was not a hale and hearty, fit individual anymore. Whenever I looked into the mirror, all I saw was a flawed body.
It is not unusual for overweight people to identify as ‘overweight’, till something happens, like in my case, any remark or comment that strikes them deeply.
I felt that losing weight would improve my appearance, and make me feel better about myself and my body. I was exercising at bizarre hours every day. Calculating calories, following a diet chart, and exercise sessions was the only routine. Somewhere in the process of calorie counting and diet restriction, I lost control, which resulted into patterns of messy eating and ultimately to a binge eating disorder.
Here are some of the things I learned on my way to salvage that situation.
Body image is an impracticable and naïve opinion of how someone perceives their body or physique. It is a very common phenomenon in women, but various men also suffer from this condition. You instigate and establish your own observations of your body’s shape, appropriateness, attraction, strength, vigor, and desirability. This perception about your own body remains with you as you grow old and accept comments or criticism from others, mainly from your friends and family.
So how to overcome this negative body image? Here are 4 things I depended on.
Negative thoughts about your body can become the reality of life. Instead of dwelling on your negative thoughts you should ask yourself do you really want this negative vicious cycle. Defy those negative thoughts and swap them with constructive ones.
Eating ailments are all about control. The more you exercise control over food intake, the lesser amount of control you have on your body. The main element is to let go of the urge of controlling your diet. All carbs and fats are not bad for your body.
Setting enormously impractical and high goals and standards in life won’t do you any good. Accept your genuine self. There will always be someone who will judge you for something in your life. How we nurture our bodies is a great deal about self-worth.
Start loving yourself for who you are. Change your focus away from the shape, contour, and size of your body. Focus on how you feel. You can try meditation, yoga, running, dancing. Just learn to feel healthier, better and happy in your skin.
Yes, my negative thoughts resurface at times but they do not control my life. I still put an emphasis on my looks and appearance, but I have realized that food is not an enemy. The timeworn eating disorder sneaks up sometimes, but I have learned to focus on my health now. It is more about nourishment now rather than calorie counting.
Image source: pixabay
Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger | Interior Enthusiast | Listen to podcast- https://open.spotify.com/show/1nrjsuBIZW34Cs5mBQlyFu Follow on Instagram @closettocurtains read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
Please enter your email address