The Key to Ultimately Achieving Your Body Goals Is Not What You Think

It’s no secret that eating well, and regular exercise, is the way to good health. However, psychology says that there’s more to fitness than just dieting and working out. Being compassionate toward one’s self has proven to be a more effective way to achieve body goals.

Body positivity is a movement that encourages people to accept themselves and others, no matter the shape and size. Bright Side dove deep into how being kinder to one’s self is a factor in being healthy and well.

Strict dieting and exercise might lead to negative consequences.

Accepting your body and being optimistic about it helps you to focus on aspects of your health other than weight or unrealistic body image standards. Gary Bennett, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, said that the efforts of changing our shape take a toll on our emotions and can lead to riskier consequences of obesity.

A softer approach can provide long-lasting results.

Instead, focusing on adopting self-care practices and veering away from basing one’s value on the weight seen on a scale can result in better outcomes, supported by a movement and study, Health at Every Size (HAES). The study showed that individuals who participated in the HAES program reported maintaining a stable weight and improved levels of self-esteem, blood pressure, and depression.

By being positive, you can boost your mood, improve performance, and decrease social anxiety. This optimistic point of view helps create and maintain healthy habits, which results in a feedback loop that can help people feel better about themselves and see consistent improvement. The more you take care of yourself, the better you feel, and you will be more inclined to maintain your new body.

For comedian Rebel Wilson, being positive can mean that improving yourself has no limits, no matter your age or size. In an interview, she shared how her Hollywood team didn’t understand why she would want to lose weight when she was earning millions of dollars as the funny fat girl. But she was firm on her decision to make the change and get healthy. Wilson went on to encourage others who might be struggling with the same health issues and said that it’s never too late to be the best version of yourself.

How you can be kinder to yourself

There’s no single solution to keeping a positive body image. However, there are a few practices and tips that can help keep it in check.

1. Maintain a positive self-talk attitude when you have negative thoughts about yourself.

A negative body image can make you feel bad about yourself, and it can prevent you from feeling your best. Instead of criticizing the way you look and how you feel about your body, try saying something positive about yourself. You can try international superstar Jennifer Lopez’s approach to keeping her skin healthy by practicing daily affirmations to stay youthful and timeless.

2. Break a sweat.

Even if it’s not vigorous exercise, regular movement can help keep you feeling good about yourself, as exercise brings cellular benefits that can lead to full-body transformations. Multi-award winning singer Adele opened up about how, for her, working out was never about losing weight. She shared that getting regular exercise was something she did to make her feel good, become strong, and spend time away from her phone.

3. Do something that will make you feel good.

Self-care is a word that is thrown around so much these days, and while it may sound corny, it does help manage stressors, and it can make you feel genuinely happy. Try scheduling a massage, a solo vacation, or even a movie marathon of your favorite rom-coms.

4. Wear clothes that fit you and make you feel comfortable.

Before you buy clothes that are trendy and fashionable, make sure that you are comfortable wearing them in the first place. Having the right clothes that fit you not only increases self-esteem, but it’s also important to consider how it feels to put them on.

5. Surround yourself with people who make you feel supported and happy.

Your friends, family, and colleagues can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself. If you want to feel positive and optimistic, be with people who give off the same energy. The same goes for social media too. It’s best to avoid following influencers or images with unrealistic body images that make you feel bad.

Have you been practicing being kind and compassionate to yourself lately? What other tips can you share on how to best achieve your body goals? Share them in the comment section. We’d love to know what you think!