Since starting my journey this year, to lose 48 pounds before the year is over, I’ve become not only more aware of my own body, but of the things other people say about their bodies. I listen as they tell me how they dislike their bodies because they are overweight or because they have aches or pains and can not do the physical things they once did. It is as though the body is at fault. The more I contemplate the things I hear said, the more I realize that my own dissatisfaction with my body is more a dissatisfaction with my own lack of discipline. Was I thinking about my body when I ate two pieces of chocolate cake on my birthday? Was I considering my body all those years I got out of PE in high school? Did I realize how important it was to maintain my body so that when I got older, I would still be able to get around? The answer to these questions and many more is “NO!” I’m sure someone tried to tell me how important it was to take care of myself. Isn’t that why we had PE class and health class? I just didn’t get it.
Our bodies are so very important. There is more to consider than just how we look. Our skin does so much more than just hold us together and carry our insides around. Under each square centimeter of skin are hundreds of nerve endings that detect touch, temperature, and pain. The body is the way we receive and experience love. The body feels a hug or a touch.
Your body is magnificent, no matter what shape you have let it become. If you think about all the functions if performs and all the wonders that go on inside of it, you may find a new appreciation for it and realize how a few small changes in your habits can help it function even better. If you will quit criticizing the way it looks and letting that influence the way you feel about yourself, you may find a new appreciation for all it does and all it is. When you talk negative to yourself about the way you look, you are keeping your focus on the negative. Instead, try this! At various intervals throughout the day and evening, look in the mirror, and find something positive about that body of yours. Tell your body you appreciate it. Tell your hands, your fingers, your arms, your legs, your feet, your skin, your hair, and even your internal organs that you appreciate them and what they do for you. Concentrate on the positive. Before long, you’ll find that you have a desire to better care for your body. And, when you do that, you’ll be surprised at how quickly it will respond to you.
I’m already 12 pounds down and I have 9 months to go! I believe I’m going to make it! I’ve quit criticizing my body. What about you? How are you talking to your body?
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