Author: Prince Diana
There’s no denying that media can shape our views of how the “normal” person looks and how we should try to look. There are pictures and ads everywhere that idealize body image, and somehow we believe it’s possible to obtain it. Now, I know that we’ve all heard a million times that “that” kind of body isn’t real, and we’re beautiful the way we are. Yet for many of us it isn’t really enough. We still feel bad every time we see those ads or every time we order fries instead of a salad. So what do we do?
We may be tired of hearing it but the “ideal” body isn’t real. For the majority of people it’s nearly impossible to get extremely skinny or muscular. It sometimes falls on deaf ears, but it’s worth it to take a hard and critical look at the images we see and remember that you already look great regardless of your body type. I really can’t stress that enough! Especially when the movement for body acceptance has largely been commercialized and has lost a lot of its meaning. It can be hard to remember the true essence of what it stands for. Ultimately, it’s really important to remember that you should love and accept yourself no matter what your body image is.
It’s really important to remember that you should love and accept yourself no matter what your body image is.”
Yet, at the same time, wanting to change your body isn’t necessarily bad, if you are careful and healthy about it. If you want to lose a healthy amount of weight or you want to gain a bit of muscle then that’s actually totally fine. Reasonable changes in diet and exercise can go a long way. However, when making these changes, remember that healthy change isn’t instant and acceptance should follow every step of the way. Just remember that while making changes is OK you always have to keep an eye on how and why you’re doing it.
All in all, whatever you choose for your body is fine! As long as you are healthy and safe with yourself, then whatever you choose for yourself is OK and you can feel comfortable with that.
Struggling with your body image? Talk to us.
