Disclaimer: In this post, I am sharing things I have stopped doing to have more body confidence. I am not a doctor, and it is to be used for informational use only and is not substitute for professional medical advice.
Diet culture is everywhere and affects everyone because we live in a world that praises thinness and encourages severe restriction. It can be difficult to maintain a positive image in today’s world because there are so many programs out there that convince people that their body isn’t good enough and need to be smaller. A positive body image can be even more difficult for disabled people because you can’t exercise in the same way non-disabled people can to change your body, and some people may not be able to exercise at all. Everyone deserves to feel good about their body, but it can be difficult when social media is filled with all kinds of toxic fitness content and people in your life are constantly making negative body comments. It is not surprising that so many people struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating because we are taught to believe that severe restriction is healthy. I have been impacted by diet culture, and for many years I struggled to have a positive body image of myself, and it wasn’t until I realized that some of the things I was doing were fueling my body image issues so I couldn’t heal. In this post, I am sharing a few things I stopped doing that helped me have a positive body image of myself.
Stop fasting for a long period of time– Fasting has great health benefits and can help some people improve their health, but it is not for everyone. I would not recommend it to anyone who is struggling with body image issues and is at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder because it will make these issues worse. You skip meals when you fast which can be a problem for people with body image issues. because you are already stressed about food. People who are struggling with a positive body image often restrict themselves and need to focus on fueling their bodies properly, and you want to avoid any program that encourages restriction until you heal from your body image issues. Before I had a positive body image of myself, I practiced Intermittent fasting, and it made me even more concerned about the way my body looks because I was already struggling to have a positive relationship with food and actively cutting calories. Avoid fasting for long periods of time if you are struggling with a positive body image because you will never heal that way.
Stop following fitness accounts that are all about vanity- There are a lot of fitness channels that can help you improve your fitness, but not all fitness channels are equal. If you are struggling with a positive body image, I would stay away from fitness accounts that do not promote true health and are all about vanity. There are a lot of fitness trainers online who make great workout videos that will help improve your fitness, but who you follow matters. You will never have a positive body image of yourself when you follow people who are constantly bragging about how fit they are and making you feel like you need visible abs to be healthy. Stop following fitness accounts that are all about having abs because these accounts are toxic and make it impossible to have a positive body image.
Stop comparing yourself to people online-These days, everyone is taking pictures of themselves at the gym, and it’s easy to start comparing yourself to your favorite fitness influencers. It is so important that we don’t compare ourselves to people online because you never know who used AI to help them look fitter than they already are. You can always do more exercise and improve your fitness, and you have to stop comparing yourself to your friends because even though someone has abs, that doesn’t mean they are healthier than someone who doesn’t have that. Many people who take pictures of their abs and post them online have body image issues and are severely restricting themselves and are struggling with eating disorders. Some people have an easier time getting in shape or will naturally have a smaller body because they have good genetics. Stop comparing yourself to people online because you will never have a positive body image of yourself when you look at other people and wish you had what they did.
Stop using exercise as punishment– When I was struggling to have a positive body image of myself, one of the things I was actively doing that made my body image issues worse was using exercise as a form of punishment, not self-care. I used to do an unhealthy amount of exercise, and it wasn’t until I stopped that I was able to improve my body image. Regular exercise will change your body and help improve your body confidence, but if you are not exercising for the right reasons, it will make your body image issues worse. You will never have a positive body of yourself if you are doing horrible high-impact workouts because they burn a lot of calories and view exercise as a form of punishment not self-care. One of the best things I did for myself that helped me improve my body image was I did less exercise because sometimes the only way to heal from your body image issues is to go to the gym less often or take a short break from it entirely.
Stop looking in the mirror and criticizing your body- When you are unhappy with the way your body looks often people will stand in front of the mirror and criticize all the things that they hate about their body. We live in a world surrounded by diet culture that sometimes makes us feel like our body is never going to be good enough. You can always improve your fitness but you have to stop looking in the mirror and talking negatively about your body because you will never have a positive body image if you are constantly bringing yourself down. A positive body image starts with accepting your body where it’s at instead of criticizing all the things you think need to change. You will never feel good enough if you are constantly looking in the mirror and hating on your body, and you need to practice saying positive things about yourself. Don’t say anything about yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend because we should be talking about ourselves like we would to a friend.
Body confidence can be hard for anyone, but it can be even harder for disabled people who can’t use exercise to feel confident in their body. It’s hard to love yourself and have a positive image when there is so much content online that tells you to push harder and restrict more, which is why it’s so important to unlearn these toxic messages diet culture teaches us. Be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up if you are struggling to love your body because body confidence doesn’t happen overnight and takes some people years. It is completely normal to have bad body image days because body confidence does not mean you have to love your body all the time, and it’s about accepting your body for where it’s at. Be mindful of your daily habits because sometimes your daily habits are the reason you don’t have a positive body image. Everything you do can reflect on how you feel about yourself because you are never going to feel confident with your body if you are constantly comparing yourself to others. What have you stopped doing for a more positive body image? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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