Dislike his body
Do you love your body? What does this mean for you? Are we talking about his appearance or his physical abilities? Is having a positive body image synonymous with loving the way you look? Wow, that’s complicated!
What is body image?
As with many other concepts, there are many ways to define body image. More generally, this is the relationship we have with our body. Do you think yours is positive or negative? The answer might change after reading this.
Rather than perceiving our body image as positive or negative, we should see it as spanning a continuum on which each of us sits.
Body image is made up of several elements, such as;
- The perception of our appearance,
- The emotions felt towards our body,
- Thoughts of him,
- The ability to listen and understand the signals it sends to meet our needs,
- Actions towards him.
With this in mind, if you initially thought you had a very negative body image, you may still find some positive aspects to it that you weren’t even aware of! Here are some examples:
- Take care of your body by going to see a physiotherapist, massage therapist or osteopath to feel better physically → benevolent action,
- Drink when you are thirsty →listen and understand your needs,
- Appreciate the appearance of a part of your body and highlight it (e.g. make up your eyes or your smile) → visual appreciation.
If you do not recognize yourself in these examples, but would like to move towards a more positive relationship with your body, keep hope and keep reading!
Do we need to find our body beautiful to have a positive body image?
Not necessarily! Many have compared their bodies to ridiculously unattainable beauty ideals for so long that it may seem difficult, if not impossible, to imagine a future in which their body image would be positive.
Few people are immune to insecurities, but there are many other ways to appreciate our body and improve our relationship with it other than just focusing on appearance. Here are some suggestions:
Types of relationship with the body
Body neutrality
In this approach, one can choose to give little importance to the appearance of the body. Beauty is not something we owe to others and our value as a person does not depend on our appearance.
Body acceptance and body love
Accept the body as it is, whether it matches society’s beauty standards or not, and gradually come to terms with its appearance by deliberately ceasing to try to change it or hide it. For example, betting on comfort when choosing clothes rather than choosing those that make you thinner.
Body respect (Body respect)
It’s about learning to listen and recognize the signals that our body sends us, and above all to respect its needs, both in terms of food and the need for rest. The body speaks to us and deserves to be listened to as best we can, no matter how it looks.
Body trust
Have you ever wanted to try an activity, but assumed your body wouldn’t be able to? Have you ever been surprised by its capabilities? Our body has its limits, but these deserve to be explored and can evolve. In movement, for example, learning to trust your body is to challenge yourself. It is also to listen to our real limits (eg pain, fatigue). On the food side, it is also to have confidence that it is able to self-regulate thanks to the signals of hunger and satiety and cravings.
Body appreciation
The body is a marvelous machine that allows us to do so many things! One can learn to practice gratitude to him. Depending on each person’s abilities, the body allows us to walk, move and move around, and thus to be independent and explore new places. Our body also allows us to connect with our loved ones by talking to them, exchanging looks, listening to them, giving hugs, etc. Finally, it allows us to connect with our environment through our senses such as sight, hearing, touch, etc.
As many approaches as individuals
It is up to you to choose which approaches appeal to you, seem more attainable to you and correspond to your deepest values. No matter which path you take, it can take time when you’ve lived with a negative body image for years or even decades. Do not hesitate to ask for help. At LauGau Nutrition, we are here for you.
Danya Beauregard, Nutritionist, Dt.P., RD
