Positive Body Image

But first, food. ‘Cause who wants to talk body-image on an empty stomach?

Mâche with raspberries and walnuts, buttery veggie stir fry, and whole-wheat toast with soy-free Earth Balance. It was my first time trying the eb, and I wasn’t blown away. It just tasted like… nothing. As far as vegan butter substitutes go, Smart Balance Light seems to have much more of a buttery flavor. (Note to vegans: regular Smart Balance has whey.) But the rest of the lunch was delicious. So much so that it deserves another photo:

Now, on to the body-image talk!

I felt sparked to address this after learning I’d upset a sweet reader.

My negative self-talk was made in a joking manner, as I apologized and explained in the comment section of that post. Yes, I was making fun of my appearance. But it was all in good fun. I can’t stress that enough. Maybe it’s because I do have high self-esteem that I’m ok with poking fun at myself. Truthfully, I’m happy with the way I look under normal circumstances… But really, does anyone look pretty when soaking wet? (Umm wait, let’s exclude the Victoria’s Secret models from this question, shall we? Any real people?) Long story short? I’m sticking with my Sphynx-cat comparison ;).

However, the commenter had a point: the more we engage in negative self-talk, the more it becomes ingrained in our minds. Although I’m soooo over uttering juvenile statements such as “Oh, I hate my arms. Oh I’m so ugly. Oh I wish I looked more like so-and-so” by now, I can’t say these words never escaped my lips… especially when I was in middle school! (Come on, I’m not the only one who’s ever said—or thought, “Gosh, I wish I looked like someone else,” am I?) The amazing thing is that once I replaced these negative statements with more positive ones, I stopped thinking them too! Stopped thinking them forever? Wait, I’ll cop up to it: every time I see Alassandra Ambrosio… gah, to look like that! LOL but this doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with my own appearance (nor does it mean I don’t realize that celebs have makeup artists and professional photographers at their disposal to make them look like goddesses). I think I finally stopped the negativity when I realized that there’s no one set standard of beauty. Different things are beautiful to different people. It might be trite, but it’s so incredibly true: what matters most is what’s on the inside. Case in point: would you rather spend 50 years married to the handsomest jerk or a plain-lookin’ guy who treats you like a queen? I’m going with the plain one!

Quick! Name one thing (or two or three!) you like love about yourself.

It can be a physical trait or a personality trait. But it has to be positive!