Join the Revolution...Stop Hating Your Body!

I am excited today to be featuring a guest post from a very special friend of mine. Chantell is a dietitian and recently posted on her Facebook page about this topic.  I asked her to share something with us. I love what she has written as it is something I have been thinking about lots lately. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

How many conversations have you had in the past week (even if it’s just between you and you) where someone has made a negative comment about their body? I find I’m constantly surrounded by beautiful, intelligent people who are somehow dissatisfied with their weight or shape and feel as though they need to do something to ‘fix the problem’.  The only issue is that there ISN’T a problem to fix!

Our thriving ‘health and beauty’ industry has us all believing that the body we were given is just not good enough. They dictate what is beautiful and happily sell us the products to replicate it at home. This ranges from make-up to fashion and the latest weight loss craze. As a dietitian with a clinical specialty in eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours it pains me to know that these ubiquitous messages are potentially contributing to the anguish my clients and their families face. It didn’t take me very long working in this field to realise that prevention would be far more effective than whatever treatment we can offer.

Negative body image is ranked in the top 3 issues for young people aged 15-19*and public health initiatives have targeted this group through secondary schools. However, we are seeing more incidences of eating disorders and dangerous dieting behaviours in 10-14 year olds with researchers finding more than 30% of people in this age range engaged in moderate to extreme dieting behaviours**. Add this to the Butterfly Foundation’s findings of negative body image being reported by 5 year olds and all of a sudden high school is too late!

We need to be aware of the types of messages we’re sending to the children we have contact with. This will mean being a little counter-cultural as dieting is so widely accepted that I’ve had parents of adolescents with anorexia decline treatment at the thought of having to reintroduce saturated fats into their diet. This is an extreme example but let’s be honest, how common is it to see people taking unnecessary risks with their bodies for the sake of ‘health’?   

True health does not equate to restriction, avoidance of certain types of foods and flogging yourself to keep ‘in shape’. It’s about nourishing your body with all the nutrients it needs (including fats) according to your appetite, if you’re hungrier one day than another there’s probably a reason for it. It’s about moving because it feels good and not because of the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy. It’s about being thankful for what your body can do, even the parts of it you don’t particularly like and it’s about acknowledging that health can come in every size so comparisons are pointless. A lifetime is a long time to live somewhere you hate...so why not join the revolution and LOVE your body?           

For more information on body image awareness week, negative body image or an eating disorder see thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

Chantell is married to Mark and they think their kitten, Zoe is pretty cute. Chantell loves drinking tea, walking around the Wollongong beaches in the sunshine and, like most dietitians, is a bit of a foodie. She also loves her work which focuses on helping clients to ditch dangerous dieting and have a healthy, positive relationship with food, regardless of their size.

*Mission Australia youth survey https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/annual-youth-survey   

**A. Dando et al Adolescent dieting behaviour: Associations with physical activity and screen time behaviours Deakin University School of Psychology (unpublished data). 

Leaning to Love My Body {I Heart My Body 2012}

I can remember disliking my body from a very early age. I have a very strong memory of sitting on the toilet and seeing how my thighs bulged when they were resting on the seat. It wasn't something that was drummed in to me as a child, it was just me not liking what I saw. Throughout my childhood and my teenage years I often stressed out about how I looked. I would compare myself to models and wonder why I was given sticky out ears, thicker calves, and freckles. However over the years I have grow to love my body and when I hear about the I Heart My Body 2012 Campaign I thought I would share with you my journey (and my photo).

As the years have passed I have found myself growing to really love my body, despite its imperfections. I have chosen the photo below because I am wearing a bikini that makes me feel great. I don't actually wear it out in public very often (so I still can't believe I am putting it on the internet) but when I do get to wear it, it really makes me love my body.

The I heart my body campaign asks that we name three things that we love about our bodies. So here goes!

I am loving that I have something to fill my bikini top. When I went through puberty I thought each year "I should grow breasts by the end of this year" but it never really happened. However pregnancy and breastfeeding made all the body dreams come true. I know they will soon disappear but it is nice to have them for now. 

The second thing I love is my tummy. Recently, one of my girls was pointing to my tummy and saying "Mummy's fat tummy". She didn't really know what she was saying, but I corrected her saying, "It's Mummy's beautiful tummy. It is beautiful because it held you and, Claire and Alicia". I really do feel this way about my stomach. Of course I would love to have a little less of it, but it is the way it is, because I have had three beautiful babies. I wouldn't change that for the world.

I also love my legs, not because of the way they look but because they have learned to run. They once ran the whole City2Surf in Sydney. Running makes me feel strong and like I can do anything. It also lifts my mood and makes me love my body even more.

What has made me grow to love my body? Firstly it is a result of my faith in God. He has made me this way for a reason. I believe that God took the time to place me together this way and He was happy with the result so why would I want to change it. It is also the love of a wonderful husband who sees me at my worst but still somehow finds me attractive. Finally, my best trick for loving my body is positive self talk. I will often tell myself, "you look great after having three kids" or "No one notices your imperfections as much as you do" and lots of other positive comments. Of course, I still stand in front of the mirror and dislike what I see at times, that's normal but there are lots of times where I can honestly say "I Heart My Body".

What are three things you love about your body? Are you brave enough to share your photos in the I Heart My Body Campaign?  Visit their page for details.