Written by: Amy Bondar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When was the last time you looked in the mirror and said, “Wow! I am amazing!” “I look awesome” “I love my body.”
For most of us, the answer is never. But how would it change your day and the energy you put out to the world if you did?
“Physical appearance has little to do with body image. Who we are inside and how content we are determine the degree to which we accept our body.” – Marc David, Nourishing Wisdom
How you feel about your body is directly related to how you feel about yourself and how you are living your life. Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling really good about yourself and life, you see your body differently than when you are beating yourself up and down in your life? In fact, when you are feeling good about yourself, you likely feel really good about your body. You likely enjoy your food, make conscious food choices, have more ‘on path’ moments and use your food as a source of fuel so you have energy to do what you love. You may even exercise out of joy, not because you have to or you should but because you simply love it.
We take care of our body with a much different intention than when our self-image is poor. When we are feeling bad about ourselves, filling our mind with negative self-talk and not feeling fulfilled with life, food and exercise look much different. Exercise often becomes non-existent or used as punishment. Food is often used to soothe, comfort and make us feel better about something that is not right in our life.
The image we have of ourselves is reflected in our bodies, but we often see it the other way around. We try hard to change the body thinking if we do that we would just be happier. The truth is that it never works. The root of the problem is not how your body looks, it is how your inner world looks.
If we work to change our self-image it is only then that we can change our body image. When we struggle with body image issues we often force ourselves to work out, diet and do whatever we can to change our body. Oftentimes our efforts are futile and short-lived. That is because the extra weight on our body is not why we are really upset – it doesn’t help, but that is not the root of the problem.
The weight is a by-product of something else that is going on. It is feedback letting us know we are not living in alignment with our values, we are not living our full potential and doing what we love. It may be a reflection of unresolved stress, trauma and conflict. Losing weight never fills a deeper void and the weight has likely only shown up because food has been used to fill that void.
The work has to come from the inside, not the outside!
If you have been struggling with body image and have dieted, restricted and punished yourself to try to lose weight so you will feel happier about yourself, it is time to think differently. We have to go through the back door! Work to change the way in which you feel about yourself and your life first so you can bring lasting change to how you feel about your body. If we do the harder work of transforming ourselves from the inside, the outer change will be permanent.
When we do what we are most meant to do and live our lives with mission and purpose our body will find its rightful place. When we learn to manage our emotions we regulate our eating. When we resolve the stresses in our lives that trigger us to go “off path” we eat more consciously. When we eat for success and wellness vs weight loss we are more inspired about our body and relationship with food. Working with a Mind-Body Eating Coach like myself, is a powerful way to explore the deeper dimensions in life that are affecting your weight and body image. You can transform your relationship with food, body and self so you can wake up every day and look in the mirror and love what you see.
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Amy Bondar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Amy Bondar, Nutritional Therapist, Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Speaker, and Author, changes life! Amy brings two decades of experience in the field of nutrition and mind-body coaching and believes that nourishing our body with the power of food, resolving stresses that are blocking our physiology and hindering our full potential, and living a life with purpose are essential ingredients to optimizing our health. Amy offers virtual consults and lectures to clients around the world and will inspire, educate and guide you to transform your relationship with food, body, and self.
