Do You Hate Your Body? 6 Steps to Move from Hate to Love

When you stand in front of a mirror, does your self talk essentially say: “Mirror, Mirror take a hike, I see nothing that I like?” Not exactly the fairy tale quote, but then you are not the evil stepmother. What you are is someone who has body issues. Although it doesn’t matter how long you have had these thoughts about your body, this is very likely one of the reasons you haven’t been able to maintain weight loss. I will explain why later.

If you have bad feelings about your body now, unless you change the way you think and feel about your body, no matter what you do, you will have those same thoughts and feelings about your new body. If you can’t think about your body with love, you are operating from a lack of love. When you try to change anything from a position of lack, it never works. You have to become the loving person you want to be right now, in the present moment, so that when you have reached your goals you will be ready to step into that improved body.

To change your thoughts and feelings about your body try this exercise:

1. Look at yourself in a full length mirror, preferably without your clothes.
2. Find a part of your body that you like. Perhaps it is your beautiful eyes, your blemish free skin or your thick, glossy hair. Look into the mirror and say, “I love my hair, eyes, etc.”
3. Now think about and write down 3 things you are grateful for about your body. Think of the positive things your body does for you: How you breathe without having to think about it, or that your heart is beating, or that you fight off infection. Remember how quickly your bruise healed? How about how quickly you recovered from your cold? Gratitude is very important. Do you put down your body, saying things about yourself that you would never allow anyone else to say about you? Did you know that when you do this, your subconscious will decide that you want more of the conditions that you are complaining about?
4. Post this list on the bathroom mirror, by your computer, or somewhere that you will see it often throughout the day. Read it every time you see the note. As you read each entry, say “thank you, thank you, thank you.
5. The next day, go back to the mirror and ask yourself: What else do I love about my body and what else am I grateful for? Now add this to the list from the previous day. Read each statement and repeat thank you, thank you, thank you.
6. Every day continue to look in the mirror, add to your list, and say thank you. Complete this exercise daily until you can see your body as whole and no longer just different parts. When you can look in the mirror, really see yourself and say and mean, “Hello beautiful,” you will know that you have completed this exercise. Celebrate.