I Hate My Body- Freeing Yourself From Bad Body Image
Poor body image is an epidemic in this country- especially among women. Count how many times in 24 hours you say something negative or unkind to yourself about how you look. Do self-critical thoughts interrupt your breakfast, your appointments, or your work? If this were a problem among a small demographic of people, you might think it was a problem inherent in the individual. But when the majority of women cannot walk by a mirror without muttering something obnoxious- it’s a sign there is a problem with society and its influence over how we feel about our bodies.
Has it always been this way?
No. In fact, overweight women used to be the standard of beauty. If you were skinny and tan, it highlighted your poverty. Those who were rich and well fed remained curvy and pale. This was the pinnacle of beauty. You see, culture places that which is most unattainable- at the top of the pyramid. If it was hard to be fat- that was the goal. Now it’s hard to be skinny- that is the goal.
The diet industry is a monster!
Billions of dollars pour in every year to people who sell books, pills, videos, and other items all designed to make you something “better”. The only reason this industry flourishes is because it doesn’t work! If diets worked, than we’d all be fit as fiddles and not in need of their contraptions. They are making money off of self-hatred. It is fueled by the negative talk and criticism that murmurs in your ears.
Here is the truth
Self-Contempt does not inspire lasting change.
It’s a lie. All of it. The media, fashion industry, Hollywood, and the dieting capitalists want you to think that your dissatisfaction and hatred of yourself will fuel a great life change. The initial zeal you feel at the start of a diet or new exercise program tricks you into thinking that this time will be different. It will not be different- your negative feelings about yourself are what caused you to overeat. The problem that causes overeating is not going to then turn around and then solve the problem of overeating!
When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies
This book should be on every bookshelf in every home of every family raising a girl. Mothers should read it for themselves and book clubs should discuss it. It attacks this country’s food and weight obsession and offers real solutions to the problem of overeating.
True and lasting change
People who set out to make a difference in their lives, succeed when the motivation for change is born out of a place of self-acceptance and nurturing love. The problem of overeating can be dealt with- but only if you can first accept and love yourself as you are- at the weight you are.
- How to Stop Overeating- A Radical Approach
This article explains a dramatically different approach to the problem of overeating. Break free from the "dieters" approach and start a journey that will bring ultimate freedom from the tempting power of food. - Does Going to the Gym Make You Healthy?
A closer look at the negative implications of our obsession with health clubs. Are we really getting any healthier? - Overcoming Overeating - Home
Free yourself from food and weight obsession and cure compulsive eating disorders using the Overcoming Overeating approach instead of dieting and deprivation. - Would the World Change if Women Stopped Hating Their Bodies? | Life According to Julie
I thought about this last night. What if some strange chemical fell onto our planet, and in one instant- every single female in the United States instantly loved her body- AS IT WAS. Short, tall, fat, skinny, acne, big boobs or little- what industrie
Impossible!
You are arguing with that statement at every turn. It is unfathomable that you could love your body in the condition it is in.
“But what about my blood pressure, my diabetes, and my inability to fit on an airplane seat? How can I love myself like this?”
The litany of screaming thoughts only proves that you have a very bad case of Bad Body Fever. You cannot imagine anyone loving you in the state you are in- and this is the root of your problem. You are lovable and accepted- in exactly that state.
Bad body fever is rampant
So pervasive is this sickness, most of us cannot even recognize the symptoms. When Women Stop Hating their Bodies takes you on a journey of self-discovery and understanding of why you have failed to stop overeating. It is not because you are not “good enough”. It is because you haven’t realized just how lovable you actually are.
What does the book talk about?
It is divided into three sections: reclaiming your body, reclaiming your appetite, and reclaiming yourself. In it you will discover how to:
- Identify symptoms of bad body fever
- Befriend your body
- Legalize food
- Know when to eat
- Reevaluate your standards
- Become a self-caretaker
- Speak up
- Know the difference between mouth and stomach hunger
- Abandon diets forever
Imagine yourself a small child
If you are a parent, you understand that it is not enough to simply scold and punish in order to raise a healthy child. In fact, that is a sure way to help them become miserably sad and failing adults! You know that acceptance, nurture, and love are the key components to producing a stable human being. Why then do you think that your constant barrage of insults and dissatisfaction with yourself will solve the problem of overeating? If you were a small child, how would you expect a parent to help you?
But I diet because I love myself!
People are masters at denial. You claim that your 1200 calorie diet is a sign that you love your body and want to care for it well. You are lying to yourself. People who love their bodies don't need to restrict themselves to the minimum amount of food necessary to keep your body from entering starvation mode. In fact, people who love their body are far too concerned with their own greatness to be bothered with calorie counting and food obsession! Food is necessary for sustenance, but the world is calling them to big dreams.
Most of us cannot even see the level of criticism and judgment so deeply ingrained in our pysche- that we are unaware of our motivations. It is like the person who tells you fifteen times that they are not trying to be judgmental but.....
If you aren't judgmental, there would be no reason to say it over and over again. If you loved yourself, food and weight and diets would not take up so much brain space.
Mutiny
As a woman who has been subject to our society's version of what a beautiful woman is, I am on a mission to overthrow this wretched system- one woman at a time. I am on a journey to discover how beautiful my body is- exactly as it is right now.
I am 5' 4" and 160lbs. This is considered unacceptable.
It takes a lot of hard work and introspection to learn to accept yourself when others say you aren't okay in the form you are in. But I promise you- it is worth it.
-Julie DeNeen
