If you’re like most women out there, you struggle with your body image or at least, you have done so in the past. Let’s face it, for everything that you do like about your body, there are probably at least two things that you don’t like.

We as women have been brought up in a society where images of thin celebrities are gracing the pages of magazines, being broadcasted across billboards, and are being touted to have the ‘perfect’ body image that we all should strive to obtain.

But at times, you must ask yourself, is this image really realistic? Or more importantly, is it realistic for you or even real to start with. Also, what is this goal, this image that you strive for, doing to your life? Those are just a few of the questions that must be answered as you go about a path to improving your body and coming to a state of self acceptance.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not suggesting that you should just accept the fact you’re carrying excess weight and forgo all attempts to change that. That isn’t what this is all about at. What I am suggesting however is that you start realizing that you are more than just a body. Far too many women will completely tie their self-worth in with their body image, leading to feelings of unhappiness.

On days when you step on the scale and the number staring back at you is lower than it was the day before, you’re on top of the world. You feel great about yourself and life couldn’t be better. However, on days when you step on the scale and the number staring back at you is higher than it was the day before, it’s a whole other story. You’re frustrated, you’re angry, you may even find you start to feel rather depressed as well – all because that little number told you how to feel.
Why let this number rule your day? So many women give their bathroom scale the power to completely determine their happiness and feelings of self-worth.

Perhaps you have managed to break free from the hold scales has on you, and you realise that it’s highly variable based on water fluctuations and what you had to eat the night before. But it’s the mirror that makes you feel this way. Maybe you look in the mirror and see a bit of cellulite on your thighs and instantly you can feel your spirit dampen.

“If only I could lose this cellulite, then I would really love myself.” Does that sound familiar? If you take a good hard look at the thoughts that run through your mind on a daily basis, would any of them resonate with that statement? Or similar self criticisms?

If so, you have some work to do. Fortunately, if you work hard at it, you can get past this negative body image and start enjoying life regardless of how you look because you accept and care for yourself as a human being. A good place to start is to learn to love yourself. Set aspirational but realistic goals and understand that perfection does NOT exist.

If any of these issues ring a few bells and you’d like some valuable strategies on how to boost your self image then you will find invaluable this FREE podcast I did with my friend Aoife McIntyre on Radiant Radio . We discuss tried and tested techniques that will help with all those destructive thought patterns. I also share with you the exact audios, books and resources that have helped me. Here’s are the links:

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-2-letter-d/id635881731?i=153060207&mt=2

Podomatic  http://radianthealth.podomatic.com/entry/2013-04-24T14_29_19-07_00