‘To err is human, to forgive is divine’. I just love this quote by Alexander Pope. It kind of sums up the human existence in a wonderfully bitter sweet way. It acknowledges we all make mistakes because it’s a part of the complicated tapestry that is the human experience and, in doing that, it validates and exonerates us from feeling bad when we do slip up. With this in mind, how then can we apply it to our lives and especially on days in our life where we find ourselves in a difficult situation? If you are a dieter, you will be painfully aware there will be days that you will wake up and feel so much resentment towards your own body and mixed with that there will be jealously of others who are seemingly and effortlessly beautiful. Oh, the sheer aching in our hears that these feelings can cause!!
I don’t know about you but when I’m feeling this way, the negative effects permeate every aspect of my life. Here are a few examples:
- If I have a social event to attend – I’m likely to cancel it
- If I have to go out into the world, I will choose to wear baggy, nondescript clothing so I can be as invisible as possible
- If I had a physical activity planned such as going for a walk, I will talk myself out of it
- I am much more are likely to reach into the fridge or food cabinet for comfort
Just these few examples show how we are holding ourselves back and slowing down the progress of our weight loss goals based solely on the fact that we’re feeling down about the state of our body.
Believe me, I am more than qualified to sympathize with you if you are having one of these times in your life. The good news is that I am also highly qualified to provide you with solutions that will help you counteract the negative results (If you want to know why that is, read my book ‘The Anti-Diet Lifestyle.)
So, here are 3 things you can do, right at this very moment to immediately start to feel better about your body:
1. Recognize that you are only human and, as Alexander Pope puts it so succinctly, humans make mistakes. Know that no one is perfect and forgive yourself. If you’ve over-eaten, not exercised, gained weight or whatever it is that you’ve done to hinder your weight loss journey, instantly forgive yourself. Yes, it is that simple and if you really want to bring the message home, say it out loud ‘I forgive myself’. you will find that you’ll begin to feel relief, tension will dissipate and you’ll be able to move forward without guilt tying you to a lead weight.
2. Massage – There’s something about a massage that makes you connect with your body in a very positive way. If you’ve ever had one, you’ll already know what I mean and if you haven’t, I highly recommend it! The act is almost a spiritual experience, it makes you aware of your body and it feels almost as if your mind and body are one – which is rare indeed! When you are in such harmony, you will be best placed to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again
Don’t worry if you can’t afford to go to a professional. You could just ask your partner or you could even find a body lotion/oil with a smell that’s highly appealing to you and massage it onto your own body. The art of massage has miraculous results and will help you to love yourself again. If you want to be a die-hard follower of The Anti-Diet Lifestyle, try saying out loud, ‘I love my body, I thank my body’ while receiving or giving yourself a massage.
3. Read – I don’t mean read your favorite novel although feel free to do so! However, to turn a really bad day around, what’s really needed is if you read an uplifting and empowering book. The world is full of them, just google it! Try some of these on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/58-best-inspirational-books/b?ie=UTF8&node=6162671031
If you don’t like reading books then try inspirational quotes that resonate with you personally. Words are very powerful and a good book/quote can instantly turn a bad day into a great one!!
‘When you feel like quitting, think about why you started’
Written by Sherry Taylor
Author of the Anti-Diet Lifestyle
