“There is no wrong way to have a body.” – Glenn Marla 

  1. Appreciate all that your body can do. Women are most familiar with their face and are therefore most likely to be accepting of this part, of their body. In this sense, you should also try to get used to the rest of your body. Look at yourself in the mirror and study the shape of your body and how it looks. If you can do this every day, you will be less likely to be shocked by the appearance of your real self and more understanding, knowledgeable and accepting of it. 
  2. Keep a top-10 list of things you like about yourself—things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. First, write down 10 things that you like about yourself without referring to your body or appearance in any way. Include things that you’re good at, or various ways you’re proud of yourself. Then, after this list is done, make another list of 10 things you like about your body and appearance. Depending on your level of self-loathing, this might be hard to do at first, but just do your best and add to the list later when you think of something else. 
  3. Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin-deep. Beauty is a state of mind,not a state of your body. Feeling sorry for yourself is rarely productive, but it can be even worse when you get a group of your girlfriends together for a massive “woe is me” body bashing pity party. As much as women need to talk about their feelings and concerns,continually wallowing in self-pity can negatively affect your progress toward self-acceptance. 
  4. Surround yourself with positive people and admire successful, not slender people. Ask yourself who your role models are in life. Do you look up to them because they have a pretty face, slender body and nice clothes, or rather because you respect their intelligence and who they are on the inside?  Admiring successful people and surrounding yourself with these kinds of people can help shift your focus away from outer appearances. Look at what’s inside of a successful person that makes you admire them so much. 
  • Shutdown those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad” person. Every time you hear yourself talking negatively about how you look, spend an equal amount of time giving yourself positive feedback. Your worst critic is yourself, which means only you can change that. You do have the power to focus on the positive, change your own state of mind and trash negative self-talk whenever it pops up. Look at yourself as a whole person; choose not to focus on specific body parts. 
  • Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body. If your ultimate goal is to lose weight and get in shape, don’t expect it to happen overnight. Don’t buy a closet full of clothes that are too small for you to fit into, hoping that you’ll fit into them soon – it’s just depressing and it doesn’t always motivate you either. Buy and wear clothes that you are comfortable in, and if you can’t stand looking at the size on the label, cut the tag out! Weight loss is a slow and gradual process and you can’t expect instant results, no matter how much you want it to happen. Be equally realistic when it comes to gaining weight. 
  • Do something nice for yourself—something that lets your body know you appreciate it. Your body deserves a break sometimes, and so do you!  Treat yourself to relaxing retreats, like taking a bubble bath by candlelight, getting a massage, shelling out for a manicure and pedicure, or indulging in a rich piece of dark chocolate, or another favorite treat (keeping moderation in mind). Buy a new scented lotion and massage it into your arms, legs, fingertips, toes, and entire body,studying each part as you pass it by. Treat your body with respect and treat it regularly, too!

    • Another useful exercise is one which requires a little more effort, but is potentially impactful and rewarding; a one-week challenge:  

    • Keep track of how many times you hear someone talk about dieting or weight. 
    • If someone tries to draw you into a conversation about weight or dieting, change the topic or find an excuse to leave the conversation. 
    • Think about what you are saying to other people and keep focused. If you find yourself talking about weight or dieting change the topic. 
    • Tell other people about your personal challenge and encourage them to give it a go too.
    • At the end of the week, tally up how many times you heard someone talking negatively about their body and how many times (if at all) you talked negatively about your own body. 
    • 6. Consider whether you feel better about your body after a week without negative body talk. You may like to take the challenge for a second week to see if you can improve your focus.