Today’s blog is written by Alex Hussey, a dietetic intern who is completing her degree at East Carolina University. Alex shadowed individual sessions and helped to facilitate IOP meal and nutrition groups while at Chrysalis. 

You’ve seen the advertisements everywhere. “How to Get A Beach Body By Summer”, and every other cover title along that line on magazines everywhere. But getting a beach body can be a lot easier than these magazines make it out to be. I’ll list the steps right now in this diagram:

Here’s where things can get tricky…

Do you love your body? Are you accepting of it? Are able to understand and respect the needs of your body?

Instead, the magazines should print, “How to Love Your Body at the Beach, Mountains, School, Work, or In Literally Any Location”

These steps are a little bit harder than the ones previously listed. It’s more prevalent for women to dislike their bodies than it is for them to like them. We often compare our bodies to unrealistic expectations. This is a growing problem with constant social media access and exposure to “Instagram Influencers”. The majority of the influencers are using photo editing software to enhance their appearance and we are only exposed to the final product when they post. While these influencers still possess their own beauty, we have to learn to accept the beauty of others without questioning our own.

 

 

What Can We Do?

We should talk to ourselves the way we would talk to a good friend; always encouraging her, being accepting of her flaws and acknowledging her accomplishments. We can eat well and often, eat a balanced, healthy diet and listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. We can find joy in movement. Just enjoy a stroll in the sun because it’s scientifically proven to improve your mood. Stay positive, when you start feeling the “doom and gloom” feeling, make a list of everything you are grateful for. Use positive affirmations for even little things. When we are taking care of ourselves and responding to our needs, we will see the positive outcomes in various forms, your skin might be glowing, your smile might be bigger, you might be more outgoing. Whatever it is, when you are able to accept your body for all the wonderful things it is and does, we become happier.

After all, the best body we can get (at the beach or not), is one we love.