We are constantly surrounded by overwhelming content on advertising, mainstream media and social media that make us question our self-worth and re-consider our value. Somehow, it seems like there is this conspiracy to keep us changing in order to “improve” and fit into a social standard expected from ourselves. We never seem to be thin enough, fit enough, pretty enough or simply just good enough compared to everyone else.

And even though we know this to be a direct reflection of our insecurities, brought to life by these photoshopped images and false life advertising, it is very hard to continuously love ourselves and maintain a good relationship with our body, its weight and the food it consumes. 

In Waku, we care for you and your self-esteem, we believe that the relationship we keep with food directly affects the one we have with our bodies, our overall health and therefore ourselves. That is why, we have prepared this blog so that you can seek that beautiful and lovely re encounter with the true love of your life: yourself.

Stop Focusing your goals only on a long-term basis

Let's be real here, whenever we dive into a new diet or start a new fitness program, we do so thinking that in the long term we will look better or feel better because of the change we'll be seeing after we do that for a certain period of time.

However, it would be better for you to focus on the present and day-to-day goals that will make your mood boost in the moment and your body feel better instantly. Then, slowly but surely you can start building up new habits, hobbies and goals.

Listen to your body

Every day, your body tries to communicate with you and ask for what it needs. It’s telling you how it feels, what’s working, what isn’t working, as well as what it needs in order to function properly. These are your hunger cues, satiety cues, stress signals, and emotions. 

When you pay attention to these cues and address them, you are able to flow through your routines with ease, feeling good about what you choose to eat and you organize your day according to your personal needs. By doing this, you may also deal easier with stress and abrupt emotions that come because you can take time to address those feelings mindfully and delicately.

Prioritize Both Nourishment And Enjoyment

Find a happy medium between the nourishment and enjoyment of food. Choose balanced meals that taste and feel good while you eat them and after, when you are digesting them. Don’t focus so much on what the diet book says about “bad” food, try to think more like “I really like this food, how can I make it so that  it's both healthy and enjoyable?”.

It’s important to understand that your relationship with food goes deeper than fueling your body. Unlike animals that eat solely for survival, humans eat for a variety of reasons, such as joy, pleasure, culture, tradition, socialization, and to fuel their bodies. So the next time you meal plan or decide on what to eat, think about what will fill both your gut and your heart and ask yourself: Am I hungry or is there something else I'm lacking?

Your relationship with food and with your body is personal, unique, and requires regular work to keep it healthy. Though it may seem impossible to fix your bad habits and deal with your negative thoughts, taking a break to breath, relax and feel will help you be more aware of what you need in order to continuously choose beneficial behaviors that will help you achieve your goals and feel more at peace with what you eat and how you look.

Enjoyed this reading? Check out these other blogs that talk about this to further extend!

References

5 Things to Focus on To Stop Struggling With Your Weight and Feel Peace With Food And Your Body

How Can I Improve My Relationship with Food?