Our bodies change a lot over a lifetime. We need to work with this and embrace the change. Easier said than done, I know. But to look your best you need to work with the body you have, not the body you want.
Over the last couple of years I have been slowly gaining weight, and it has leveled out now. After beating myself up because I wasn’t fitting into my wardrobe, I went and bought a few essential mix and match outfits. As soon as I did this, people kept asking me if I had lost weight. I hadn’t changed according to the scales. I had accepted that I was now 36 yrs old and not going to deprive myself completely of my vices (wine and chocolate), and I was not going to join a gym and work out 5 nights a week or take up triathlons in the name of a hot body. I will keep living a reasonably healthy lifestyle without beating myself up and therefore this is my new body.
Sometimes you feel it’s important to loose weight, do this because of your health not because of other people’s opinions. In order to kick-start the process you need to dress for your current shape to feel good about yourself and turn it all into a positive. Otherwise you will end up like me walking around in clothes that are too tight and looking bad, therefore feeling bad.
A positive outlook reflects in your dress, your posture and your expressions. So it’s time to get the full-length mirror out and have a look. It may be the mirror that shows you what you look like but it’s your mind that interprets the image so remember these points before you start being too critical of yourself.
- Don’t compare yourself to anyone or a previous you. Look at what is in front of you.
- Your body is the foundation of your style; you have to know it look your best.
- You need to look at your body objectively, what do l like? What don’t I like?
- The features of your body you don’t like you will think they are bigger/worse than they actually are. E.g. if you carry your weight on your hips you will often think you like a size or 2 bigger at this point than you actually are.
- Embrace your flaws, they make you unique.
- Look at your body as a whole image, you’ll like what you see and it distracts your negative thoughts.
A POSITIVE APPROACH
Do you get so busy these days that you end up neglecting yourself? Slow down a bit, look at yourself in the mirror, moisturise and relax on a daily basis. The re-focus on yourself will create more positivity and a fresh outlook on your image. I have found a bit of focus on skincare has worked wonders. There is nothing like a soak in the bath, a relaxing face mask, DIY manicure to chill out and recharge the batteries. They also have the added benefit of keeping your skin looking great.
My mum always taught me ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it’. I like to say for every negative you need to balance it with a positive. So whenever you catch yourself saying ‘I hate my thighs’ you will then have to add ‘but I love my boobs’.
FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
Self-confidence is a very attractive quality and if you don’t have yet fake it until you make it. Shoulders back, head up and walk tall. You intuitively have confidence in people with self-confidence and think positively about them.
Once you embrace yourself, the good and the bad you can develop your own personal style. Remember style isn’t just about what you wear and how do your hair, it’s about your personality and how you portray that to the world.
Remember not to take yourself too seriously, dressing up should be fun.
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