Feeling Disgusted With My Body

by Jessica
(Santa Ana, California, USA)

How would I get that out of my head? How will I get this feeling out of my head because I don't. It wouldn't affect my life?

My Answer

Jessica,

Your body is your prized jewel.

Because it houses not only a body shape for all to see, it also houses your intellect, your beautiful soul and spirit and your unique personality.

Yes, at times, you (and all of us) would feel "disgusted" with it.

It may be because:

1. It's not taking on the shape you want it to be;

2. You're comparing it with the impossibly slim, slender and perfect bodies of some models, actresses or movie stars on TVs, movies, magazines....;

3. You are not getting results from your exercise and healthy eating effort;

4. You're very, very conscious of what other people think about your body;

5. You take to heart dearly what others say about your body

And I could go on and on with loads of other "perceived" thoughts people have regarding their bodies......

Been there. Done that.

You are not alone.

How to get rid of this thinking?

You can't just "psycho" yourself by saying or thinking: "I want to get rid of this disgusted feeling". It won't work.

The most powerful way to beat this disgusted feeling is to get down to identify which part of your body you love, which part you "hate" most and which you can realistically do something to change.

For example,

If it's your thighs, exercise and eat healthy will in most cases, take care of it.

Your thighs will become compacter (due to the lean muscle mass you build through exercise), slimmer and stronger.

Best, you become healthier! This alone literally lifts you up and chases out all the gloom and doom feelings!

If you can't change it, accept it the way it is.

God makes you unique and beautiful - no 2 persons on this earth will look the same. Even twins can differ in personality and character.

Don't compare; don't be bothered by what other people say or think about your body.

It's your own body - you must feel good about it, no matter what shape, size or color.

Now come to the part where you asked whether this "disgusted feeling" would affect your life.

It would because you're assessing your body negatively, along the line of wrong perception.

It would affect your self image and self esteem.

You could become depressed, lose interest in everything, avoid friends, hurt yourself, resort to alcohol, drug abuse or a destructive eating habit (like anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating....).

I would like you to go to this page I've written on how to cultivate a healthy body image .

If you're a teen, this page will speak to you.

If you're an adult, it helps you too.

I hope to hear from you about the realistic and positive things you do which help change your perception about your body.