Positive Self Image

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Accept Your Body and Learn to Have a Positive Self Image
By Chad Tackett
Article courtesy of Global Health and Fitness
Because thin females and muscular males are seen as the
ideal in our society and because we have come to believe
that body size and shape are totally under a person's control,
most people enter diet and exercise programs with unrealistic
goals and expectations. If you continually strive to achieve a
socially imposed ideal, you will never be free of your
insecurities or your self-consciousness. You must truly realize
and then learn to accept that we are not all meant to be
fashion-model size.

Our body size and structure reflects not only our eating and
exercise habits but also our genetics. The role this latter
factor plays in determining weight seems to vary greatly between
individuals. We are all born with a certain body type inherited
from our parents. Although hardly anyone is a pure body type,
there are three different applicable categories: ectomorphs,
mesomorphs, and endomorphs.

Characteristically, ectomorphs have a light build with slight
muscular development. They are usually tall and thin with small
frames and narrow hips and shoulders.

Mesomorphs have a husky, muscular build. They often have broad
shoulders, and their weight is concentrated in the upper body,
making them look compact or stocky.

Endomorphs are characterized by a heavy, rounded build with
shoulders usually narrower than their hips. They have a round,
soft appearance and are more often overweight or obese.

When we understand and appreciate our bodies, we are able to
work with them, not against them. Although many of us are a
combination of two body types, we cannot become what we are
not. However, everyone can improve their appearance and their
health and performance levels by implementing the principles of
a safe and effective eating and exercise program.

Even if you have a genetic predisposition to being overweight,
the way you live is what ultimately determines whether you become
fat. Genes clearly play a role, but they certainly don't determine
what you're going to have for dinner or how often you exercise.
Chances are if you're living an unhealthy lifestyle, you'll become
fat and unhealthy.

All of us can't be thin. But every single one of us can be healthy.
By focusing on what you're eating and how much you're exercising,
you'll be able to achieve optimum health and fitness, even though
you may not achieve society's ideal of thinness. Accepting yourself
does not mean that you're hopeless and that it's okay to do nothing.
It means that you feel good and care about yourself, and that you want
to be the very best you can be, regardless of your genetics, regardless
of society's standards.

To achieve this level of optimum wellness, you must have a positive
self image. This means that your feelings about your body are not
influenced by events in your daily life. For many people, life's
problems are projected onto their body. "If only I were thinner--or
more muscular, I would have made the team, gotten the job, been
chosen. . . . If only I were thinner--or more muscular, I could
meet more people, find the right guy/girl, be happy." This
self-defeating habit is reinforced by the images we see in
advertising; your body becomes an easy target for everything
wrong in your life. When you have a positive self-image, you value
and respect your body; you are also more likely to feel good about
living a healthy lifestyle.

No matter how much genetics predetermines how you store and lose
fat, the body you've been given will still respond positively to being
appreciated and treated well. Focusing on fun physical activity and
eating healthy foods will help you feel good whatever your size.
Developing a healthy, positive image of yourself is the first critical
factor in your fitness success. Having a strong sense of self-worth
provides the basis for making rational and affirming decisions about
your health. Good luck, stay positive, and enjoy all the wonderful
benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle!

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