Fitness
Articles
Fitness Programs
Exercise Instruction
Exercise Videos Online
Fitness Consultants
Free Fitness E-book
Supplements Info
Tell Your Friends

Fitness Products
Books and Reviews
Discount Fitness Equipment
Fitness Equipment
Magazines
Supplements

Health
Weight Loss Plan
Get Motivated
Health News

Newsletters
Subscribe to Newsletter
Related Links
Site Map
E-Mail

Webmasters
Advertising Info
Add Your Link

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!