15 Lessons to Learn to Love Your Body

This race can end up being frustrating, tiring, and can lower your self -esteem. If you don’t love your body, who else will? Here are 15 lessons to help you learn to love your body and accept it the way it is.

Love your body. It will love you back.

What goes around comes back around. Love and care for your body and it will do great things for you. It will obey any requests you make of it.

Focus on being healthy.

Your size doesn’t determine your health. A healthy body is a beautiful body. Having routines that make you feel good such as taking in a healthy balanced diet, as well as exercising will go a long way at helping you love your body.

Stop being mean to yourself.

You judge yourself more harshly than others do. Most times when you look at your reflection in the mirror, you focus on your flaws. However, according to the co-author of the Beauty Prescription, Eva Ritvo, you are 20 percent more beautiful to other people.

The outside world can see more than just your physical appearance. They perceive the whole you, your personality as well as your style.

You have the power within you.

Have you ever stopped to think about all the things your body can do? You can dance, walk, run and even carry another human being for nine months. Appreciate all the good things your body lets you do.

Don’t be defined by the scale.

The scale should not determine your sense of self-worth. Step away from it. You will build a better love relationship with your body when you give yourself a break from the scale and accept your body the way it is. Let go of your weight loss worries and insecurities and enjoy life.

Do not blame your body for the bad things that happen in your life.

Many times, you blame your body for the failures in your life. You think it’s your body’s fault for you not being accepted into a program or when you couldn’t fit in.

However, you need to learn that it is not your body’s fault. If someone doesn’t want to accept you the way you are, then they are the losers. Your worth is what you are, not what you look like.

Be positive and appreciate yourself.

So what if you don’t have that model thin body? Stop stressing yourself about something you don't have and enjoy what you have. Focus on the good that your body brings you. Staring at those pictures of the people you think are perfect will only bring negative thoughts about yourself. Instead, look at pictures of you at your best.

Others look up to you.

Do you want to one day find your daughter scowling at their physical appearance when looking in the mirror? If you love your body and are proud of it, you will pass that self-love down to your kids, and they shall love their reflections.

Your feelings come first.

Happiness is not a body type or shape. It is an inside job. How you feel about yourself matters more. Be happy no matter your shape or size.

Cut down on social media.

Have you been staring at those photoshopped pictures and wondering why you don't have the same body as those "perfect" people? It’s time you ditched social media (for a bit). Comparing your body to others will not foster a love for yours.

Don’t dwell on the past.

A lot of people will try to fit into a dress or a bikini that they wore when they were a smaller size. Doing this will only frustrate you when you can't wear it anymore. Dress the body you have now and give away the clothes you wore back then. Keeping them acts as a constant reminder of who you were. Live in the present.

You are in the best body for you

Life is already hard without you adding a war within in the mix. Acknowledging that you are in the best body you could ever have is a step closer to self-acceptance.

Conquer the perfectionist in you.

Stop focusing on what your body can’t do and instead on what it can. You might exercise every day expecting to attain that "perfect" body. However, that is putting too many expectations on your body, and some things are unachievable. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your body.

Love yourself others will too.

How other people see you is very affected by how you view yourself. Show them that you love yourself and they will love you too. If you bash yourself, you are doing yourself a big injustice.

You honor your family.

Stop cursing the day you inherited some of the "bad" family traits such as your weight. Instead, view these "flaws" as reminders of your loved ones and also as a way of honoring your family.

You are a miracle. Don’t spend that much time hating your body when it is the most amazing thing you have. Learn to love your body, both the bad and good parts.

You should also respect other people’s bodies as that’s the first step to stopping body shaming and appreciating each other just the way you are.