People come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Plenty of us also come with a hefty amount of history: past decisions or situations impact how we look and feel today. That’s why I want to drill down into body confidence and think about why making people feel happier about all areas of themselves is so important. I want to help you embrace your body, feel confident and face the world with positivity.
To better understand how I can help you (and how you can help me), I put the question out on our Herbalife Facebook page. Hundreds of you answered, so thank you to everyone who joined in. Many of your comments were personal but also universal. A lot of you had similar responses that really capture how you and many of us feel about body confidence.
What does body confidence mean to you?
- – Being able to take your shirt off without being embarrassed. – Kevin
- – Being comfortable in your own skin. Being able to look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. – Wheels
- – Body confidence to me is about loving yourself completely, regardless of the size or shape. But knowing that you alone have the power to change it… – Cherie
- – It’s how you feel about how your body looks. Being able to wear sleeveless tops without thinking everyone is looking at you or thinking, ‘Why is she out in that? Her arms are too fat.’ Not caring what people are saying about you…. There is your body confidence – Nicola
- – Loving your body how it is today while making changes toward a better body for tomorrow. – Danielle
What makes you feel body confident?
- – Having a flat tummy. – L Chaka – Knowing every day I get healthier ‘n stronger…. – Darren
- – Knowing that this is the healthiest I’ve been, inside and out, and that I’ll continue to do so to get in the best shape of my life. – Vicki – Looking good in something that you worked to look good in. – Tayla
- – When I feel awake, strong and alert. – Shawn
It’s interesting to me how many of you have equated body confidence to size. As Channelle puts it so clearly, body confidence means to her ‘nothing jiggling or wiggling when I move.’ Gee, I bet we can all relate to that. But is that it? I love that so many of you also talk about energy, health and happiness.
Michelle made a great point, too: ‘Loving your body no matter where you are in your health journey is critical.’
A few of you wrote that building your body confidence frees you from negative self-perception. Holly passionately said body confidence means ‘not being ashamed!’ And Cassandra added: ‘not thinking negatively about myself no matter where I am or who I’m with.’ These comments really resonate with me, because I believe we all waste so much energy and time wishing we looked better, and it’s painful to realize how many of us are self-critical.
It strikes me that driving out this negativity is one of the hardest tasks all of us have. My hope is that together we can try to help each of us overcome negative thoughts and cherish our own quirks. Although it’s easier said than done, our differences are important and we need to embrace the things that make us
unique.
I know I wouldn’t want to live in a world where we are all size zero and 5’8’’ (or whatever your personal dream of perfection might be). But I do understand that it feels nice to wish we could be the ones with the perfect body. That’s what makes Clarissa’s statement so true: body confidence means ‘Feeling happy, healthy and comfortable in my own skin.’ And Jo-Anne’s thought demonstrates the power we give others over our happiness: ‘Being proud that I’m losing weight and getting fit and healthy and starting not to be embarrassed about what I look like.’
Many of you said it, and I’ve felt the same way: We feel happier when people notice we look good. Bethan said she gets a body confidence boost ‘when people notice and tell me how much better I look!’ Ashleigh agreed: ‘When someone compliments my progress, it makes me feel body confident.’ Having others recognize your efforts can be rewarding, but let’s also remember that any body shape, healthy eating and fitness goals we set should primarily be for us as individuals. And, yes, I agree that encouragement certainly can help build our body confidence.