BEATING THE BODY CONFIDENCE BATTLE: STEP ONE
By Georgie Wagstaff
Genuinely loving what you see in the mirror is one of life’s great battles. It’s a fight that lots of us face each day; and for many it’s a war that seems unbeatable. None of us are alone. Many of us hide our insecurities, fears and vulnerabilities behind big personalities, overly confident attitudes or loud laughs.
There is no “Dummy’s Guide” to loving yourself and there is no list of steps to accomplish before you are certified with maximum body confidence. There are however, plenty of inspirational quotes and (usually- although this post is not gender specific) feminist words strung together intended to help any individual feel instantly inspired and flooded with self- belief, confidence and motivation.
I’m not knocking a quick mental fix. However, in the same way that a morbidly obese person will not wake up one day carrying significantly less body fat after a couple of days of eating salads, someone who is battling with low body confidence will not change their mindset after scrolling through a load of motivational words in italic font.
So what is the first step to obtaining more confidence?
Perhaps it’s to simply accept that it IS okay to not absolutely love what you see, realise that it IS alright to want to change what you look like, and it DOESN’T make you any less of a person to covet a reflection that isn’t yet yours.
Once you have given yourself the permission to want to change, take responsibility and go out and get it.
Too many people tell us we need to ” love who we are” and should “accept our bodies no matter what the shape or size?”… I say- WHY do we need to? WHY is it not ok to want to look and feel different?
Having low body confidence is a fight that lots of us face each day, and for many it’s a war that seems futile. Acquiring body confidence may seem like an unbeatable battle, but the first step is to understand you have the ability to load yourself up with the armour and the resilience to one day win the fight.
About the author
With more than five years’ PT experience under her belt, Georgie has helped a diverse range of clients with differing goals, limiting factors and varying starting points to achieve their goals. She understands that correct training and relevant nutrition are only a part of the ‘get fit’ challenge – listening to your body and pushing it for change are key too.
Georgie’s qualifications include Level 2 Gym Instructor, Level 3 Personal Trainer, Studio Cycling, Circuit Training, and Victoria Pendleton Pro-Cycling. She’s also First Aid Trained.
