Vogue. Elle. Vanity Fair. Cosmopolitan. Shape Magazine. Bravo. Seventeen. Marie Claire. Glamour. Allure.
The list of magazines published on a weekly basis is huge. Every week, you see new pictures of beautiful, flawless, skinny, (often) teenage models–on the way to work, on the way to checking out, and in the hands of co-workers and friends.
It is super hard not to be influenced by all of these messages that, essentially, shame you into believing you’re not right, flawed, ugly and incomplete. Even if you cannot run away from being exposed to these covers when you leave your house, it doesn’t have to mean that you have to bring this toxic world into your sacred space.
Be honest, are you subscribed to a few of those beauty magazines?
I am the first one to admit that I am a subscriber of Vogue. Yes, I know, I know. What about the thing where I walk the walk when I talk the talk? Well, what can I say? I’m a sucker for fashion and I love to look at beautiful shoes.
However, I can’t refrain from experiencing a pang of guilt, shame and a fair amount of playing the comparison game whenever I “read” the newest issue of Vogue. But I worked on those issues and built a very strong defense system where these moments of insecurity won’t overthrow all the hard work I have done in feeling like a goddess within my own, flawed body.
How about you? How do you feel when you flick through the pages seeing the all-too- perfect, skinny models? How does it affect your body image when you look at the photo- shopped versions of girls representing adult women? Do you feel defeated, sick, guilty, ashamed, bad about yourself or even sad and worthless? Does it crush your spirits or do you want to go on yet another senseless diet?
For most people, that’s exactly what is going on inside their minds when being exposed to those kinds of “news” and pictures. If the weekly or monthly dose of beauty magazines has such a severe effect on your self- esteem, then it is time for you to put your foot down, cancel all of your subscriptions and throw the remaining magazines in the garbage.
Believe me, you will survive without gossip, “get thin quickly” guides and even beautiful pictures of beautiful shoes. {Click to Tweet}
You will be surprised at how well and relieved you can feel if you eradicate these things, as destructive as they are for your soul, from your home and your life.
The same goes for your Facebook friends, your favorite TV shows and your “real-life” fat shaming girlfriends. How do they make you feel about your body and yourself? Would you be better off without them, feeling more at peace with your body and more confident in your skin?
Think about it for a while and be honest with yourself. There’s no point in pretending to be fine with these things when they hurt your self-esteem.
This brings us to today’s challenge: Break Up With Your Body-Love Frenemies
Step #1:
Go through your Facebook friends list and unfriend those who aren’t necessarily great for your body-confidence.
Which one of your “real-life” friends is constantly bitching about her weight and making you feel insecure and painfully aware of your butt, thighs and muffin top? Stop seeing her!
Which TV shows make you feel bad about your body? Stop watching them.
Which magazines make you want to diet every single time you flick through them? Get RID of them.
Step #2:
SHARE YOUR MAKEOVER SUCCESS!
I want you to report your actions in the comments or on social media…tag it on facebook, twitter and instagram (use the #10BCM).
Which triggers have you removed from you life? How do you feel now that you’ve taken care of this?
Have fun today and stay tuned for tomorrow’s 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover challenge!
Big hugs and love,
Anne-Sophie
Anne, I am not ‘doing’ the challenge, but I wanted to share some things that I have done and some things that MY HUSBAND has done, without me asking… while standing in line at the checkout, I used to pick up magazines.. any of them that would have a headline ‘lose 10 pounds in three days’ sometimes even more weight ; any like that got my attention.. or walk off the weight… most I would laugh because it was stuff that wouldn’t work. but they always got my attention, and almost always if I lost that much, I would be sick. So I do not look at any of them now… And while I am waiting at my therapists office, I lok at the ones that have more ‘fashion’ in them . I look at clothes, or nail ideas, or things like that, or even decorating. or I take my art stuff and draw. MY HUSBAND, when we watch tv… he flips the channel when a Victoria Secret commercial comes on. he knows that they are all anorexic, and hates them. He knows that they draw my attention. So he wont let me watch those. And all the ads for weight loss… Nutrisystem, weight watchers, etc… he changes the channel. Or tells me ‘don’t get any ideas’ if he doesn’t have the remote. He knows that my mind just goes there….. and what is even scarier, is that I went on the weight watchers website… and if you have had an eating disorder, they are not supposed to let you sign up. There are questions they ask you. I was honest and they gave me a plan to follow and was going to let me join. My therapist who is a member… could not believe it. I was going to go into the actual place and tell them… I should. So this is what WE DO…. it makes it a bit easier for us here. just little things. and every LITTLE thing helps because the world is so big and big is overwhelming. 🙂
It’s great that your husband is so supportive and you’re right, every little thing helps BIG time. I’m shocked about the weight watchers situation. This reminds me of a time when I was a newlywed and I wanted to lose a few pounds – although I was underweight. I went into a fitness center that was doing some kind of metabolism diet and despite me begin underweight, they signed me up for a weight loss program.
It’s crazy and very dangerous and there needs to be more education.
yes… but gyms, fitness centers, and weight loss centers…. their main business is MONEY. Not the individual person or their health. It is the bottom line…. they are after how much money they can make and they will let anyone in who is willing to work out, pay the fees, lose the weight, follow the programs… they do not care who it is. And THAT is where things need to change. HEALTH CLUBS need to be just that… HEALTH clubs. and FITNESS CENTERS… need to be just that… FITNESS centers… with the focus on health and fitness… not MONEY AND WEIGHT LOSS. I belong to our local Y. I swim laps, ( well, when I feel like it) because it makes me feel good and I love to swim. I absolutely HATE machines, so I go to the main part of the Y and hit tennis balls in the racquetball courts to take out frustrations… THAT is a good workout… and kills your frustration!! and it is FUN. I jam to my iPhone w headphones on while I do it. an hour passes fast. 🙂 But yes, those places all need revamped badly. As does the advertising industry… sadly, it wont happen in our lifetime…. but wouldn’t it be great if it would??
It SO would.
If you need a dose of body-positive fashion, though, there is so much good stuff on the internet! Check out Jay Miranda, Chubble Bubble, Stiletto Siren, and the Phatshion Peacock to get you started. I find it so inspiring and affirming! (The opposite of what those magazines make me feel…ugh.)
I’ve never heard of these blogs, but just checked them out and they truly look fantastic. Yay for positive body image blogs and websites. Thanks for sharing.