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Articles
Accept Your Body and
Learn to Have a Positive Self Image
By Chad Tackett, President of Global Health and Fitness
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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. |
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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!
This article was provide by Chad Tackett,
President of Global Health and Fitness.
Please visit his site at
www.global-fitness.com
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