Browse Body Image

Wow, it’s 2010! Is anyone besides me wondering what happened to 2009? Do any of us remember the resolutions we made at the beginning of last year? If you’re like most people, by January 1st you had a list of resolutions that revolved around weight loss and exercise habits. And… if you’re like most of us, by the end of the month, you probably gave up on them. (Raise your hand if you are one of us.) So rather than waste time and energy on things we’re not going to do anyway, I thought I’d offer a new look at New Year’s Resolutions.

I’m getting a Ph. D.! According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, any woman who looks at her naked body in a full-length mirror, every day, is in a Body Image Ph.D. program. You may have see Dr. Northrup during Mountain Lake PBS fundraisers and she’s written several books including “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom” and “The Wisdom of Menopause”. She’s an OB-GYN and dispenser of important wisdom to women regarding our physical and mental health. I love her spirit and her energy.

In my office waiting room, I have an oil painting of a small rowboat adrift on the sea. The boat is empty, about to go under and the sea is turbulent. It was painted by a former client, a young woman who I met when she had been struggling with bulimia for seven years. She gave me that painting right before she successfully ended treatment.

A hundred years ago, Renoir painted “La Toilette” (The Bather), a portrait of a young woman in the nude. She has long, aubu hair, full breasts and hips, a rounded belly, and, if the truth be told, thighs that look like mine. She’s voluptuous and she’s beautiful! One hundred years ago she was the ideal of feminine beauty. Today, she’d be one of my clients, struggling to accept herself in the face of an unattainable beauty ideal. When I show her to my clients, some of them are heartened by the resemblance they see to themselves. Some think, she has such a pretty face, but boy is she fat.

This past winter I was watching a football game with my husband and the TV camera panned across the stadium. A whole section of fans raised large foam fists with extended index fingers and shouted “We’re #1!” That moment got me thinking about what it means to be number one. Regarding what? To whom? What are the criteria? I remember being #1 in a spelling bee when I was in the fourth or fifth grade. And I was the shortest (and heaviest) girl in my second grade class. I guess that counts as #1 (although it’s not on my resume).

I have a client who says to me every now and again, “I wish I had your life. You always seem so happy.” I smile and think about some of the “discussion” I have had with my husband or that the cost of medical attention for our animals is putting my vet in a higher tax bracket or how irritated I get with littlest of things. But I think I know what she means. I have an open face. I smile a lot, and I tend to have a positive, optimistic view of life. I wasn’t always like this, however. Childhood set the stage for unhappiness and obesity.

March is my birthday month. As you are reading this I am now 42 years old. Okay, I’m using the new math – that 60 is the new 40. On every birthday, I take time to reflect on my life. Am I happy with my work? Yes! Am I happy in my marriage? Yes! Do I like getting older? Yes… and no. It’s challenging at best to be “women of a particular age” in a youth and size 2 obsessed culture. More often than not, when I look in the mirror I like what I see – a woman who has laugh lines and compassion written on her face and a body that is strong and healthy, although sprinkled with signs of aging.

When I was a very little girl, the story goes, I didn’t eat very much. This made my mother anxious and insecure. In those days, babies were supposed to be plump. So with prompting from my grandmother, she found “creative” ways to get me to eat, what they considered “enough”. One strategy she used was dancing around the kitchen with a mop on her head. When I laughed, she shoved a spoonful of food in my mouth. Great plan to ease my mother’s anxieties. However, attuned eating proponents would argue, not a great way to support the innate wisdom of the body.

There are multiple factors that influence weight reduction. You need to start by setting weight goal. You need to start watching the food you eat and planning workouts. There are various different ways for you to use. You don't must sacrifice taste while trying to lose weight. It was once that healthy food was symbolic of bland and boring. Now there are a good amount of healthy sweeteners and other additives that mean improved taste without making use of extra calories or ca

So many women I know say something like this: I don’t know when to stop eating. I need a zipper on my mouth and someone to pull it shut because I don’t know how to stop. I’m out of control around food. I’m an addict and food is my drug of choice. These thoughts and feelings make us feel bad about ourselves. We’re bright, accomplished women. We’re good wives, mothers, employees, business owners, and we feel out of control around food.

rnIntroductory Notes Hot tools used for hair are now in better condition and response than they were designed in the past. They are perfect in features and work the best now because the techniques used in its making are entirely new and modern. They are best in the material used in their production and also the quality of their electric utilization. As we know these tools are as new in designs and styles, they are definitely good and active in their working. Features of the C

The very next day after I submitted last month’s Jill article, in which I complained about feeling like a lone salmon, swimming in a sea of diet messages, trying to convey the innate wisdom of the body, I received my monthly issue of Psychotherapy Networker. The cover read Diets and Our Demons. Does Anything Really Work? To my delight, the whole magazine was filled with research- based articles about, eating, dieting, body image, and how our struggles with our lives often get played out in our relationship with food. Suddenly I felt was swimming with a sisterhood of salmon.

Sometimes I feel like a salmon, swimming upstream to fulfill its biological imperative, getting bloodied and battered in the process. Although my spawning days are long gone, I do feel pushed, compelled, called, however, to send the message to any woman (or man) willing to listen: Our bodies, your body and mine, have innate wisdom. Among many things, they will tell us when to eat, what to eat, and when to stop.

Hot flashes. Night sweats. Vaginal dryness. Thinning pubic hair. Mental confusion. Increased depression, anxiety, and irritability. Slower metabolism. Thickening waistline. Weight gain. Thinning bones. Wrinkling skin. Decreased sex drive. Painful intercourse. Yes, these and more are the many “gifts” of menopause and I experienced most of them, all because of changing levels of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, androgen, and testosterone.

This summer, I did one of the most courageous things a woman can do – I tried on bathing suits – and actually purchased two! We were going on vacation in August, renting a house for a week on the Atlantic and I wanted to go to the beach in a bathing suit that flattered my body type and felt comfortable. The last time I bought a swimsuit was about six years ago when I walked into Sam’s Club, pulled a $15.00 Speedo tankini off the rack and brought it home. The pattern was cute, but the cut, well, not so comfortable. In those six years, I’d worn it twice.

Remember the Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare”? It’s the story of a lightning-fast rabbit and a plod-along turtle that are seemingly mismatched in a race. It was the tortoise, annoyed with the hare’s boastful assertions of being faster than the wind, that challenged the hare. To the surprise of everyone but the tortoise, (s)he wins. Well I’m a tortoise. For most of my life, I’ve put one foot in front of the other, to get to the finish line, to achieve my goals. “Slow and steady wins the race”!

So did you make your list? Your list of triggers? Last month I asked us to explore the emotions, situations, and foods that propel us down the path to unconscious, mindless eating. Regardless of what they are, how long-standing and deep-seated, we no longer have to respond to our discomfort by eating when we are not hungry. What a novel idea! I have control over what I put in my mouth and when I do it!

A while ago, one of my clients gave birth and decided to breastfeed her infant so she often brought her baby to therapy. Sometimes in the middle of session, it was time to eat. I’d watch the baby start to cry, curl her fists, scrunch up her face, and make rigid her little body. She was hungry and she knew it. As her mother attended to that need, I’d watch the baby melt with pleasure into her mother, face and body relaxed, eyes closed as her needs were met, both physically and emotionally. Witnessing this, I could not doubt the powerful connection between food and emotions.

I’m very happy to announce that my first book in my Stress Management series is finally revised and re-published. It’s a great resource filled with quick tips on how to de-stress and de-clutter your mind.

In her 1985 book, entitled “Making Peace with Food”, Susan Kano chronicles her decision to feed her body, rather than starving it and to no longer focus on weight, size, and body obsessions. The book is part autobiography and part practical guide and is as relevant today as it was when she wrote it. She purports that most women in our culture have at least some traits of eating disorders, chronic preoccupations with food and weight, and behaviors that range from bingeing to semi-starvation.

Many people that have consistently been struggling with their weight may sooner or later turn to humorous, self-criticism as a defence mechanism. Overweight people have often been stereotyped in society and popular culture as the heart and soul of the party because of their humorous approach towards everything and their ability to laugh at themselves. This sense of humour, however, is often a coping mechanism. It fulfils the same function that putting on a mask would do. For many, this is an option for dealing with a sense of defeat and the inability to get in better shape.

Move Forward In Life With Body Care Like many people, you probably are looking for more in life. Most everyone is looking for a way to become successful, but where can you begin? Is there a sure fire way to start your journey to improve your life? The answer is yes, and it begins with taking care of your body. By making an effort to strengthen your body, your mind will be able to shift its focus, and you'll begin to make better decisions that will help you improve your life o

Stress Management Blueprint 2.0: Design Your Stress Relief Plan is the third book in the Stress Management 2.0 series. It includes detailed stress information and a blueprint to making a supercharged Stress Relief Plan that is personalized by the individual and simple. It’s a great resource for putting your stress management in one comprehensive and cohesive plan that is specifically designed by you, for you.

Emotional Stress Management 2.0: 40 Tips For Taming Your Turbulent Emotions is the second book in the Stress Management 2.0 series. It includes powerful and effective emotional stress relief strategies that target intense, negative emotions. These techniques are great for coping with and releasing toxic emotions, regardless of the source they are generated from. Dealing proactively with negative emotions reduces overall stress levels and provides the space for new, positive emotions to be experienced and savored.

“I’m addicted to food.” “I’m a foodacholic”. I hear many of my clients express these beliefs and if the truth be told, I used to say the same things about myself. I remember planning binges that consisted of high fat, high sugar, and high salt foods. One of my favorite “meals” after a long, hard week in the retail industry (many years ago) was two huge chocolate chip cookies, an extra large bag of Doritos, and a two-liter bottle of Tab (I said it was a long time ago). Can anyone find any protein in those choices?

It is your special day and you want the pictures to be spectacular. A few basic mistakes, however, will stand in the way of stellar results. Planning your wedding is connected to a lot of hard work and even a bit of chaos. Still, you should dedicate some time to wedding photography planning. That is the best way to avoid a couple of common mistakes. 1. Choosing an Inexperienced Photographer

A surgery - whether minor or major - can affect the condition of one’s mind and body. If you have a surgery on schedule, you would want to be prepared for it. Surgery preparations, including physical preparation and having a positive attitude and mindset, will greatly help you overcome any fear and positively impact your recovery. So, how to prepare for surgery? Physical Preparation Running or engaging in any sports can be taxing, both physically and emotionally. Preparing

Calories in should be fewer than calories out this is supposed to be the simple and effective formula of weight loss. The problem is that the formula does not work for many people. A single reason exists for that fact this formula does not factor the emotional aspects of weight loss. For many people, weight loss is a big struggle. It encompasses cravings, emotional eating and addictions to certain foods. These components make it incredibly difficult to effectively introduce change and maintain a persons level of happiness and satisfaction.

I was in a car accident recently. It wasn’t a big one and thank God no one was hurt. However, accidents are jolting and can make us feel very vulnerable. After the initial shock, I wanted to eat. For me and for many of us, food calms and soothes. It transports us from our fears, our anxieties, our angers, our discontentments, to a place where nothing bad can touch us – at least for a few moments – or so we believe. (I forgot to tell you, I didn’t eat.)

Body Image - What Is It? Body image is what you see yourself to be when you look into a mirror. Depending on your psychological state, you will see something very specific to your mental picture. Things like, your beliefs about your appearance, how you personally feel about your body and also ...Body Image - What Is It? Body image is what you see yourself to be when you look into a mirror. Depending on your psychological state, you will see something very specific to your men

My clients come to work with me for a variety of reasons. Some clients come to deal with anxiety, insecurity, or unhealthy relationships with food. The ‘presenting problem’ is often different, but the common motivator is usually the same – there is a part of their life that isn’t working and feels confusing. They feel lost. They want something different but don’t feel they know how to get there. Everyone comes seeking more clarity and better solutions for moving for

Many people struggle from a lack of self-confidence and have difficulty feeling good about themselves as they navigate the teenage years and enter adulthood. A few physical flaws can easily make it challenging to hold your head up high and appreciate your appearance. To improve your self-confidence, there are a few steps to take to appreciate your looks and feel more positive. Avoid Negative Self-TalkrnIt can be easy to complain to yourself about your flat hair or your large

It can be quite cumbersome and time consuming when you are trying to find the right wedding photographer. Besides, you want your wedding photos to be very unique and special. Doing your research and planning ahead will help you to select the most suitable photographer. This will also help you find one who knows what you want and how to produce the photos that you desire. Has the Right Outdoor Photography Equipment

Working with your wedding photographer during every step of the way will ensure your satisfaction with the outcome. You will have to spend some time on preliminary planning and clarifying the concept. Preparation during the wedding day itself will also contribute to memorable pictures you will cherish a lifetime. Ready to start planning the perfect wedding photo session? The following preparation checklist will simplify the task and give you the wedding photography results that you have always been dreaming of. 1. The Days before the Wedding

Cigarette smoking is an addiction and because of this fact, quitting is easier said than done. According to Action on Smoking and Health, 10 million adults in Great Britain are smokers. Two thirds of those smokers started before the age of 18. Nearly two thirds of the current smokers would like to quit but only 22 per cent of the women and 27 per cent of the men have managed to do so.

Are you getting ready for the most exciting day of your life? Getting the perfect pictures will be an integral part of the experience, providing you with sweet memories to go over again and again. Choosing the right wedding photographer is the key to getting the perfect pictures. How can you make sure that the professional you pick understands all of your requirements and desires? Getting some important information from potential wedding photographers will help you make up your mind about the selection. The Cost

Your special day is approaching fast and you have very little time to choose the perfect wedding photographer. Talking to professionals and asking a couple of important questions will help you decide. Here is a list of five important wedding photography questions that you can use to decide whether a particular professional is going to deliver exactly what you are looking for. Questions about Style and Portfolio

Aging is normal, natural, and inevitable. But aging gracefully is an optimistic goal that all women share. Skincare is fun in your teens when you’re experimenting with skincare products that best suit you, but that should change once you hit 25. There are specific changes in your body that need to be addressed with the right anti-aging skin care products. We're not talking about looking youthful. We're talking about looking healthy as we age. Investing in anti-aging creams

Is your special day just around the corner? If so, stress levels are probably high and you are feeling anxious about it. Though the perfect wedding requires a lot of preparation, you should learn how to relax and have a good time. Try the following checklist to get organised during your special day and to have a great time. 1. Time Management

Struggling with one’s weight is rarely connected to sole physiological factor. Addressing body image and health issues through counselling and weight loss hypnotherapy can help an individual to identify the “root” of their lack of success in losing weight. Modern technologies can also be incredibly beneficial for getting to know a therapist and discussing some of the issues that need to be dealt with. Counselling and Modern Technologies

Meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD, can be caused by many factors and one of these is from computer eye strain. Luckily, taking some small steps in how you use a computer or other devices can help the symptoms. In this article, I will go through what computer eye strain is, how it can cause MGD and what you can do to help it. Computer Eye Strain; What Is It?

The mind can play tricks on you. These tricks manifest themselves through your ability to spot imperfections that nobody else seems to notice. Many people want something more; want to be a little bit better and a little bit prettier. It seems like happiness and self-esteem depend on these factors.

You know that you have to say no to junk food but this can be one of the most difficult weight loss tasks. Though everybody is aware of the health impact of junk food, dealing with emotional cravings is a bit more challenging than relying on willpower and determination.

Apart from choosing the right wedding photographer, you will also need to make sure that you have selected the right style for your album. You will probably feel a bit confused in the beginning because of the numerous options, which is why you can rely on the following guide to differentiate between the possibilities. Reportage Wedding Photography This style happens to be quite popular because it is the most natural and casual approach. There is no excessive staging and the reportage wedding photographer tries to capture the best moments without forcing a particular theme.

Are you finding yourself incapable of getting to that ideal weight? One of three crucial factors could be to blame for that inability. Reliance on food for comfort, poor nutritional choices and insufficient physical activity could all contribute to the accumulation of extra weight.

Getting ready for the big day can be tremendously stressful. Every wedding photographer has a lot of experience based on observations. If you want to simplify the task of planning the perfect wedding and having a great time throughout the day, you can rely on the following wedding photographer tips. Always Put Emphasis on Time Management Early on, it may seem like you have plenty of time to plan everything. Guess what, you will run out of time quite fast. Prioritise, come up with a schedule and try to stick to it. Handy Items

In hiring a service provider or selecting a doctor, you get total freedom to choose without any need for network or referrals to confine your options. If you are planning a cosmetic surgery then the choice of surgeon is crucial. The experience will live for life. Successful procedure can root great confidence. Alte atively, if your choice of surgeon is poor then the results can be extra heartache, time and cost. Cosmetic surgery is all about appearance and so focuses on aest

Your wedding is one of the most exciting days of your life, but the time is often hectic. Will you have enough time to deal with everything and make the wedding perfect? Which should you pay attention to? Having a checklist can make it much easier to get organised and to prioritise the most important tasks. Here is a list of the most important things you must do before the big day arrives. 1. Schedule Day of the Wedding Beauty Treatments If you still do not have a hair and makeup appointment, the last week before the wedding is the perfect time to have those organised.

Why are you trying to lose weight? Do you want to be healthy or are you trying to please someone? Your motivation will be a determining factor for the outcome of the process. Motivation is the key to achieving your goal along with an interest in weight loss hypnosis, which is probably why you’re reading this article now.

Do you know what your life's calling is? Don't worry if you feel you've yet to find it. Sooner or later, you will discover the one thing you're meant to do. Are you feeling satisfied and professionally challenged at your current occupation? A "No" means you could still be on a jou ey to find out what you're really meant to do. I was one of those people that experienced lack of fulfilment. My full-time employment did very little to push me forward, motivate me and help me continue perfecting myself as a professional. I decided to start my own business at that precise moment.