A Simple Guide to Giving Up Dieting Forever (Part One)

Part One, Day Two: Your Body Is Your Oldest Friend

With you from the moment you were created and until your last breath, your body is the oldest friend you will have in your life. Your body is your true best friend and it is time to acknowledge all that it does for you!

Look in the mirror and you will see your partner in life since the beginning. How far have you walked together? How many things have you been through? Do you see an old friend or an old enemy?

I never liked my body much when I was younger. I would look in the mirror and see only the things I didn’t like. Everything that didn’t look like the pictures in magazines. I would get angry at this lug of flesh in the mirror that just didn’t look like it was supposed to. Half of the time I would starve or push my body too far and then get mad at it for being hungry or tired. I didn’t understand my body at all!

No more of this nonsense! Is this how we treat our oldest friend? You and your body are in this thing together. Your body is ready and willing to be shaped into whatever you want it to be. All you have to do is start listening to it and giving it what it is asking for.

I have struggled with body image and self love my whole life. Loving your body and being happy with it can be a long arduous process. I know it's not going to happen over night, but by making a decision to try to love an accept your body exactly how it is at any moment, is the first step toward a new relationship with your oldest friend!

Daily Mediation: Acknowledge your body as your best and oldest friend. Make a promise to listen to it and always try to give it what it needs! Love your body and it will love you back! I promise!

Part One, Day Three: Your body is a reflection of your lifestyle.

Look in the mirror and marvel at your new best friend. Look at your arms and think of all they have lifted. All those people and things your hands have grasped. Your senses, your nerves, your brain, your organs, your eyes and ears and lungs; how much have they done for you in your life? Every step you’ve ever taken; Can you see them in your legs? They are there, I promise! Your body is a reflection of your entire life. The things we eat, how much we exercise, what we do for a living, where we live… all of it is right in front of us when we look in the mirror.

You can get a sense of a person’s lifestyle the moment you lay eyes on them. Are they lean or broad? Slim, athletic, or overweight? How does their skin look? Their hair? Are they tired or energetic? Young or old? Do they look healthy, malnourished, or obese? Are they rich or poor?

As you shop in your local grocery store, look at people's carts and then look at the people. When you walk into a restaurant, look around at the other patrons. Watch what different types of people order and how they eat it. People really are what they eat and how they live!

I want to note that genetics also play a big role in how people look. It's important to know your body's limitation. Try to embrace your natural body structure. People of all shapes and sizes are beautiful and trying to be something you're not is going to set you up for success. I am tall and broad with thin hair, and I always wished I was more petite with full thick hair. Eventually I was able to not only accept my body's basic makeup but to embrace it and love myself exactly how I am. That is all I want for you! To love yourself by learning how to look and feel great!

Your body’s natural transformation into the one you’ve always wanted begins with this realization. Your body is the one you’ve always wanted. You just have to know how it works and I’m here to teach you! It all starts with listening to your body, your new best friend!

I'm not going to lie to you, the goal of this guide is to facilitate a cognitive change in how you think about your lifestyle. It is going to require change and is going to take some trial and error, but you can do it! All it takes is a few simple ideas, and we are already on our way.

Daily Meditation: Look in the mirror and think about all you eat and do in your life. Does your body reflect your life? Look at others you meet and try to decide what you can tell about them from their bodies. Ask your friends and family what they eat and do during the day and see if it fits. Watch what other people put in their grocery carts or order in restaurants. Notice all the different beautiful shapes and sizes that people come in.