Do You Struggle with Your Body Image?

There are physical approaches to changing your body's shape, whether losing weight, gaining weight, or building muscles. These can work, and do work, but many people eventually return to the original undesired status after a while, and this leaves them despairing and upset with themselves. A good example is the phenomenon of yo-yo weight gain.

Many readers of Metaphysical, New Age, and more mystical literature already know the basic Metaphysical rule for manifesting body changes. For instance, readers of the Law of Attraction are familiar with this concept, and there are many good sources for metaphysical approaches to body issues available too. Nevertheless it is worth it to remember the bottom line (OK - I did not mean that but that is funny) of changing one's body shape as we enter the third month of the year. By this time, some of us are frustrated with the New Year's goals.

This Metaphysical rule of thumb here is: The fastest way to get the body shape you like is to like the body shape you have. The clearest way to get the body shape you love is to love the exact shape of it now. This works on two levels. First, if you will go ahead and like the body you have now, then, by definition, you have a body you like. So, that is a pretty quick result.

The next level that it works on is what you can call your inner self, your personal vibration, or your energetic pattern. As long as a part of your understanding of yourself contains a vibration, or a notion, that you are not good now, you will often be defeated in reaching for outcomes that would appear to be good for you. Phrased another way is that undertones of self destructive or negative ideas about yourself will keep you from getting what you want.

My best example is a client who was very thin. However, she was from a different country than ours and had a different upbringing. Because she was so thin, her mother told her she was unattractive. My client grew up feeling unattractive and continues to feel this way even though she is in her 30s and lives in the U.S. She will never be able to gain weight, and keep it on, as long as she believes she is unattractive and that larger bodies are attractive. These two things don't match - picture it as two vibrations that cancel each other out - and she won't be able to feel happy about her body without changing something in this equation: either feeling unattractive or thinking thin is unattractive

Switch this then to the typical American experience of feeling unattractive if not thin (or buff, or fill_in_blank). As long as you, or I, feel at some level like we are unattractive or unworthy, and believe that thin is attractive, then a goal of long term weight loss will be much, much more difficult to accomplish. It can be done; it is just very tough. Kind of like putting one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.

If you struggle with your ideal body situation, maybe the next step is to take a time out. Focus instead on aligning your energy at all levels (and that is important) to completely accept and like the body you have right now. This can take some time for many of us - but try it. Then make new goals from that foundation. The new goals could be: "I love my body now, but look forward to stronger muscles.' Or, "I am perfect just as I am but I would next like to feel more limber and graceful." I think you get the idea.

None of this is to say that we should not pay attention to physical facts about bodies and muscles. Paying attention to the people who study how to fix and help bodies can be crucial in many cases. It can help though to remember some of the Metaphysical insights about what is happening in our inner selves and how that correlates with our results.

What are your struggles? Let me know and please comment here with your thoughts. You can also visit Psychic Margaret Ruth at www.margaretruth.com or on Facebook too.

Comments

[AnneEHarding]

Incredible! I have been thinking just these things lately while struggling to lose some packed-on winter tonage. Every morning I wake up and the first thing (literally) on my mind is how "fat" I am. I know I'm literally "thinking" myself this way. Ok.... the extra Snicker's doesn't help... but my thoughts are probably far more powerful in preventing me from shedding the weight. Thanks for the post.

[Kimberly Olney]

Wow.. What you said is so true. Last year I kept telling myself I am happy with who I am and how I look. I also knew, at that time, that most men wouldn't find me attractive. I didn't let that bother me. I was just happy with being me and started only caring about what I think about myself. Well, I lost over 30 pounds and 5 inches in my waist last summer and I wasn't even trying. I didn't diet, I ate pretty much what I wanted (well cut portion size down), drank lots of beer (I am a Wisconsinite), and play sports. It was the easiest weight lost ever in my life. The greatest joy was when I saw my father for the first time in 4 mths. (My mom and him sail in Canada for the summer, got to love retirement) and he couldn't get over how much changed. He really couldn't believe it cause he kept bringing it up. :o) All I got to say is being happy with who you are and everything else will fall into place.

[Amanda Mcpeck]

What was so amazing for me was that when I thought back on my life, I could see that the times when I felt really attractive, my body starting looking like what I thought at the time that attractive meant. I lost weight without trying (which is the only way that I lose weight). And I suspect there was glowing because I seemed to get lots of positive attention. :-) At the time I thought the attention was due to me carrying less weight. I now suspect it was because I thought I was attractive and so other people decided to agree with me on that point.

[AnnaMacDonagh]

It is so nice to be reminded of the power of affirmations in changing our images of ourselves, especially our bodies. I still struggle with body image from time to time, but I noticed that when this was a really big issue in my life my body actually felt worse the more negatively I thought about it. Sometimes I'd stare at my poor innocent thighs and actually pity them the vehemence I'd often send their way. Body image is certainly a multi-layered and complicated thing.

-Anna M
www.nutri-health.com

[Margaret Ruth - Huffpost Blogger]

Wow - that is so beautifully put. Really even more spot than I could write it. Thank you for adding that!