It took a solid year after having my little girl to regain my “close-to” pre-baby body. No, it will probably never look exactly the same and that is completely okay with me, but as I learned to extend grace to myself through the sloooowwwww weight loss process (nursing did not help me lose weight like it does for some women), I also learned some ways to treat and clothe my body to boost self esteem along the journey.
If you or someone you know is on a weight loss journey, you don’t have to punish yourself or allow yourself to feel dull and drab just because you have not reached your endpoint. Love yourself through the process and celebrate you, not your body.
Here are my tips for embracing beauty at any weight:
01. Accentuate one feature you have that you like. EVERYONE has a least one great feature and while you are waiting for changes to occur in the rest of your body, I encourage you to dress yourself to accentuate this. Some examples include, a long slender neck; toned calves; slim ankles; trim waist; hour-glass figure; slender fingers. If you cannot determine a feature to highlight, ask your spouse or a close friend to tell you. You can then search online for fashion trends to highlight this feature. There are several types of shirt necklines that will accentuate a slender neck as well as hair styles. If you have slim fingers, find some fun and sparkly rings or hand jewelry.
02. Smile. A true, authentic smile can warm up a room but more importantly for you, it can elicit pleasurable emotions within you. It actually produces neurotransmitters that improve your mood. And, in reality, smiling is contagious! So, if you smile at someone else, just think of how it is helping their mood in that moment- what a gift!! Smiling also brings all attention to your face and away from other areas you don’t want attention. When you flash a warm smile to a friend or even a stranger, you are more attractive and you will feel better. Skeptical? Try it and find out!
03. Wear colors that you feel good in. Most of us could identify one or two colors that we feel great wearing. Maybe these colors highlight your eyes or hair or skin tone. Maybe these colors give us a certain feeling of confidence or cheer. If you don’t know, head to the store and begin trying on colors until to find out what makes you feel amazing!
04. Exercise inthe morning. I find that I feel better about myself and more refreshed, energized, lean and toned if I exercise in the morning. You may differ in opinion, but this has worked for me.
05. Get yourself ready every single morning! As a stay at home mom, I find myself easily walking into the trap of delaying getting ready each morning. By following a morning routine, just like I would for work, I am telling myself that I am worth the time and effort… AND I feel better about myself all day. Do yourself a favor, even on the weekends, get yourself ready. That may include makeup or lip gloss, styling your hair and putting on clothes that fit and flatter. While wearing gym or lounge clothes all day is okay on occasion, I have found that putting a few minutes into my physical appearance puts a little pep in my step.
I was truly inspired after reading a Dashing Dish blog post, Creating a Successful Morning Routine. While my life is somewhat different from hers, she inspired me to create my own successful morning routine, write it down and make it happen. Although it takes some discipline, I have never felt better about myself and my days as a mom.
Embrace it. Own it. Live it. Your beauty is one of a kind and no one can wear it exactly like you.
I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful. ~Author unknown
TRUTH: You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
Song of Songs 4:7 (NIV)