"This ass isn't getting any smaller."
"I'm cutting out chocolate."
"I went for ice cream last night and I feel so guilty."
"My body gains weight so easily."
"I'm too fat to do yoga."
"I'm so proud of myself, I haven't had any chocolate this week, I hope I don't fall off the wagon."
"I just keep getting fatter."
***
What do all of these phrases have in common?
Aside from being disordered and negative, they are also things that I hear all the time. Every day I hear things like this being said like they mean nothing at all. Men, women, old, young, everyone does it. It seems like there is a trend to use this kind of negative talk to cover up deeper insecurities.
Even though they are (usually) not meant to be serious, these negative phrases stay with you, and eventually you start to believe they are true.
I am a huge believer in the power of positive thinking. I believe that changing your attitude can change your life and that keeping a negative attitude will keep you in a vicious cycle of self-hatred. I know because I have lived it first-hand.
I have made myself believe things just from saying them enough. For example, as my body has filled out, the inevitable arrival of cellulite on my thighs has been becoming more apparent. In my darker times, I have looked at these dimples countless times and told myself that they are disgusting and that I have to get rid of them. The more I obsessed over them, the worse they looked to me.
It was only when I actively repelled those thoughts that the cellulite started to look less visible. I would say things like, "everyone has a few dimples on their thighs" or "my legs look so much stronger and healthier than before". Just like you can train yourself to hate yourself with what you say, you can train yourself for self-love.
Do you hear those around you saying negative things on a daily basis?
How do you stay positive?
