It’s Love Your Body Day!

Today, the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s Health Project want you to answer this question: Do you love what you see when you look in the mirror? If the answer is no, sadly, you’re not alone. You’re like millions of other women and girls struggling with negative body-image and self-esteem. To draw attention to this epidemic, NOW created Love Your Body Day. From their website:

“Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make each of us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts — lips, legs, breasts — airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that 80% of U.S. women are dissatisfied with their appearance? Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries can’t use negative images to sell their products without our assistance. Together, we can fight back.”

How? Well, for starters, make the choice today to love your body and end the negative speak and “fat talk” (ie: these jeans make my butt look fat or I don’t look good in those kinds of sweaters because they make my stomach look big). Become media savvy (if you aren’t already) and be critical of the images you see on TV, in commercials, in magazine ads, in celebrity gossip ‘zines – remember that they’re designed to sell and profit essentially by making you feel like you’re not good enough just the way you are.

Hey, I’m not saying loving your body is easy. In fact, if you had asked me ten or twenty years ago if I loved what I saw in the mirror, on most days, my answer would be definitely not. In my late teens, twenties, and early thirties, I was still chasing what I perceived to be the ideal figure: I wanted to be much taller than my height of 5’4″, have skinny legs, lose most of the fat in my butt, and perhaps go up a cup size (at the very least). But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gradually had a shift in thinking, in part because it finally hit me that no amount of dieting or stair-mastering was going to result in a total body transformation, but mostly because I started to be grateful for what my body provided for me. As in, my body enables me to run, to hike, to play piano, to carry my child, to walk my dog, to be in the world the way I want to be. I’ve shifted my thinking to focusing on health and wellness instead of whether or not I can look good in a pair of 7 for All Mankind Jeans (the answer to that question is “no, I can’t”).

Do I still have days where I scowl upon discovery of a new wrinkle or examine how the elasticity of my skin is shifting (no one told me that was going to happen as I got older)? Yes. It’s kind of ironic, really, that just as I reached a point in my life where I became truly comfortable with my reflection, my body is changing. And as I continue to age, I know I’m going to have to constantly readjust my thinking about what I should see when I look into a mirror. But I’m up for the challenge. How about you?

It’s worth it to try. Check out this slide from the Love Your Body day website:

Sounds good to me!

If you’re struggling with loving your body today, and every day, try out one or more of these ideas for loving your body, courtesy of the NOW Foundation:

1. Indulge on your own terms. Whether it’s fresh veggies from the Farmer’s Market, or a pint of Häagen Dazs Vanilla Fudge ice cream or loving your body is also about loving your taste buds every once in a while.
2. Stretch your mind and body. Yoga—gentle yoga that encompasses relaxation and a healthy lifestyle, as well as meditative yoga—can bring one to the consciousness of their unique inner being. Yoga can rejuvenate the mind and body and teach us how to care for ourselves.
3. Read. It can be a source of entertainment, a way to catch up on current events or an educational tool. Several books have been published on loving your body—get some new ideas!
4. Throw a private party. It worked for India.Arie and it can work for you too. Take a day for yourself and yourself only. Turn off your cell and log out of your instant messenger. Just spend the day looking in the mirror and exploring your body. Once the celebration is over you’ll realize that you learn something new everyday.
5. Laugh out Loud. This isn’t just an Internet acronym spelled out. It’s an action that will do your body some good. Don’t be afraid to show the world your smile. It’s contagious.
6. Spend time with your family. Quality time is a must-have in nurturing relationships which in turn nurture and love your body.
7. Listen to positive music. Developing a theme song can do wonders for your body esteem and your overall outlook.
8. Develop a creative outlet. Everyone needs a medium to express daily stress and frustrations constructively. Maybe you’re a photographer, writer, poet or all three. Maybe you can knit, make shapes out of clay or finger paint. Loving your body is also about loving your mind.

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out Reflections, an organization aimed at helping sorority sisters establish and maintain a positive body images. They offer programs and resources online, including 5 things you can do now to promote positive image.

Lastly, check out my friend Dr. Robyn Silverman’s new book, , which explores weight obsession in girls. It’s a fantastic read, and is full of advice and resources for promoting a healthy body image and self esteem.