Girl Talk: 5 Ways to Love The Body You’ve Got

There’s 1000 fashion articles to teach you about dressing the body you have... but who teaches you how to love the body that you dress. If your body undergoes changes like weight gain or weight loss, it’s a process to re-learn your own shape. Some of us simply never learned to love the body that we were given, always hoping for flatter bellies, thinner thighs, or butts that just weren’t quite so large.

In 2017, we’ve learned from Instagram, fashion bloggers, and the rise of the body positive movement that everybody can look fabulous. Every. Single. Body.  The trick is to accept your body, learn it, and master its potential as it is. The key to a healthier body, mind and spirit is to take care of what you got (regardless of what that may actually be.)

Here’s 5 Ways to Love The Body You’ve Got.

1. Stand In Front Of A Full Length Mirror. -  Warning. If you don’t do this often, you may not like what you see at first. (If not, more power to you, girl! Tell us your secrets!)  Heaven forbid you you stand in a 360 mirror. But you have to know what your body actually looks like in order to celebrate it. When our bodies start to change, sometimes we find days or weeks where we try to skim over actually looking at it in an attempt to not accept it. However, you will never be able to improve or maintain your beautiful body if you never see what it looks like.

2. Drink Water. - Water is life. And life is beauty. When our bodies are well hydrated we eat better, glow more, and feel good. The great part about it? It doesn’t require a lot of money or time. It shouldn’t feel difficult like going to gym. You’re just drinking.  Still hate water? Get a glass bottle and fill it with your favorite fruit and water. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight.  You’ll end up with a beautiful drink in the morning that’s somewhere between juice and basic H²0.

Wear something that makes you feel sexy.

3. Invest in a Fly New Outfit. - Okay, here’s the deal. We all know that one woman, the one who still wears things that were hot 20 years ago and holds onto that era for dear life (and not in cool vintage way). Let’s talk about how she got there. Most likely? Her body changed. Her hips got bigger. Her thighs got thicker. And she wasn’t quite sure what to do with that. So she kept dressing in what she had... Saying, “When I lose the weight. When I get my body back.”  So not only did she never get her body back. She lost her sense of style waiting on a certain time to come (some magical moment that would grant her permission to accept her curves.) By staying current and dressing the body that you have right now, you’re more likely to love the new you. This usually will encourage you to exercise and take care of your body... because we take of what we love, not what we don’t value.

4. Sleep. - Crazy but true, your body adjusts while you’re sleeping. According to Woman’s Day, collagen is primarily produced while you sleep. Collagen helps prevent the appearance of stretch marks, cellulite and wrinkles. According to Shape magazine, your body also releases hormones, and if you go too long without sleep, you will disrupt your body's ability to regulate insulin, a hormone that helps control your blood sugar levels.  This can lead to weight gain and diseases like diabetes. (Diabetes is typically hardest on women. African-Americans are at 13.2 percent higher risk of diabetes than white Americans, with the highest risk rate of any ethnicity*.) Catching your 8-9 hours of sleep is one of the kindest things you can do for your body. 

Could too many selfie filters hurt your self-esteem?

5. Take a #NoFilter Selfie. -  With the current phenomenon of selfies, get into the habit of seeing your face for what it is. Recently researchers have found that over tweaking your face just makes you hyper-focus on everything that's “wrong” with you rather than seeing everything that’s gorgeous about you. In 2015, France passed a law that requires ads to disclose editing photos of models because of the negative impact they believe it has on young girls and their self esteem. Imagine how only seeing false versions of your own face could impact how you see yourself in the mirror? Also, don’t post all your selfies. When someone likes your post, it actually releases the same chemical to your brain that makes you happy when you eat or kiss. You can actually become a little addicted to the likes. Get in the habit of celebrating yourself without the affirmation of others.

Of course exercise, eating nutritious foods, and regular medical check ups are also great ways to make sure you’re healthy. How do you stay in love with your body? Tell us your tricks to staying confident and fabulous?

We asked our model Ciara "What's your favorite workout?" She says, " Jogging. I love to go for a nice jog. It's a great cardio workout, and it really relaxes me and helps me think of new and creative things!"