“YOU DON'T GET IT, THERE'S NO WAY I CAN AFFORD TO GAIN WEIGHT!”
I've heard this a lot when I've suggested women that they stop dieting and training so hard because they're so exhausted. Of course, resting more and eating more will likely result to some weight gain which is why it makes them scared.
When Your Body Is Under A Lot Of Stress…
But if you're fatigued, have sleep problems, your mood is terrible, you have headaches, your period is missing… All this means you're under more stress than your body can handle, and you need more fuel and more rest than what you currently give to your body.
Interestingly, women who say that there's no way they could afford to put on any weight are some of the leanest, most athletic looking people. Most people around them envy them and want to be like them. Yet their perception of themselves is so skewed that they don't see that they're already really thin.
Switch Your Focus from Getting Lean Abs to Getting Healthy
I've been there too… Left picture above: I was always thinking I have to see leaner abs and was working hard every day to get them.
Right picture, currently, I'm focusing on my health and accepting the fact that I'm not as lean as I once thought I should be, and that I will probably never have visible abs if I want to stay healthy.
What To Do About Your Body Dysmorphic Thoughts
Here's what I did to slowly overcome my slightly body dysmorphic thoughts:
⬆️ Accepting the fact that I must put my health first and recover from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea & disordered eating.
⬆️ Stopping mirror checking multiple times a day. That also includes checking my body on store windows and doors.
⬆️ Stopping comparing myself to others. We're unique, no one else has our bodies. It's even unrealistic to achieve a certain body if your natural body type is NOTHING like this.
⬆️ Educate yourself on what real health looks like. Read The Body of Truth, for example. Be careful with where you get your health information — captions under super lean body pictures on Instagram may not be the best place for that.
⬆️ Do more FUN things. Laugh, relax, enjoy life. Watch Petinsider dog videos videos, go out for a glass of wine with girlfriends, go on a hike with the goal to enjoy nature not to burn calories.
Do something different than worrying about your body, calories and how to move more every minute. Enjoy life more, it's actually fun!
What has helped you to stop obsessively focusing on your appearance? Comment below!
Are you struggling with hypothalamic amenorrhea, overtraining or body image? I'm here to help you. Please apply if you're serious about your recovery, because that's the only way I can help!
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