How to love the body you're in

Last week was Healthy Weight Week, but we believe every day is a new opportunity to learn to love the body you have.

We spoke to Lisa Naylor, a Winnipeg-based eating-disorder-treatment counsellor and Dove self-esteem consultant, about embracing healthy habits — and learning to love the skin we’re in.

SHINE ON: “Healthy weight” and “ideal weight” are not always the same thing. How can we set realistic goals/expectations for ourselves when it comes to weight and body image?

NAYLOR: I prefer the term “healthy body” because people can be healthy at wide variety of weights, shapes and sizes. Realistic goals include making small incremental changes to improve health behaviours, if that feels important to the individual. I like to think of “adding in” rather than “taking away”… so adding in more fruits and vegetables, adding in more walking or a weekly yoga class, adding in more water. These kinds of goals are attainable and rarely lead to guilt or preoccupation with weight or body.

What does a healthy relationship with food look like?

A healthy relationship with food is a peaceful and flexible one. Ideally, it includes paying attention to the body’s cues of hunger and fullness. It means eating for health, vitality and energy but also eating for pleasure.

Many women, regardless of shape or size, struggle with insecurity and low self-esteem. How can we boost our self-esteem as we strive to make the best choices for our bodies?

Our bodies are one aspect of who we are. If one’s sense of worth or self-esteem is wrapped up in attaining a specific body shape or size, then this can become a preoccupation and often leads to disordered eating and a decrease in quality of life.

We can boost self-esteem by engaging in activities that make us happy and help us develop an identity separate than just our appearance. Learning how to manage emotions, improve problem solving skills and communicate our needs and feelings more effectively are all skills that have been shown to help women have have better self-esteem. It also helps to work on developing self-compassion and being less judgmental about ourselves.

What are some healthy habits that every woman should adopt?

There are so many opportunities to improve our mental and physical health without worrying about how many calories that piece of birthday cake has or what the number says on the scale.

1. Engage in physical activity that you enjoy: Movement builds strength, endurance, decreases depression and anxiety and can be an opportunity to build social connections.

2. Sleep enough. When we are over-tired, it is harder to manage moods, make good decisions or be kind to ourselves.

3. Spend time with people who treat you well and respect you.

4. Listen to your body and eat what you want, when you want it.

5. Seek professional help if you have developed disordered eating habits or are no longer able to enjoy a balanced or peaceful relationship with food or your body.

Which healthy habits do you practice regularly? Which ones do you hope to embrace this year?