Love My Body -- A 28 Day Challenge

I follow a number of female fitness professionals through their blogs -- Neghar Fonooni, Girls Gone Strong, and Molly Galbraith are among my favorites.  Their fitness content will kick my butt every day but what stays with me is their continuous work on compassion and gratitude.  Women all over the world struggle with body image and body dysmorphia.  In my work as a trainer, I see this from my clients every day.  We all want to look like the woman on the magazine cover.  And, as Molly put it, it's completely unreasonable to compare ourselves at our worst to someone else on her absolutely best day with a team of professionals to make her look perfect.

Body image is something I specifically struggle with.  As a trainer, I am expected to have a certain "look" to get clients.  And I don't have that look.  I don't deny the fact that I could stand to lose 15-20 pounds and get my diet back "in check" to have that look.  However, I have learned that the work that it takes to get there makes me crazy.  It makes my family crazy.  And it makes me a very unfun person to be around.  So Molly is throwing out a 28 Day Love Your Body challenge.  And, as a fitness professional who doesn't always love her body, I'm accepting it.  Moreover, I'm embracing it and sharing it with others.  Because it's important to set an example.  28 days to have a better understanding and acceptance of my body as it is.  I will continue to work on improving my diet and keep with exercise BECAUSE I love my body.  Not because I need to achieve a standard of impossible perfection.  

So thanks for following along with me along the next 28 days...

Pre-Work

The first day is a bit of self searching with a pre-challenge questionnaire.

1.  How do you feel when you think about how your body looks?  

     (1= absolutely terrible, 10 = freaking awesome)

     I'm a 6.

2.  How often do you think about things you'd like to change on your body? 

     (1 = constantly, 10 = never)

     Easily a 3.

3.  How often do you look in the mirror and think "I look really awesome!"?

     (1 = never, 10 = always)

     I'm a 4.

4.  How confident do you feel when you're in a swimsuit?

     (1 = not confident at all, 10 = extremely confident)

     I'm a 2.  Sadly.

5.  How confident do you feel about your body during intimate moments?

     (1 = not confident at all, 10 = extremely confident)

     I'm a 6.  Because my husband loves my body and he's amazing.

6.  How often do you catch yourself saying/thinking negative things about your body?

     (1 = constantly, 10 = never)

     I'm probably at about a 5.  I've gotten better at this in the last year.

7.  How often do you catch yourself saying negative things about your body to other people?

     (1 = constantly, 10 = never)

     I'm definitely a 3.

8.  How well do you receive compliments from others?

     (1 = not well, 10 = really well)

     Probably around a 7.

9.  How often do you have feelings of shame in regards to your  body?

     (1 = constantly, 10 = never)

     I'm around a 3.

10.  If I told you that you could drastically change your perception of your body in 28 days, would you believe me?

     (1 = absolutely not, 10 = no doubt about it)

      I'm an 8....sadly.

My total: 47/100.  I think I definitely have room for improvement.  

Here I go with 28 days to change.  Wish  me luck and share your own personal Love Your Body stories!