Healthy Body Affirmations: Affirmations that changed my life

Years ago, I struggled with liking my body. Yes, I know, what a strange thing to struggle with. I mean, nobody struggles with this right? Wink.

Really though, I couldn’t even stand to look in a mirror. All I could see were dimples and rolls and bumps that I dreaded waking up to every day.

I was about 20 pounds over the weight I wanted be and I was working my guts out.

During this time, I was in college (hair school to be exact) and while everyone else was staying out late, eating pizza and ice cream and ramen noodles and having a the time of their lives, I wasn’t. I would go to bed early so that I could wake up at 5am to get to the gym. Every morning I worked out as hard as I could before school.

As far as food goes, I ate salads, salmon, veggies, fruit and sometimes I would even skip meals all together, which I later learned was part of my problem.

Even though I was trying so hard to look better, what I didn’t realize is that first, I needed to feel better.

You see, I was focused so much on what I hated about myself, that it’s almost like my body was clinging on to that.

Thoughts are such a powerful thing and I’m living proof of that.

Fast forward a few years later to about a year after my husband and I were married. Still I was working out hard and eating healthy. Nothing in my routine had changed, but my mind set did.

Instead of telling myself “You’re not thin enough,” and “Oh, I hate how I look,” I decided that I didn’t care about that anymore. I decided to like me for me and not stress about the tiniest of imperfections.

And do you know what? It was like my body responded to my thoughts and within weeks I lost that 20 pounds I’d been clinging too for so many years. Crazy right?

Fast forward again to my third baby.

Our caboose and final baby girl was born in the summer of 2016. Of course I gained the normal healthy pregnancy weight as I did with all my babies.

However, this time I decided to experiment. I wanted to see if this “power of positive body talk,” really worked.

After my daughter was born via c-section (my third c-section,) I put my thoughts to the challenge.

Four days after her birth, I found myself in my doctors office to have the staples removed. Of course they weighed me.

Now, picture this. I was so full of fluids after my surgery that I could barely even fit my flip flop sandals on. My skin was also yellow because I had Jaundice… not my baby.

So there was no surprise when they weighed me and I was FOUR POUNDS MORE that when I DELIVERED my baby. WHAT?!?!

My first thought was, “How can this be? I just popped out a 6 plus pound baby.” But a quick glance at my ankles and face and I was quickly reminded.

I could have cried or felt down on myself and I could have let the negative self talk creep back in, but I was on a mission.

As I left the office that day I made a goal to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight by my 6 week checkup.

NOW, that’s crazy talk right, or is it?

For 6 weeks I imagined I was already at this weight and I stayed well away from the dreaded scale. Keep in mind I couldn’t work out, but I could eat healthy.

Fast forward again to my doctors appointment and I was shocked to see that it had worked?

Now, I did eat healthy, drink a lot of water and I was nursing, but I’m that type of person who, in the past, would hang onto about 5 pounds until my babies were weened.

But not this time. This time my positive thinking WORKED. Affirmations are a powerful tool in my book.

I know it sounds crazy, but try it and see what happens. Tell yourself you’re already where you’d like to be. Tell yourself you love your body, love how you feel when you work out and when you can feel your heart pumping.

You might just be as surprised as I was.

To help aid you in this, I’ve created positive body and healthy body affirmation lists. I hope it helps you like it’s helped me for many many years.

Side note: besides my pregnancies, I’ve stayed the exact weight I’ve pictured in my mind for over 10 years.

Another side note: remember that the most important thing is not how you look, but how you feel. Making peace with ourselves and allowing that self love to creep in is one of the most precious gifts you can give yourself.