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Body Positive Challenge

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A body positive challenge, you say?

Don’t worry.  This is nothing official.  It is just my way of attempting to make a small mark in this big internet world.  It is my way to encourage you to start (or keep) being NICE to your body and yourself.  And while we’re all at it, lets encourage all of the ones we love to be nice to themselves, too!

Let's embark on a Body Positive Challenge! | cleaneatingveggie girl #bodypositive #selflove #selfcareOver the month of August (and then forever after that), I am challenging myself (and you) to really think about the things we say to ourselves.  Do you often have an internal dialog that is always pointing out the “negatives?”  Do you talk badly about yourself in conversation with others?  Yeah, me too.

Why in the world do we do this?

We should need to be nicer to ourselves.  In turn, I’d bet we would all be a lot happier and more caring towards others.

Let's embark on a Body Positive Challenge! | cleaneatingveggie girl #bodypositive #selflove #selfcareDon’t get me wrong.  Being nice to that inner negative self talker is by no means easy.  To be honest, it is ridiculously hard.  Most of the time we don’t even realize what is happening when we call ourselves fat, wish we didn’t have cellulite, or think we look ugly when zits start popping up.  It has become second nature in our society to judge and compare ourselves instead of praise ourselves.

Unfortunately, the majority of us can’t just flip a switch and suddenly start praising ourselves.  This process takes a lot of effort.  That is exactly why I am referring to this as a challenge.  Start with each minute, hour, and day at a time.  Eventually we can train ourselves to think negatively less often and positively more often.  After all, we were trained (by society) to notice the negatives.  Why can’t we instead spend our time noticing the positives?

The next time you look in the mirror and think…

…I’m fat,
…I hate my cellulite,
…my acne makes me look ugly,
…I wish I looked like _______,
…I’m not _______ (pretty, skinny, etc.) enough,
…so-and-so is _______ (prettier, skinnier, etc.) than me…

stop, backtrack, and say something out loud about yourself that is positive.

Pick something that resonates with you.  Whether it be:

I love myself.
I look great in these jeans.
I love my _______ (favorite body part/feature).
I am happy with where my body is at right now.
My body is capable of amazing things.
My _______ (significant other, friends, family, etc.) love me because _______ (I can almost guarantee it is not because of the way you look!).
My body is freakin’ awesome because _______.

Let's embark on a Body Positive Challenge! | cleaneatingveggie girl #bodypositive #selflove #selfcareWe should also challenge ourselves to stop the negative self-talk that happens around us.

When our friends or family members use negative self-talk or compare themselves to others, let’s quickly turn the conversation around.  Instead of agreeing and self-loathing together, let’s bring up all of the positive things that we love about that particular person.  How about we talk about the things that make us happy, not the things that make us feel defeated.

Let's embark on a Body Positive Challenge! | cleaneatingveggie girl #bodypositive #selflove #selfcareFinally, let’s get the negative self-talk OFF of social media!  I swear, that shit spreads like a wildfire.  DO NOT post negative things, compare yourself to others, or talk about the ways you need to be/do things better.  Social media outlets are extremely influential platforms.  Let’s do something positive with them.

I have not mastered the art of being more positive about the way I feel towards my body, but I am working on it.

That is the beauty of this challenge.  We are in it together!

Let's embark together on a body positive challenge! #bodypositive #bodypositivity #selflove Click To Tweet
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{ 12 comments… add one }
  • Michelle August 5, 2016, 6:27 am
    I love this. I have slowly been transitioning from an attitude of "I want to change my body through diet and exercise" to I want to celebrate what my body can do physically. I want to not feel the need to use workouts to change what I look like. My body is lovely the way it is, I don't need to look person a. or b. etc. Thank you for sharing! https://thedogtribe.com/2016/08/05/simple-full-body-workout/
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 5, 2016, 8:07 am
      Yes, yes, yes! It is such a challenging transition to change our mindsets from negative and nit-picky to positive and celebratory. I love hearing that other people are on this journey with me!
  • Ashlee August 5, 2016, 9:23 am
    Absolutely LOVE this! In a world full of such negativity and hate this is an especially important topic that definitely needs to be embraced. No matter what size, shape, color, etc we are, we are all beautiful and need to realize that. We are blessed with so much that our bodies can do and we need to love that! Great post, definitely what I needed today and need to start doing. Remember you are beautiful girl and you are making a difference, being a role model, and impacting lives of those throughout the country. I love your blog <3
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 5, 2016, 11:01 am
      Thank you so much for your sweet words, Ashlee. They mean more to me than you'll ever know! Now let's all go be nice to ourselves :)
  • Chelsey August 5, 2016, 10:43 am
    oh my freakin' god I love this post! I've had such a similar post written and just haven't had the guts to admit it and press publish! SO well said - bravo for bringing this important issue to the forefront of our field! Chelsey recently posted...What I Ate Wednesday 33 + NGI Week 2My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 5, 2016, 11:04 am
      That's awesome, Chelsey! I think you need to GO FOR IT and post it. The more people read about it, the better!
  • Emily August 5, 2016, 9:11 pm
    This is one of the best reminders I've seen all week. Gratefulness instead of guilt. Beauty instead of sadness over what we wish we were. Emily recently posted...Top 5 Friday: Why I Stopped Loving ‘Busy’My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 6, 2016, 10:35 am
      Yes, yes, and yes. We have the ability to have all of these GOOD feelings, so why don't we?!
  • Ashley @ A Lady Goes West August 7, 2016, 10:31 am
    Great message! I love this. :) We all need to be more positive toward ourselves and others. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West recently posted...Favorite things: Shirodhara massage, LE TOTE jewelry, web reads and moreMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 8, 2016, 2:56 pm
      I'm so glad you can relate to this post, Ashley. I hope it will help encourage all women to be more mindful of what they say to/about themselves!
  • Joyce @ The Hungry Caterpillar August 13, 2016, 8:00 pm
    Thanks for sharing this! Definitely pinned it ;) Joyce @ The Hungry Caterpillar recently posted...Me, Mystuff, and I-Lost-It (Again)My Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl August 14, 2016, 8:25 am
      You are so welcome, Joyce. I hope it helps lead you toward a more positive outlook within yourself!
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