Thousands of women who have problems with their body image and food choices feel incredibly overwhelmed. Many of them are also frustrated and unsure of how to cope. Worst of all, some unknowingly pass on their fears and insecurities to other women in their immediate circle. Mary Ricciardi and our team at Warrior Strong Wellness believe that every woman can counter these problems by knowing some of the secret tips we listed in the discussion below.
1. Break free from societal norms.
A 2021 study published by the Atlantis Press shared that many women are willing to compromise their standards to meet societal norms. The results from the study also revealed that this behavior tends to put a lot of pressure on women, especially in their daily choices.
Does this situation ring a bell? Are you among the thousands of women who struggle to break free from society’s expectations? If you are, then you most likely adhere to unhealthy and unreasonable practices that make you feel dissatisfied and disappointed in yourself. Perhaps these also prevent you from making better choices for your health and lifestyle.
Thankfully, there are ways to work around this issue. Our founder, life and health coach Mary Ricciardi, often reminds her students to learn how to overcome social pressure by trying the following tips:
- Having a clear understanding of your “why” in life and considering this in every decision you make
- Looking at the people around you and checking if they help you become the best version of yourself
- Visualizing the consequences of actions brought by giving in to social norms
- Taking a step back to see how peer pressure and other forms of social pressure affect your daily life decisions
2. Embrace the body you have.
Another essential step to making peace with food and your body is learning to appreciate your self-image. Contrary to popular belief, developing body confidence doesn’t involve seeing a certain number on a weighing scale or achieving a perfect body shape. Instead, nurturing body positivity mostly requires the following:
- Thanking your body for what it helps you achieve
- Accepting the things you can’t change in your body
- Ditching the belief that achieving a particular shape can make you happy
- Not judging other women’s body
- Doing a thorough social media cleansing and avoiding content that cultivates negative feelings for your body
- Taking the time to appreciate your body and finding better ways to improve it
- Investing time and resources to care for your body and overall wellbeing
3. Accept the fact that women come in various shapes and sizes.
It’s easy to compare your body with other women around you. You might even envy women you come across online through platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok. That’s why it’s crucial to start accepting that every woman’s body is unique. Mary Ricciardi and the rest of the WSW team believe that it would help to learn how to appreciate and celebrate every woman around you. This way, you can also enjoy your body and avoid feeling the need to change yourself.
4. Learn how mindful eating works.
Intuitive eating plays an active role in keeping your body in optimal condition. It also helps cultivate a more positive attitude towards food and self-image. Have you tried incorporating it into your current lifestyle? If not, here are a few things you should try.
- Recognize and give in to your hunger
- Ditch old-school diet plans, especially those that aren’t sustainable or practical
- Stop when you feel satiated or full (you don’t need to finish your plate!)
- Tap into other ways to destress instead of binge-eating
- Say yes to variation because it will help you appreciate food, texture, flavor, and taste better
- Connect with your body in a purposeful way
5. Stop labeling food as “good” or “bad.”
Treating food differently just because society labels them as “good” or “bad” can cultivate a love-hate relationship. It can also create a constant feeling of guilt or shame when you fail to meet your food or meal expectations. Instead of focusing on how they can impact your body, we suggest challenging your inner food police and trusting your choices. We also recommend eating food that makes you feel happy and healthy.
6. Embrace a Warrior Strong mindset.
Your mindset or way of thinking is your number one tool in making positive changes in your life. It can help you sustain your efforts in reaching your goals or prevent you from doing what’s best for your body and health. That’s why Mary Ricciardi believes in having the right mindset – a Warrior Strong Mindset. Do you think you have the right mindset to fuel your journey towards developing a positive perception of your body and food choices? Below are a few simple yet crucial questions you can ask yourself to find out if you need a renewed framework of thinking:
- Do you want to create and stick to consistent habits?
- Are you itching to develop a positive self-image but don’t know where to start?
- Are you tired of the diet mindset and want to nurture intuitive eating?
- Would you like to find inner peace and cultivate a self-loving mindset?
- Are you ready to prioritize one’s health and wellness?
- Do you want to reach your health, fitness, and wellness goals at a steady and sustainable pace?
- Would you like to silence your doubts about yourself and your everyday choices?
If you answer yes to all the queries we listed above, you can certainly benefit from developing a Warrior Strong Mindset. Want to learn more about how it works? Make sure to subscribe to our blog. You can also check out previous blogs where Mary Ricciardi shares some tips on body image and self-confidence, including:
- What’s the Warrior Strong Forever Mindset?
- Making Better Life Choices with the Right Mindset
- Signs of Self-Sabotaging and How to Shift Your Mindset
Start embracing a Warrior Strong mindset with Mary Ricciardi so you can begin fulfilling your personal promises!
About The Author
Warrior Strong Wellness
Warrior Strong Wellness provides innovative and high quality transformational supplements and raises awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer by giving a portion of our proceeds to childhood cancer research. In our weekly blogs, we share wisdom about wellness and living a Warrior Strong lifestyle.