By Lisa Bondarenko – Mind Heart Body
I see so many amazing women especially visiting me for counselling who have a secret….
They are addicted to food, via binge eating, restricting intake and completely obsessed with weight, body image and their size. The addiction however, is cleverly disguised and widely accepted because it is associated and with “health & wellbeing”. The copious diets, shakes, clean eating nutrition plans, fitness regimes, detox and cleanses all seem appropriate and helpful from the outside looking in. But the truth of their motivation: “Skinny”
Body image, dysmorphia, and eating disorders are statistically growing at epidemic rates across our nation. Why in 2016 is it more important to be “bikini body ready” than it was in 1945? The answer may be simple? We vote the external as the “deciding” factor on success, whilst our internal framework of emotions and our mental health and wellbeing are ignored, suppressed or at the very least “glossed” over.
Health & Wellbeing matters. It changes lives, extends and improves quality over so many functions; relationships, careers, families, opportunities, finances, et al. But to continue concentrating on one primary part of the trifecta and ignoring the others seems foolish in the bid for “health and wellbeing”.
If you hold the same secret “motivation skinny” I want you to know you are not alone – BUT there is a much better way. You are more than your body, looks, size, shape and image. The most powerful part of you is within and if you don’t believe me, believe this:
How we feel, affects who we are. What we do, affects who we become. Why we decided, affects where we end up. Your how, what and why matters…
Lisa xx
I have had a problem with my body image all my life, never been happy with the way I looked. In my Teens I used to count my calories….and always exercised…I even took laxatives when I overate to make it all go down the toilet. Now that I am mature and getting old I accept me for me, I look back on those younger days and think I was quite beautiful compared to now! Looking good was always an unreachable addiction for me…sadly. But I did look good. Never happy.
Hi Lea. I can definitely relate to you, i was very similar and wasted so many years worrying about food and what I looked liked. I’m so much happier now. You’ll look back at yourself again in 10 years at how you are now and think, how great YOU looked. Hayley xxx