Getting Comfortable with Body Image
YOUR BEST BODY FORWARD
Nine ways to make peace with your unique shape and size.
By Rebecca Lageman
PUBLISHED 10/09/2001
6. Ignore the "magic numbers"
Many women pick a random number of pounds that they want to weigh and spend their entire lives trying to force their bodies to reach that weight. Problem is, a number of factors affect your weight, from genetics to muscle mass to the time of day and month.
In short, you can't trust a scale. Plus, those numbers don't matter anyway. Exercise and a healthy diet are the most important keys to living a long life, not some arbitrary goal weight. "I rarely step on a scale, because my body image suffers when I assess my appearance by my weight," says runner Rachel Thiet of Columbus, Ohio. "I carry myself as a strong and fit woman. And the feeling comes entirely from within."
However, if you're obsessed with numbers, at least base your opinion on your Body Mass Index (BMI) instead of just your weight, suggests Jane Corboy, M.D., associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The BMI is a ratio of your height to your weight, so it's a more reasonable indicator of your health.
To find your BMI, simply multiply your weight in pounds by 703, then divide that result by your height (in inches) squared. For instance, if you are 5'5" (65 inches) and 140 pounds, you'd figure your BMI like this:
(140 x 703)/(65 x 65) = 23
Any total that is more than 25 is considered unhealthy.
7. Enter a charity race
Setting a running goal will help you focus on fitness instead of weight control, says Ann Marie Miller, an exercise physiologist and fitness-training manager at New York Sports Clubs in Manhattan. And a goal that supports a charity renews your running with a higher purpose. So register for running, walking or cycling events that support causes, such as the Race for the Cure, which raises money for breast-cancer research.
8. Stop comparing yourself to others
Women who look at pictures of thin models end up hating their bodies and feeling depressed, according to recent studies. So when you see photographs of Cindy Crawford, Elle MacPherson and others in advertisements or on magazine covers, realize that they are not the norm.
If you must compare yourself to others, look at regular, everyday women. For instance, compare yourself to women you see at the office, on the street or in the mall, not the ones you see on TV or in fashion magazines.
9. Picture women you know
Close your eyes and think of a woman you admire and respect. Then describe her out loud. Did any of your descriptions include her physical appearance? Probably not. When other people think of you, they admire who you are, what you have accomplished and what you stand for--not what you look like, says Robyn Stuhr, administrative director and exercise physiologist at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
