Copyright 2005 Lori Radun

I want you to think about your body as one of your children
or someone else you love dearly.  When was the last time
this person did or said something that really made you mad?
 In that moment, you might have been thinking “I really
don’t like this person right now.”  However, did his
behavior cause you to stop loving him?  Absolutely not!  My
teenager regularly acts in a way that I do not like, but I
still love him.  I will protect him, do what I think is
best for him, and give him what he needs.

Now let’s return to your body.  How often do you look at
your body and think, “I do not like my legs, my hips, my
butt (or whatever)”?  I admit it.  I do not like my thicker
waist that came from my second child and being over 40.
Okay fine, so it also comes from sometimes eating too much
of the wrong foods and not exercising consistently.  It’s
one thing to dislike your body.  It’s something completely
different to have an attitude of hatred or disgust towards
your body.  This attitude will cause you to mistreat your
body instead of loving and honoring your body.

Your body, with all its imperfections, is sacred.  It is
the only body you have been given for your entire life.
Your body houses all the organs that keep you alive.  It
gets you around from place to place.  Your body pumps
oxygen to the brain that enables you to feel, think, create
and function.  You need to take care of your body like any
relationship with a loved one.  Loving and respecting your
body requires the same ingredients.  So what can you give
to your body that you would give someone you love?

1.  Daily Attention
To nurture a relationship, you need to pay attention to
what it needs.  If you ignore your loved one for a long
period of time, what happens?  The relationship begins to
die.  In order to grow my relationship with my little guy,
he needs daily doses of conversation, playtime with me, and
cuddling.  In order to thrive, your body needs adequate
sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, and plenty of water
everyday.  You wouldn’t go for a week without talking to
your child or husband, so why would you go for a week
giving your body 4-5 hours of sleep a night or regularly
feeding your body foods with no nutrition?  Love your body
by staying conscious about how you treat it on a daily
basis. 

2.  Spend Time and Listen
In order to get to know someone you love, you need to spend
time together.  Your body is the same way.  It will
communicate with you if you only listen.  Your body will
tell you when it is hungry and when it is full.  It will
tell you when it is tired and needs to relax.  If you are
getting sick a lot, your body is screaming at you.  It is
trying to get your attention.  When you exercise, your body
will begin to hurt if you push too hard.  Or maybe you are
short of breath from lack of exercise or being overweight.
That is your body’s way of communicating that it is working
too hard.  Pay attention to the cues your body sends you.
Respond to them and see them as signs that something needs
to change.  Someone I know says to people, “If you ignore
your health, it will leave you.”  And so will your husband.

3.  Special Treats
Sometimes you give your loved ones special treats to show
you love them.  You don’t give them everyday because then
they wouldn’t be special.  Your body needs special treats
too.  Treat yourself to a massage, a facial, new clothes,
or a mocha latte every once in awhile.  When I was a
teenager, my mom and I used to go running on the local
school track.  Afterwards, we went to this awesome ice
cream shop and treated ourselves to a scrumptious sundae.
We didn’t overindulge all the time…just once in awhile.
Special treats help banish feelings of deprivation. 

4.  Grace
How many times does your loved one say “I’m sorry”?  And
how many times do you forgive him or her?  We all need
grace at times, and so do you when it comes to taking care
of your body.  Maybe you do really well on your diet or
exercise plan for two weeks, and then you fall off the
wagon.  For one whole week, you don’t exercise and you
don’t follow a healthy eating plan.  That’s okay!  Forgive
yourself and get back on track.  You don’t have to
completely abandon your plan because you didn’t follow it
perfectly.

5.  Have Fun!
Taking care of and loving your body doesn’t have to be
drudgery.  Have fun!  Find new low-fat recipes that contain
your favorite foods.  Adjust your attitude toward your
health and your body.  Exercise is only boring if you view
it that way.  Find activities you love that exercise your
body.  When I was in Las Vegas this past month, I was
taking a walk in a local family park.  I watched a dad and
his two children having the time of their life.  They were
riding their bikes and dad was leading the way.  He created
an obstacle course that required the kids to ride in
circles, up and down ramps, over the grass, and around
various walkways.  They were laughing and having a blast,
while exercising their body.  This dad knew the value of
adding fun to a healthy routine.

So, here’s to good health and loving your body even if you
don’t like it!

About the Author:

Lori Radun, CEC - Certified Life Coach for moms.  Lori
writes a FREE monthly ezine for moms who want coaching and
encouragement on living peaceful, balanced and fulfilling
lives.  To subscribe, go to
http://www.true2youlifecoaching.com