Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard that little voice inside your head scream: “Oh my goodness I hate my legs!” “I wish my stomach was flatter.” “I would definitely be happier if I lost these last 10 pounds!” Sound familiar, right?
A number of studies on body image point to a troubling trend: many of us are engaging in way too much self trash talk. More than 80 percent of all women engage in “fat talk,” and ladies this negative thinking and speaking may be causing more damage to your health than you think. When it comes to your health it’s not enough to just “walk the walk.” Talking the talk is also key; it’s time to shift toward a healthy lifestyle that is focused on a healthier attitude, not fattitude.
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The Numbers Don’t Lie
News flash: if you are trying to slim down then it may be time reverse the old adage “actions speak louder than words” to “words speak louder than actions,” instead. In a recent study of 181 Weight Watchers Magazine readers, 44 percent said they did not love their bodies – they view them as works in progress. Meanwhile 19 percent reported that they flat-out “hated” theirs. Yikes!
If this sounds like you then here’s another statistic worth knowing from a survey conducted by research firm Edelman Berland: women who think positively about weight loss (and other life goals) are more likely to lose weight – and maintain those loses. So instead of focusing only on what goes in our mouths, it may be time to pay attention to what we let into our minds and out of our mouths.
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