You only get one body: First and foremost, we all have those days but you've gotta learn to love yourself first. There's always gonna be someone 'seemingly' better than you and someone worse than you. What you see as a 'good body' or a 'body ideal' could be totally different to what I see, there is no right or wrong answer, it's a personal thing. To someone else, your body is probably their body ideal. I always say this but happiness and health come first, they matter way more than body shape or size. I always get asked if I weigh myself and the answer is definitely not. A number on the scales doesn't define your health and it certainly doesn't define your worth or say how confident you should feel. Read why I never weigh myself. That's why this post is more about body confidence rather than shape and size. To start with, embrace what you've got, love it, appreciate it and treat it well.
Your body is a temple: I hate this quote but it is true. Part of me hates the 'you are what you eat' quote too, because no, you are not a pizza if you eat pizza. You deserve that pizza, enjoy it and don't feel guilty for eating it. What I do mean though is do this in moderation, so of course, if you eat pizza every day for a month, you'll start to feel like a pizza. I guess that's why I feel rubbish from America. I ate rubbish for so long and it made me feel bad. Moderation is absolutely key but I do feel so much better when I'm treating my body like a temple (that doesn't mean only eating lettuce leaves, it means eating a balanced diet full of good nutrients and never depriving myself). I really do feel glowing, happier and more confident when my diet and exercise is on point though.
No two bodies are the same: Never compare. No two bodies are the same. As soon as you realise that the better. You may follow someone on Instagram and think their body is amazing, it's great to use them as motivation but remember, we are all born different, don't compare. I read a great quote the other day about fitness and diet plans designed for everyone, it was saying everyone is individual and there isn't a 'perfect fit plan' that works the same for everyone.
Well being: People seem to forget how important well being is when looking at body confidence. Getting enough sleep is key, it's taken me a long time to recognise this. It's better to get a proper nights sleep than to have 4 hours and force yourself to gym. Rest is so important. My mantra is simple, move more, eat better, not less, drink water more, sleep more. Also, be less stressed. Stress is bad for your skin and body. If you want to feel confident, sleep more and destress yourself. It works wonders. Read my top tips for having me time. These are the key principles I live by. I'm really trying to not stress myself out as much, I then feel happier and confident all round.
What do you love? A really good thing to do is to make a list of the parts of your body you love. We often focus on what we hate about ourselves and beat ourselves up, but give yourself some credit. What do you love? Write it down. Remember it. The things you want to change? Why do you want to change them? are you just being overly critical? Hormones play an awful part and one day I can look in the mirror and genuinely feel rubbish about myself, the day after I can feel fabulous. Your mind plays tricks on you, tell it to leave you alone and check back on your positive list of things you love about your body.
Try new things on: We all get stuck with our wardrobe choices and I find trying new things on really helps me to appreciate the parts of my body that I love and find things that work for me, including new styles. I've done a few personal shopping experiences with Topshop and the girls chose clothes I'd never ordinarily try on, but putting half a day aside and trying everything and anything really made me figure out what works for me and what doesn't. My top tip is to go to the changing room with make up on and tanned, otherwise I always have a bad experience and feel like I look rubbish in everything, that works for me anyway as that's when I feel my best. I really swear by just trying new trends, new styles, colours and shapes. I remember I tried on a blazer dress and didn't expect it to look good but I got so many compliments on it.
Tan and hydrate: Nothing makes me feel more confident than having a tan. That's my personal preference. I honestly look in the mirror and feel like my whole body just looks more toned and glowing. I get so much confidence from having a natural glow. I love Summer Revived Shimmer by Dove because I can put it on every single day after the shower, feel super hydrated but also, having a natural glow with a shimmer. The shimmer makes me feel confident about my legs. It also smells so lovely, it's a great fragrance and there's no longer that awful tan smell that some gradual tans have. This smells citrusy and fruity. I've been applying it every other morning to keep myself smooth and glowing. I feel like moisturising every morning makes me feel so much more confident as I do feel like it tones my body and cares for it. We nourish our skin every day on our face so why not on our body? If you would like to win some, I'm doing a giveaway at the end of this post, simply enter using the Rafflecopter and do leave a comment and let me know what your latest moment of confidence was.
Smooth: When I want to feel super confident, I go to the gym, (I go to David Lloyd), do a HIIT workout and then go into the spa after. For some reason, going in the sauna and steam room makes me feel so confident, I feel like it helps my body to feel so nourished. I also think the fact I've got my phone down and am super relaxed plays a huge role in boosting those happy endorphins. I know not everyone has a gym with a spa but it's one of the things I've been doing recently as a little bit of me time. Nothing gives me more body confidence than gymming and swimming, I guess it's because I know I'm actually doing something about my body to help it. Read my top fitness and health tips.
I wanted to include a photo of me below, where I'm embracing my Summer skin and feeling confident on my recent California roadtrip!
Enter the competition below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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When did you last feel super confident? How do you feel about this topic?
*This post is in partnership with Dove, a brand I have loved and used for years.
Lots of love, Em x
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