Just a quick update on some feel good shows...
Trinny and Susannah - What not to wear (lifestyle you)
Trinny and Susannah - Body Shape Bible
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-488236/Trinny-Susannah-reveal-12-womens-body-types--you.html
Gok Wan - Fashion Fix (lifestyle You)
Gok Wan - How to look good Naked
Jamie does....(Channel 10)
About Me
- Vanessa
- Hi, let me introduce myself..I'm Vanessa, I am seriously passionate about Food and Nutrition. I have a degree Nutrition and Education, and i want to share it, i want to make a change. Armed with my knowledge, passion and experience my mission is to educate young women, on how to make healthy food choices,for life. I want to eliminate the word DIET from our vocabluary, and all the negative feelings surrounding it. I want to help promote positive body image! I want to irradicate the obsession for perfection, and societies pressures to be perfect. I want to help you to love you, and accept you for who you are inside and out. I can show you how! You can follow this blog, and my you tube channel Nutrition and Body Image by Vanessa, where i will give daily Nutrition,Health,and Body Image Master Classes - differnt topics daily! (this may take a while to set up, but i will let you all know when its up and running!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Feeling Better
Trinny and Susanna, Gok, Jessica Simpson, are all over it, helping women to feel good about themselves, and educating them how to work with the body they have! I must confess i am addicted to all of them!
I love these programs, these celebrities really want to make a difference, they want women to be able to look at themselves in the mirror and like what they see, they get them to accept the body shape (NOT SIZE) and show them how to dress it, how to make changes to their appearance with clothes suited to their shape.............all this ego, self confidence boosting and positive benefit without an ounce of harsh dieting or rigorous exercise regimes. Just helping people to like what they see in the mirror...
I was so sad to learn that in Australia alone, 51% of women suffer with an eating disorder, and according to a Cartoon network survey, one in four girls aged 7-14 wish they could change the way they looked! I always knew it was a problem, but this is just so sad. life is about living, not deprivation and punishment, we are here to enjoy life and be happy!
I recently watched "The price of beauty" with Jessica Simpson, who incidentally is amazing, but gets ridiculed by the press, because she has some yo yo dieting issues - anyway, she was visiting schools in America and giving talks to teenage girls who had very low self esteem issues. Many of them because they thought they fat, or not pretty enough, not perfect. Each of the girls took turns to tell their story to Jessica, and it was just so sad that young girls with so much in front of them were feeling this way. The overall problem was that in order to be the best they could be, and measure up to everyone's expectations they had to be thinner. Many of them were not eating or experimenting with crash diets, or crazy excessive exercise. How can we stop this wanting to look perfect?
In a recent article i read 'The Perfection Obsession' it talks about how we are all striving to be the perfect human specimen....we are obsessed with the way we look, and ultimately how we look is how we feel about ourselves. ...
Body image, whether its positive or negative is not so much about what your body looks like , the shape or the size, but rather how you feel about it. To achieve the PERFECT body image is to achieve a sense of wholeness and acceptability of what your body image is and more importantly, NOT judging your body by the shape or size..............very difficult................but starting with little steps to make you feel better, will affect in time how you feel over all! It is unhealthy to aspire to image perfection
I think we need to think about perfectionism - why should we have do everything perfectly or look perfect way, who is keeping score for you? Who is judging the way you look? or how thin or fat you are? What chocolate bar you ate today?...Actually i know this sounds ridiculous, but only recently i realised that the only person keeping score is you!!!! All that pressure is placed upon yourself by you! You are your own worst critic! A complete revelation! I thought that everyone noticed, everyone else was judging me, but actually it was me ...i had become immobile from perfection. To illustrate just how immobilising the constant search for body image perfection can be, i would eat the same kinds of foods, namely chicken and broccoli, fish and steamed vegetables, if i was to go out i would be too scared about ruining the diet, so i would order chicken and salad, depriving myself of the enjoyment of choosing an exotic food that i had perhaps not tried before...in the hope that the scales would go down the next week....Another example, declining social invitations, so i could avoid unplanned food and situations with alcohol. Ultimately this behaviour was so limiting, and miserable, and for who or what? i certainly wasn't happy, and i didn't feel good about myself? So why did i do it? Because i wanted the perfect body! Because somehow we are lead to believe that if we have the perfect body, people will like us more, we will be prettier, happier, smarter? But actually it never mattered what size i was, i was still me.
I have thought of some tips...some daily commitments that could help you feel better about you!
1) Spend at least 5 minutes per day in front of the mirror. Standing in your underwear look at your body as a whole (NOT FOCUSING ON THE BITS YOU DONT LIKE). Take a good hard look and try to think about how you look through the eyes of someone else, what would they see? The answer is they would see you.....you as a whole person...............NOT your wobbly tummy, not your lumpy bum, or big thighs...........these are imperfections only you see...
2) Still in the mirror....say to yourself or out loud (depending on who is around :) ) - 10 things you like about your reflection..........all your best bits...
3)Do something nice for yourself every day.........it could be taking a long bath, buying yourself some flowers, taking some time out - even if its only 10 minutes - to catch up with a friend on the phone, or read your favourite book.
4) New clothes - i don't mean go out and spend a fortune, i mean set some time aside to go through your wardrobe...dig deep! try some outfit combinations perhaps you hadn't thought of before, revamp an oldie but a goodie! Have a look through a magazine, find a look you like, try it! Wear a colour you haven't worn before..
5) Eat for health......don't think making healthy food choices because you MUST lose weight or a certain diet tells you to choose or eliminate certain foods. Think about what your body actually wants, and 9 times out of 10 it actually wants the salad and not the chips...have a go, put aside any emotional ups and downs in your day and take some time to really feel what your body needs. We actually get so caught up in routine or we eat automatically when something is put in front of us, we never pause for a moment to connect with our bodies and identify what it really needs.
6) Exercise - AGHHHHHHHH! i know, its not natural for me either........but pain, dread and hate aside, it does actually make your body feel good - you will feel better for doing something. Devote 30 minutes per day of doing something active you like...........So - if its gym, go to the gym, walk the dog, jog to a friends house for a cuppa, do a fitness DVD in front of the TV, go for a walk and chat with a friend, anything, just get moving!
I think once you get in touch with what makes your body feel good, your self esteem instantly improves a little, and you see yourself in a more positive light. I think if you just stare at your reflection, and criticise what you see daily, trying to measure up to perfection you are ultimately making yourself miserable. Get positive, focus on feeling good!
Try these things and see how you go!
I love these programs, these celebrities really want to make a difference, they want women to be able to look at themselves in the mirror and like what they see, they get them to accept the body shape (NOT SIZE) and show them how to dress it, how to make changes to their appearance with clothes suited to their shape.............all this ego, self confidence boosting and positive benefit without an ounce of harsh dieting or rigorous exercise regimes. Just helping people to like what they see in the mirror...
I was so sad to learn that in Australia alone, 51% of women suffer with an eating disorder, and according to a Cartoon network survey, one in four girls aged 7-14 wish they could change the way they looked! I always knew it was a problem, but this is just so sad. life is about living, not deprivation and punishment, we are here to enjoy life and be happy!
I recently watched "The price of beauty" with Jessica Simpson, who incidentally is amazing, but gets ridiculed by the press, because she has some yo yo dieting issues - anyway, she was visiting schools in America and giving talks to teenage girls who had very low self esteem issues. Many of them because they thought they fat, or not pretty enough, not perfect. Each of the girls took turns to tell their story to Jessica, and it was just so sad that young girls with so much in front of them were feeling this way. The overall problem was that in order to be the best they could be, and measure up to everyone's expectations they had to be thinner. Many of them were not eating or experimenting with crash diets, or crazy excessive exercise. How can we stop this wanting to look perfect?
In a recent article i read 'The Perfection Obsession' it talks about how we are all striving to be the perfect human specimen....we are obsessed with the way we look, and ultimately how we look is how we feel about ourselves. ...
Body image, whether its positive or negative is not so much about what your body looks like , the shape or the size, but rather how you feel about it. To achieve the PERFECT body image is to achieve a sense of wholeness and acceptability of what your body image is and more importantly, NOT judging your body by the shape or size..............very difficult................but starting with little steps to make you feel better, will affect in time how you feel over all! It is unhealthy to aspire to image perfection
I think we need to think about perfectionism - why should we have do everything perfectly or look perfect way, who is keeping score for you? Who is judging the way you look? or how thin or fat you are? What chocolate bar you ate today?...Actually i know this sounds ridiculous, but only recently i realised that the only person keeping score is you!!!! All that pressure is placed upon yourself by you! You are your own worst critic! A complete revelation! I thought that everyone noticed, everyone else was judging me, but actually it was me ...i had become immobile from perfection. To illustrate just how immobilising the constant search for body image perfection can be, i would eat the same kinds of foods, namely chicken and broccoli, fish and steamed vegetables, if i was to go out i would be too scared about ruining the diet, so i would order chicken and salad, depriving myself of the enjoyment of choosing an exotic food that i had perhaps not tried before...in the hope that the scales would go down the next week....Another example, declining social invitations, so i could avoid unplanned food and situations with alcohol. Ultimately this behaviour was so limiting, and miserable, and for who or what? i certainly wasn't happy, and i didn't feel good about myself? So why did i do it? Because i wanted the perfect body! Because somehow we are lead to believe that if we have the perfect body, people will like us more, we will be prettier, happier, smarter? But actually it never mattered what size i was, i was still me.
I have thought of some tips...some daily commitments that could help you feel better about you!
1) Spend at least 5 minutes per day in front of the mirror. Standing in your underwear look at your body as a whole (NOT FOCUSING ON THE BITS YOU DONT LIKE). Take a good hard look and try to think about how you look through the eyes of someone else, what would they see? The answer is they would see you.....you as a whole person...............NOT your wobbly tummy, not your lumpy bum, or big thighs...........these are imperfections only you see...
2) Still in the mirror....say to yourself or out loud (depending on who is around :) ) - 10 things you like about your reflection..........all your best bits...
3)Do something nice for yourself every day.........it could be taking a long bath, buying yourself some flowers, taking some time out - even if its only 10 minutes - to catch up with a friend on the phone, or read your favourite book.
4) New clothes - i don't mean go out and spend a fortune, i mean set some time aside to go through your wardrobe...dig deep! try some outfit combinations perhaps you hadn't thought of before, revamp an oldie but a goodie! Have a look through a magazine, find a look you like, try it! Wear a colour you haven't worn before..
5) Eat for health......don't think making healthy food choices because you MUST lose weight or a certain diet tells you to choose or eliminate certain foods. Think about what your body actually wants, and 9 times out of 10 it actually wants the salad and not the chips...have a go, put aside any emotional ups and downs in your day and take some time to really feel what your body needs. We actually get so caught up in routine or we eat automatically when something is put in front of us, we never pause for a moment to connect with our bodies and identify what it really needs.
6) Exercise - AGHHHHHHHH! i know, its not natural for me either........but pain, dread and hate aside, it does actually make your body feel good - you will feel better for doing something. Devote 30 minutes per day of doing something active you like...........So - if its gym, go to the gym, walk the dog, jog to a friends house for a cuppa, do a fitness DVD in front of the TV, go for a walk and chat with a friend, anything, just get moving!
I think once you get in touch with what makes your body feel good, your self esteem instantly improves a little, and you see yourself in a more positive light. I think if you just stare at your reflection, and criticise what you see daily, trying to measure up to perfection you are ultimately making yourself miserable. Get positive, focus on feeling good!
Try these things and see how you go!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Why the blog?
Well here i am, joining the thousands.....and you may ask why? Why Nutrition, Why Food?, Why Body Image?
Well here is why.....
I can tell you exactly the day it started. It was my 12th Birthday, 2nd year of high school, my first birthday party with my new friends...I thought a great place to have my party would be our local Aqua Park - water slides the lot! We all met at the park, ran in changed into our swimming costumes without a second thought. It was really busy so we had to join the long line of people waiting for a turn...It was precisely at this moment i noticed how my friends looked their swimming suits. I had never really bothered to take any notice of anyone else before, too busy being caught up in the excitement and anticipation of getting on the slide. But i started to notice more, the longer i stood in that que the more i felt self conscious, and i started to compare myself. Questions started filling my head, "how come my legs don't have a gap at the top"? " I am sure my belly looks bigger than hers" "why didn't anyone tell me i had to be smaller to wear this costume"?...
So from this day, i began a new relationship, one of which i am still in (at 32). A relationship with food, a love hate relationship, which lead to all sorts of eating and body image issues. Many of which i am sure most of you reading this will be able to relate to in some way or another?
I want to share my journey, and all i have learned along the way...i want to stop this obsession with perfection and help to educate women with my knowledge and experience, to love themselves, curves and all!
Don't get me wrong, it's not easy! But i am really passionate about food and health. I know everything there is to know about food, and i know about every DIET that doesn't work! ( i have been on it!) I can help you find exactly what works when it comes to eating to make yourself feel better, whether it be for losing a few kilos or just eating for more energy, or even eating to stop cravings! I can help you make healthy choices for life! I know a million and one great recipes and easy meal ideas. I train 5 to 6 days a week with my personal trainer so i have learned some excellent tips on exercises for achieving whatever results you would like your body to achieve! ......Its all about feeling good!
Well here is why.....
I can tell you exactly the day it started. It was my 12th Birthday, 2nd year of high school, my first birthday party with my new friends...I thought a great place to have my party would be our local Aqua Park - water slides the lot! We all met at the park, ran in changed into our swimming costumes without a second thought. It was really busy so we had to join the long line of people waiting for a turn...It was precisely at this moment i noticed how my friends looked their swimming suits. I had never really bothered to take any notice of anyone else before, too busy being caught up in the excitement and anticipation of getting on the slide. But i started to notice more, the longer i stood in that que the more i felt self conscious, and i started to compare myself. Questions started filling my head, "how come my legs don't have a gap at the top"? " I am sure my belly looks bigger than hers" "why didn't anyone tell me i had to be smaller to wear this costume"?...
So from this day, i began a new relationship, one of which i am still in (at 32). A relationship with food, a love hate relationship, which lead to all sorts of eating and body image issues. Many of which i am sure most of you reading this will be able to relate to in some way or another?
I want to share my journey, and all i have learned along the way...i want to stop this obsession with perfection and help to educate women with my knowledge and experience, to love themselves, curves and all!
Don't get me wrong, it's not easy! But i am really passionate about food and health. I know everything there is to know about food, and i know about every DIET that doesn't work! ( i have been on it!) I can help you find exactly what works when it comes to eating to make yourself feel better, whether it be for losing a few kilos or just eating for more energy, or even eating to stop cravings! I can help you make healthy choices for life! I know a million and one great recipes and easy meal ideas. I train 5 to 6 days a week with my personal trainer so i have learned some excellent tips on exercises for achieving whatever results you would like your body to achieve! ......Its all about feeling good!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)