Do you think you are huge or hideous?  Neurologically, women tend to overestimate the size of their bodies, thinking they are larger and fatter than they actually are.

That's me on the left in the sumo suit...

I used to THINK and FEEL my body was this big. It sounds silly when you see me in a fake sumo suit! but that was the image I carried around in my mind of what my body looked like to others (huge and fat and yuk).

The sad reality is, many women feel the same. Does this make you think about the image of your body that you carry around in your mind... is it time to upgrade your mind photo?

The second photo (me wearing white jeans) was taken on the same day as the sumo photo, many years ago. And I honestly thought I looked HUGE and hideous in this photo! I'm smiling in this photo, but inside I'm feeling so horrible and just dying for the photo to be over! See how I hold that glass in front of my belly? I'm desperately trying to hide it!  I wanted to be in the back row, but these guys were so polite they wanted us girls to stand in the front. I was so self conscious and behind that smile I was freaking out. 

Fast forward through years and years of learning to love my shape, I can now see how beautiful and perfect I was back then and now. I had spent so many hours a day depressed and down about my body instead of enjoying it! I made it my mission to change this. There were a few stages to this and I won't cover them all in this post, but...first, I had to change my mind about my body.

I needed to release the criticisms from others about my body, that I carried with me from childhood. The criticisers were gone, but my mind kept them active and played them daily.

I also had to replace the false and exaggerated image that my mind had been attached to, with a realistic, kinder version. That was my key to learning to love my body... 

I replaced this image each year with a slightly more positive, realistic one. I did this by asking trusted friends to show me pictures in magazines of the body they felt looked like mine. I was so shocked by what they chose and argued with them that they were not being truthful. Some even went to the extreme of asking complete strangers to prove they weren't just being"nice". It really helped me see myself in a new way. Eventually I didn't need friends or strangers to tell me what I looked like. I slowly stripped away the pounds and kilos my mind had added to my reflection in the mirror and started seeing the real me. 

It changed my life and freed me to be happier and kinder to myself. It allowed me to heal myself from so much body hate. I found my worth. Every woman (and man) deserves to find their worth.  (The 3rd photo - this is how I see myself today). 

So MY WISH for today is...if you have an outdated image of your body in your mind, please be kind and replace it with one that is full of honour, respect and gratitude to the Goddess that you are! 

Please share this with friends and encourage each other to see your Goddess, embrace your shape and know you are amazing!

Miss Monroes - Empowering women to grow in confidence, see and feel their unique beauty and spread body kindness.