Hey girl! Chin up, big smile, go tackle the world! One thing I’ve really found within myself over the last few years is my confidence. And only until recently how I’ve not only found, but I boosted my body confidence. There’s no one thing that got me there but I have a lot of little things that have been a huge factor.
Starting two businesses in my 20’s definitely forced me to really get out of my comfort zone and really push myself. Becoming a “blogger” years ago definitely gave me my first real wave of confidence, even though I was still very not confident in my blogging journey. There was that time I started my blog and didn’t tell a SOUL except my boyfriend at the time. I put all my looks on chictopia and lookbook (LOL) and just imagined people would find me. Quite a few mistakes later, everyone I know knows about my blog and I’m very happy with where I am in my blogging journey. And if I knew then I’d still be blogging 7 years later and even posting a swimsuit photo I would literally laugh out loud.
I could probably break down confidence in every area of my life in a few different blog posts but today I want to talk specifically about body confidence. In the world we live in where we’re constantly posting photos and looking at everyone else’s adorable photos, body confidence is something we all struggle with. In my 7 years of blogging here I’ve never posted a swimsuit photo and I’ve been very aware of that. (Ok, I posted these, but it’s laughable that I was basically hiding in the pool ha!) That was just somewhere I never planned to go. I didn’t like myself in a swimsuit and my body would likely never drastically change enough for me to like myself in a swimsuit enough for me to post a photo of that. Wellll, here we are.
You see, I’m realizing it’s not all about your body and what it looks like, but it is all about how you FEEL in that body God gave you. It’s taken me a while to get here, but when I say that I feel like my best self, it’s not because I’ve lost weight, or feel “skinny”. It’s not because I just love every aspect of my body (of course we all have things we would change if we could). It is because I truly have gotten to place where I’m comfortable and confident in myself, in my journey and in my own skin. I don’t really care about those little flaws anymore. I feel healthy and strong and I eat to fuel my body and still eat pizza and ice cream sometimes too!
How I Boosted My Body Confidence:
- Developed a Healthy Relationship With Food – I’ve done all the diets. Seriously. I’ve done Weight Watchers, LA Weightloss, Whole 30, Adkins, Slim Fast, calorie counting and have even taken pills, diuretics, etc. This past year with the Faster Way to Fat Loss I’ve truly learned that food is not the enemy. I’ve listened to my body and I’ve learned what it does when I eat certain things, and I know how AMAZING I feel when I focus on consuming real, whole, clean foods.
- Mindset is a POWERFUL Thing – Your mindset and how you talk to yourself is everything. We’re all hard on ourselves. We’re all our own biggest critics. So focusing on that mindset can literally change your life. Stop beating yourself up and start encouraging yourself. When I don’t want to do something, I remind myself how great I’ll feel when it’s done. When I’m mad at myself for forgetting to do something, I give myself grace and get it done. (I loved reading this post on how she boosted her self confidence from Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere if you’d like a little more advice on this topic.)
- I Stopped Obsessing Over Things That Don’t Matter – There are A LOT of important things in life. Obsess over those and stop obsessing over the little things. Seriously. I still struggle with letting go of some things but in the grand scheme, my family, my relationships, my life and my health is so much more important than a lot of things. A few things I stopped obsessing over:
- Other people – I unfollow anyone who makes me feel less than, or gets me down, or gets me out of my happy zone on social media. I also stopped worrying about what people think. A few years ago I would have never posted a post so personal, but now, if this is something you need to hear, this is why I’m posting it. For YOU! Not for those who are going to say, “did you see Katie posted those swimsuit photos on her blog!?”
- The number on the scale – I think I’ve lost around 20 pounds but honestly I don’t even really remember the number I started at and I haven’t stepped on a scale in probably over a year. Don’t give a flip!
- Making mistakes – Making a mistake or doing something wrong can be such a road block. I’m really trying to let go of that mindset and give myself freedom to make mistakes and not be held back by the fear of messing up. We all can learn so much from our mistakes so maybe I’ll learn a lot more by allowing the mistake to happen in the first place!
Honestly as I type this I’m still realizing that all of this, the confidence, the mindset shift, the energy refocus is all from just joining the Faster Way To Fat Loss last year. To be completely honest joined because I knew I would start wedding dress shopping that summer and I didn’t want to hate them all when I tried them on. Who freakin’ knew it would lead to all this?!
Has it helped my relationship with food? Absolutely! Has it helped me get back to working out, yes, for sure! But being a part of this with other strong, passionate women who are in it with you, cheering you on? Yes, yes and yes. That is what’s so amazing about this program. There is such community among this group and they have helped me in so many different areas.
Whew, I know that was a lot, but I just wanted to share where I am right now. I truly believe this program has changed my life. And if I’m still loving it over a year later, I feel confident this is a sustainable lifestyle for me. I know it’s not for everyone and I’m not saying you’ll have the same results if you do the program. But I do want to share that for me it’s become something that’s WAY beyond losing weight. I’ve lost weight and found a little more of myself along the way!
If you’re interested in joining me, there’s a new round starting on Monday! You can sign up here!
Swimsuit: Aerie | Hat: Brixton | Sunnies: Urban Outfitters
Sign Up For the Next Round of the FASTer Way To Fat Loss Here!
Photography: Alyson Hall Photography
