Train Your Brain to Think Differently

There are a number of ways to feel better about your body, one is to change the way you currently think. If you find yourself constantly putting yourself down, either aloud or in your head, take note or make a change. First write down the 'bad body thought'. Next, write how you would 'reframe' that thought in a positive way. Imagine that you are talking to your best friend. How would you reframe it to him or her? Write the reframe down and read it many times a day. Hang it where you will see it. Text it or email it to yourself. Over time you will start to change how you think about your body. Start today, take small steps and remember to be patient with yourself.

Here are some examples of negative brain messages and how you might 'reframe those messages.'

BRAIN MESSAGE: "I wish I looked like Jennifer Aniston. She looks so perfect in Shape this month.”

BRAIN REFRAME: “I know that all media and messages are carefully constructed by teams of professionals – NOT reflections of reality. I choose to use a filter to help me to understand what an advertiser wants me to believe and then choose whether I want to believe that message. I can also talk back when we see an ad or hear a message that makes me feel badly. AND I can choose not to look at magazines or websites with highly concentrated levels of advertising and computer altered images.”

BRAIN MESSAGE: “I went to the doctor today and my weight and BMI are more than I anticipated. I feel disgusting. I work out every day and eat healthy foods; I can't believe that I weigh what I do."


BRAIN REFRAME: Neither weight nor Body Mass Index tell us anything substantial about body composition and health. Eating habits, activity patterns, and other self-care choices are much more important.

BRAIN MESSAGE: “I need to weigh myself to know what I should eat today. If I am up a pound I need to cut back on my calories. I hate myself when the numbers go up.”

BRAIN REFRAME: “I need to stay off of the scale. It‛ really hard to build an attitude of body acceptance and trust when you are basically climbing on the scale to ask if it‛ OK to feel good about yourself that day. It is ALWAYS OK to feel good about yourself –don‛ let a machine tell you any differently.”

BRAIN MESSAGE: “I wish I was more muscular and thinner.”

BRAIN REFRAME:
“I realize that I cannot change my body type. Whether I am lightly muscled, bulky, or rounded, I need to appreciate your body and work with your genetic inheritance. Instead of thinking of it as a limit, I need to embrace who I am.”

 
BRAIN MESSAGE: “I wish I looked like my friend Sue. She has the most amazing body and always looks good.”

BRAIN REFRAME:
“I realize I have to stop comparing myself to others me; I can’t get a sense of my body’s needs and abilities with someone else’s body as a reference point. And the research has shown that frequent comparing tends to
increase negative body image.”

BRAIN MESSAGE: "I need to constantly look in the mirror to see if I look "good enough."

BRAIN REFRAME:
“I need to limit the “body checking” that I do throughout the day. Researchers have also found that negative body image is reinforced by lots of time in front of the mirror, or frequent checks of (perceived) body flaws. Instead of looking at every mirror or reflection, tell your brain that you are “ok”- “no looking necessary.”
 
BRAIN MESSAGE: “I need to work out every day or I will turn into a fat slob.”


BRAIN REFRAME:
“Yes, I need to move but I need to do it for fun, not because I have to but because it makes me feel strong, energized, and less stressed.”

Your brain is a muscle, work to make it stronger every day and little by little you will begin to change how you think and feel about your body.