RESOURCE GUIDE - How to feel more confident and have better body image.
In this post, you'll find a collection of resources I've gathered over the years on body image and how to love yourself better. You'll also find a brief introduction explaining why many of us struggle with body image issues. I'll explore concrete ways to change your body image in other blog posts - this post is dedicated to the resources to you get started.
The good news first!
In the end, it is really simple: We have been taught to hate our bodies, and that is enraging but also amazing news because it means we can unlearn bad body image if we put in the work.
Your body is meant to be lived in and not something to look at! It took you many years to hate your body, so it is to be expected that it will take some years to get back to how you felt about your body when you were a toddler—blissfully unaware of anything else but what your body is capable of. How far can I jump? How fast can I run on this narrow beam? Can I pick up five stuffed animals and still climb stairs? Toddlers really just see what they can do with their bodies and honestly isn’t it just amazing what we are capable of? It’s made to create with your arms and hands, to move and dance, to climb things and explore nature. It is made to breathe, to feel, and to carry your baby, pet your dog or hug a loved one.
“Your body is an instrument, not an ornament.”
L. & L. Kite in More than a Body
The notion that our body is a construction site in need of constant improvement has been ingrained in us since birth. This message is pervasive—we see it reflected in our mothers' attitudes towards their own bodies, in the movies we watch, in picture books for children, and in the literature we consume as we grow older. The underlying narrative is clear: a thin body is a better body, while fat bodies are undesirable.
This societal standard shapes how we see ourselves and what we think is important in life. If books and movies center how women look, it’s not surprising that women think that how they look is important. If we constantly read the narrative that women who fit a specific aesthetic are happier, healthier, more virtuous and more valuable it is only logical that women tie their self-worth to their body image. You didn’t just happen to have bad body image. You were given bad body image by the stories you consume. This is why the very first thing you can do to better your body image is to be aware what stories you read and actively diversify what you see, hear and talk about. All the resources below will help you get started on a new understanding of your body. I’d love to hear how your journey is going so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Books to read:
“What we don’t talk about when we talk about fat” by Aubrey Gordon
“You just need to lose weight (and 19 other myths about fat people)” by Aubrey Gordon
“More than a Body” by Lindsay & Lexie Kite
“Women don’t owe you pretty” by Florence Given
“You are not a before picture” by Alex Light
Blogs:
this is one of the most thoroughly researched information you can find about all things weight and diet related. This is an article I sent to so many people, it’s about the ethics of recommending diets.
this is the old blog of Aubrey Gordon in case you want to read some of her work before buying the book which I highly recommend.
Podcasts:
Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon debunk the junk science behind health and wellness fads.This podcast is honestly live changing and you absolutely need to listen to these episodes in particular: Is being fat bad for you? and The obesity epidemic.
Instagram:
Educational
Diversify your feed
Weight neutral exercise
I will add to these resources over time and if you have any amazing creators or authors you’d like to recommend please let me know in the comments or via email!