Yes You Are

 

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Are you content?

I recently read an article about FOMO - The fear of missing out - by Sarah Miller at Women's Health. Miller defines FOMO as "an uncontrollable yearning to be two or more places at once, fueled by the fear that missing out on something could put a dent in your happiness, status, or career." In other words, if you've ever decided to opt out of something because you weren't feeling your best, but then later on heard that you missed out on something pretty great, and this gave you feelings of regret and anxiety, then you have experienced FOMO. In fact, Miller states that most people experience this phenomenon at varying levels.

In today's media landscape, we are constantly updated on what people are doing, so we are at even more risk of feeling FOMO. Facebook makes it easy to peer into the windows of other people's lives, and how are you supposed to feel when you see that the guy you graduated high school with is off hiking through Machu Picchu and you're sitting at your desk eating peanut butter and jelly? It's especially hard to gain perspective and feel gratitude for your own place in this world when you are constantly wondering what other people are doing in life instead of living and appreciating your own - and we've all been guilty of this at one point or another.

Time to get Guiltless and conquer FOMO. Many of my friends and I have had the discussion about how hard it is to turn down an invitation or simply say no to a request even when we are completely exhausted or too busy to even consider adding to our schedules. This is part of FOMO, and can often lead to overexertion, putting unnecessary strain on our bodies and stress on our minds. It's time to start putting ourselves first and listening to our bodies. So how do we do this? Well, I'm no FOMO expert, but here's what I think might help:

1. Do what you want. There is no rule in the rule book that says you have to go to that dinner or you must make that trip otherwise you'll be sorry. When an opportunity presents itself, consider it, listen to your inner self, and either accept or decline based only on what you want to do at that very moment. It sounds simple, but truly listening to yourself can be difficult b/c our own volume is often muted by the loudness of external noise.

2. Don't look back. Stop second guessing yourself. You know yourself better than anyone else, so if you can't make that party tonight because you know you are on the verge of a nasty cold, then rest assured that there will be more parties in the future and that the best thing for your life right now is R&R.

3. Appreciate what you've got. Sure, you get sick of the daily grind sometimes. We all do. But you have the choice to live the life you're living. If you don't like something, change it. And if you do like it, or even love it, then acknowledge that every day.

4. Stop obsessively checking Facebook. Enough said.

5. Know what's meaningful to you. Sometimes it will mean more to you to make new friends and other times it will mean more to you to catch up with an old one. What is the most meaningful to you at that very moment? Make a decision, and stick to it!

We would love to hear your tips and tricks for dealing with FOMO! How do you express gratitude for yourself? Please let us know by commenting on the post.

Be well and enjoy the day!

Body-Positive Social Media

  Yes you can read the headlines that scream Facebook Breeds Narcissism or maybe those are the Twitter users. And thinspo/fitspo will always plague blogs, pinterest, instagram and tumblr. 

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However, we Guiltless Gals believe that we can use the power of social media for good and not evil and work to make add some body positive conversation to those social networks on a daily basis. We're tweeting, facebooking and pinning to change the world-right? Media can shape our life, so we have to create the media that does that in a healthy way. And we'd love for you to join the conversation!

• Pin Self-Esteem boosting quotes and inspirational images instead of thinspo/fitspo

• Don't tweet yourself down. Celebrate your achievements, congratulate other people, but leave the body hating at home.  
• Share links to body-positive websites/blogs on Facebook instead of using it as a tool to compare yourself to others. 
• Feel like you lack content? Retweet others' posts, share things on facebook and pin away! Or how about tweeting an affirmation a day?
• Share beautiful notes on your social networks

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• Join Marci Anderson MS, RD and Dr. Deah Schwartz for a twitter chat on keeping a healthy body image in the summer months this Wednesday at 8:30pm EST (see more details here)
• Join the Me Movement (follow all tweets that have #mefirst)

What ways do you stay body positive on the internet?

You'd be surprised...

Amazing things can happen when you're true to yourself.

Be Confident

Confidence is an elusive trait sometimes. You want it but you can't seem to find it. Sometimes it seems to be dangling right in front of your face, but you can't reach it. Do you ever feel like it is also infectious? That when you are around other confident people you start to feel more confident? Or maybe it doesn't work that way-maybe you feel even more insecure when being around those more confident.

In self-care and improving self-esteem confidence in yourself, and your decisions can mean the difference between feeling great and feeling blah. So how to we step our confidence up a notch?

 

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• Practice Eye Contact. Yes it can be scary, but nothing screams "I'm completely in control and comfortable with who I am" like eye contact. Sometimes you need to practice it before you even feel that way. But change the behavior and your thoughts will follow. 

image source and more great eye contact advice

• Repeat a Mantra. In your head. "I am strong, confident and amazing." "I feel confident, strong and beautiful" Create your own!
• Know that failure is necessary for growth. without failing we can not learn, and can not succeed. Learn from your failures and move on. 
• Avoid nervous tics. Stop picking at your fingernails, tugging your clothes and twirling your hair obsessively. Walk into a room/situation standing tall, shoulders back and head up. Exude confidence. 
• Ask for support. A reassuring friend can always inspire confidence. Don't be afraid to ask when you need a confidence boost. Maybe find a confidence buddy?

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Confidence is the sexiest thing you can wear. 

Be guiltless about it!

Celebrate you!

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Happy Friday!

Celebrate because you can.

Embrace Your Bod

Americans spend more than 40 billion dollars a year on dieting and diet-related products – that’s roughly equivalent to the amount the U.S. Federal Government spends on education each year (source)!That's pretty whack if you ask me. It's time we take a step back and start giving our body image a makeover. Turn the focus from the outside to within with these (free) tips:

1. Ask yourself these questions and then answer them:
- What part of my body is strongest?
- What kind of care does my body need right now? (Rest? Exercise? Sleep? Food?)
- How would I respond to my best friend if she started talking negatively about her body?


2. Enjoy the process rather than focusing on the result. For example, if you're training for a race, stop worrying about how fast you will go and enjoy the strength you have gained from all the hard work!


3. Remember that body negativity can occur at any size. No matter what the number is on the scale, it will never define you. You are what you make of this life, so stop the "fat talk" and start filling every moment with things you enjoy! For example, instead of sitting around wallowing in negative body thoughts, put on your favorite playlist, your most comfortable shoes, and go for a walk somewhere you think is beautiful!

4. Do things that make you feel empowered! Giving meaning to your actions will help you turn the focus toward something that matters and away from inner negativity. This will help you see yourself clearly and positively.

5. Show yourself compassion always.

Care to share any tips on how to maintain a positive body image? We'd love to hear from you!

Whatever I wish to do, I do

I don't feel guilt. Whatever I wish to do, I do.
-Jeanne Moreau, French Actress

Here's to a Guiltless week!

Inspire

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"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."
Margaret Lee Runbeck 

Live and Let Live. Eat and Let Eat.

"The way for a young [person] to rise, is to improve himself/[herself] every way he can, never suspecting that any body wishes to hinder him" -Abraham Lincoln, in a letter to William Herndon July 10th 1848

Many of you have likely heard of at least a handful of fad diets, and more than half of you have likely tried at least one. Fad diets, such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, the Grapefruit Diet, and yes, even the Tapeworm Diet contribute nothing but guilt, angst, and harmful health conditions to our bodies and minds. The reason why diets don't work is quite simple. Basically, your body will be very angry at you and it will not do what you want. Even if initial weight loss occurs, you are highly likely to gain it back, and when you do, you will have lost lean muscle and will gain back fat tissue which is a lot harder to lose again. Hence the phrase "yo-yo dieting." It's no wonder why then that these 32 women have decided to quit dieting.

It would be naive to say that people, especially Americans, do not need some guidance in food choices. In fact, the dire need we have as a society to learn more about making healthy choices for our bodies is the driving force behind why I became a Registered Dietitian. But simply put, fad diets just aren't fair to the public and they are not the solution. With internet capabilities today, everyone has a megaphone and can use it to distribute information - whether it's accurate and science-based or not. This poses a very scary situation for us and can lead to major guilt complexes mentally, and physically could lead to a whole host of problems (some life-threatening). In some cases, false and frankly DANGEROUS information is easy to spot.  But in other cases, science-talk can be used to confuse consumers into thinking that the body can be manipulated into losing weight unnaturally. This is no joke and it's a huge hazard to our society.

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Your body and mind are the vehicles for your spirit in this life, and only you have the power to treat them with the care and respect they deserve. That means appreciating your body for all the amazing things it can do and doing that frequently. Dance or sing, walk or run, jump, sleep, love, eat food that is whole, fresh and leaves you feeling satisfied and good....these are some of the things that you have the opportunity to enjoy simply because you are a person. And no guilt should surround them. Too often do we put stress on ourselves to be perfect, and as we we've discussed before, perfection is just an illusion.

If you are hoping to improve your nutrition and health, it's important to seek information from a trusted source who can help guide you - like a Registered Dietitian and your family doctor. And just as importantly, if you want to be successful in your quest, you have to learn to love and respect your body. We are not science projects. We are human beings.

Send us a story about your relationship with food at iamguiltless@gmail.com. 

Inadequate Monster

have you met the inadequate monster? or maybe his sister the imperfect demon? the can surprise you in moments when you thought you were pretty confident. or sometimes they lurk for days, weeks, months, years. Telling you you're not good enough. That no matter what you do you're still a failure.

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Banishing your inadequate monster and imperfect demons isn't an easy task. Unfortunately heavy swords, garlic cloves don't work well, and a prince in shining armor won't get very far. Because even when you've found that prince, those monsters can still find you. 

What can you use to fight these monster? I've found mantras help a lot. (need some ideas-go here) It's like your spell to keep those demons away. 10 deep breaths always help. In every situation. Sitting with the feeling and exploring why it's there, and what past events may have triggered it, is a good first step in telling it to leave you alone. Because you need to protect yourself. To get on with your life and leave those demons slayed behind you.

Best of luck in your battle! What will your sword be?

Dance Because You Can

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Happy Friday!