Are You Happy with Your Body?
by Katherine McIntosh

Well, if you are amongst the men and women who are dissatisfied with their physical appearance, you are robbing you and your body of the energy to fuel your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Only 4% of women worldwide consider themselves beautiful, and although the stats aren’t as easily accessible for men, there is a large number of men who are constantly dissatisfied with their appearance.

When I discovered the statistic above, it hit me like a gut bomb. I realized, sadly, I was one of the 96% of women that didn’t think I was beautiful. Then I looked at all my amazing beautiful, downright, drop-dead gorgeous female friends and they did not consider themselves beautiful. And then I looked at all my male friends and how much I adored them, how beautiful I thought they were, and I knew their own personal struggles.

I saw both men and women I cared about destroy both their bodies and minds by believing in the lie they weren’t good enough. This unending quest for the impossible perfection is killing us. And even the most beautiful people in the world still believe, somewhere, they aren’t enough.

When does it stop?

So the question is, “Is it truly possible to have joy with your body? And do you believe it could be possible with you?”

If your answer is no, like mine was years ago, then keep reading.

Seven years ago, a woman said to me, “With some simple tools, you can change the way you see your body.” (Personally, I wanted to throat punch her.) She didn’t know my story. She wasn’t there for the hospitalizations, the near death experiences, the late night binging and purging, the wretched laundry list of self-esteem blunders. There was no way any tool was going to help me. I was doomed. I had spent most of my adult life and over $250,000 on diets, pills, gimmicks, exercise regimens, late night infomercial gadgets, psychiatrists, therapists, alternative healing modalities, shamans in the jungles of South America, howling at the moon, dancing blindfolded, meditation, therapy, and any other ridiculous concoction of possibilities you can imagine. The end result was an empty wallet, a house full of useless gadgets, cabinets full of half-consumed products and pills, a heavy heart, a huge psychiatry bill, and a lifetime of depression. After trying absolutely everything I could think of, I wanted to give up. I couldn’t take the pain of my own misery anymore. I thought I was doomed to be fat, ugly, and depressed for the rest of my life. But, I left one thing out of my quest for change.

I never really had gratitude or allowance for me or my body. I never really knew that it was possible to embody the energy of JOY. Joy was a very far off distant possibility, and my body and I were definitely not in the equation.

What I have discovered on my journey since those days is there really is a way to freedom. When you discover what joy is for you, it can transform your body, help you lose weight, give you a sense of peace and space, make you look and feel younger, strengthen your relationships, heal old wounds, diminish stress, increase your happiness quotient, tone and firm your skin, make you more money, and so much more.

So how do you do it? Here are three simple and effective ways to get you started in the direction of joy and possibilities.

Step 1 Stop Judging You. Really. Just Stop It.

Judgment creates disease in the body and life. If you had a chance to have an hour-long chat with someone, would you choose to spend that hour with someone who judges you, or with someone who is curious, inquisitive, non-judgmental, and grateful? Every time you judge you, you engrain the pattern and re-enforce the idea that something is wrong, which just makes it harder to create the change. So for every judgment, just stop it.

Step 2 Add Gratitude.

Once you stop the judgment, like instantly in the act, then think of something about your body that you can be grateful for. Do you like your eyes, are your hands good at writing or art, have your legs climbed mountains, or walked through the streets of different parts of the world. Don’t fake it till you make it, genuinely come up with things about you and your body you can be grateful for.

Step 3 Ask “Who Does It Belong To?”

When you’re hungry, thirsty, frustrated, lethargic, sleepy, angry, sensitive… ask yourself, “Who does it belong to?” 98% of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions don’t belong to us, and that includes when we’re hungry or thirsty. You don’t need to know who, just if you ask and it makes you feel lighter, then you know what you were thinking or feeling wasn’t yours.

Katherine McIntosh, CFMW, is a world traveller, global facilitator, born rebel, mom, serial entrepreneur, yoga junkie, mountain biker, and sunshine chaser. Founder of the No Judgment Diet™, she believes the body is a living breathing miracle machine that when invited to do so, it will help you create a life you’ve always dreamed of. For more information on the No Judgment Diet, join the Facebook page and email katherine@katherinemcintosh.com. Also see the Calendar of Events and Classifieds for an upcoming event with Katherine.