Flatter Yourself

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to give you a similar motivational tip as I did last week, but this time I want the focus to be on you.  If you read last week's post (and if you didn't you should now) you know that I suggested that by helping and doing things for others, that you would feel better about yourself emotionally, and that would caused you to feel better physically.  Feeling better in both of these ways allows you to become more motivated to continue feeling good, and it allows for a positive cycle to take place.  And as I said last week, it is best to think about helping others first...however, this week, I want you to do something for yourself.  When you do something for yourself, you increase your sense of self-worth.  Furthermore, you can make yourself feel better and happy, and that allows for that same increase in physical feeling...another positive cycle.  One goal that most of us who are exercising regularly, making healthy food choices, or at least trying one of those two have is to feel better with how we view ourselves when looking in the mirror.  Although we all might not quite be where we want to eventually get, we can all agree that wearing one particular piece of clothing or another is more or less flattering. We probably all have a shirt, pair of pants, dress, etc. that we know flaunts our "good" parts.  And you know that when you wear that piece, your confidence goes up a little, because you do feel good about yourself.  So this week, instead of going out and doing something for someone else, (or you still can but now in addition) I want you to go out and purchase a new piece of clothing that flatters you.  It is back to school season, and there a lots of stores having sales, so it shouldn't be an expensive endeavor.  Whatever you do spend, the worth will be in your increase in self-worth when you feel yourself looking better than ever.

         I am someone who is not "cheap" but is frugal and needs to watch how I spend my money.  I have my indulgences and it doesn't take much arm twisting by my kids to get them something off of the list while at a store.  However, one thing that I carefully budget for is clothing.  If I have any fashion sense, it could possibly be considered utilitarian.  Most of the clothes I purchase are based on necessity and requirements of my job's dress codes.  I am not one of the people who have a pair of shoes for every single different occasion.  In fact, the way I work my sneakers is I have a "good" pair of sneakers that I wear to school (on Phys. Ed. days) and the gym.  Overtime, as these shoes become more and more worn, they become my "work" sneakers, which are the ones that become the pair that I can wear to my construction-type summer job.  Usually, I can get the one pair of sneakers to last the entire school year, and then they become the work sneakers, and by the end of the summer, I can purchase a new pair for the new school year.  The same is true for my gym shirts.  I will by a handful of new shirts to wear for personal training, and as they become worn, they become my workout shirts.  Eventually they wear out their use and they become either the new workout shirt, or meant for the trash.  But even for me, someone who is not all concerned with how I look from a fashion sense, when I put those new sneakers or shirts on, I do feel good about the way I look.  I am often replacing stains, and holes...some quite unflattering aspects.  And starting with new, nicely fitting clothes, I feel both better about myself from an increase in self-worth, but also because the clothes are often more flattering.

          Times were tough for my family when I was growing up, and I often had clothes ought at flea markets or attained through hand-me downs.  Now I am not talking about being vain in any sense, but I do remember feeling a good sense of pride when I was able to purchase clothing that was new and sized for me.  Not only did they make me look good, but they made me feel good.  I also don't want you to get too wrapped up in the sense that you have to go out and spend money in order to look good (think again about my frugality) because that can lead to an unhealthy mindset.  What I am simply suggesting is that if you get yourself a new shirt, sneakers, outfit or whatever for the gym, you will be inspired.  You wouldn't buy and wear something that you don't think you yourself look good in, therefore when you wear what you purchase you are already starting with a positive attitude.  But what is more important is the motivation that will come from that increase in self-worth.

          People who suffer from depression often have a poor self-image and vice verse.  A negative cycle can be created that is hard to break; someone doesn't like the way they look, they become embarrassed about how they think they appear, they rather people not see them, so they don't go to the gym, and then by not working out, they feel even worse about how they look.  Do you see how that can become a negative cycle?  The opposite of this is the positive cycle; someone likes the way they look, they are confident in how they appear, they want others to see them, they get to the gym, and they train hard.  See how that can be beneficial?  Now the real results of following a regular exercise routing and maintaining a healthy diet are earned over time.  What I am suggesting today is that if you wear something that you think you look good in, you will feel good about yourself, and you will jump start that positive cycle.  Leading a healthy lifestyle is something that has to be maintained regularly.  I am just giving you a way to get you there on the fast track.

          As noble as it is to be concerned with and want to help others, you have to remember that you too have needs, are very special and should have a tremendous amount of self-worth.  So it is more than acceptable to splurge on yourself from time to time.  Getting yourself something nice to wear is an expense that will pay dividends if you think you look good in it.  The better you think you look, the better you will feel about yourself.  The increase in confidence will cause you to be more motivated to do what you need to do in order to stay there and/or get tot he next level.  So splurge on yourself and find something flattering.  The positive cycle that results from this will be well worth the financial cost.  Looking good, to feel good, to look good is a positive way to reach a fit new you!