Mondays can be rough for many of us, and this doesn’t create the ideal environment for building a better body image. To help you turn that around, every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit to help boost your body image – and kick-start the week on a positive note.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

I’ve always loved fashion and dressing up. But I’ve also always second-guessed what I was wearing and how I looked.

I worried what others would think of my outfit, what they’d think of me.

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Years ago, I was hungry for nourishment.

Mostly that was because of my yo-yo dieting, which left me famished and unsatisfied and sad. (This is probably a good place to mention my favorite phrase: bland boneless, skinless chicken with grilled veggies.)

I was also hungry for a “hot” body.

Or so I thought. By all accounts, I wanted a slimmer, more muscular silhouette.

If you would’ve asked me during my college years what I wanted – what I thought would’ve eased the pain – my answer would’ve been: thin.

But that’s not true. That’s not even accurate at all.

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Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of my confidence (i.e., the lack thereof).

I think that I’ve healed my eating and body image issues – for the most part. Yes, I still struggle from time to time, but I’ve moved leaps and bounds from where I was.

I’m OK, even happy with my body, with the curve of my stomach and other fleshier parts. With the areas society considers imperfections or downright disadvantages.

But the insecurity that’s always lurked under each layer of “I want to be thin,” “I feel guilty for eating that,” “I need to work off that dessert,” “I need to be pretty” is still there.

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Last week, we talked about how to approach a loved one who’s dieting or wanting to lose weight. Several fantastic bloggers shared their advice (thanks, guys!).

But I wanted to explore this topic further because I think it’s a common predicament to be in. Many people are engaged in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and body hate.

So when your loved one says they’re onto their fifth diet, or trying out Weight Watchers (again) or counting calories to lose weight, do we support them? Do we tell them what we really think about dieting? Or do we stay quiet?

Mondays can be rough for many of us, and this doesn’t create the ideal environment for building a better body image. To help you turn that around, every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit to help boost your body image – and kick-start the week on a positive note.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

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Many of us view our bodies as the enemy. As the very thing that prevents us from looking the way we want to. From making us feel comfortable, proud and beautiful.

Or we view our bodies as a foreign entity. Or a blemish. Or a symbol of our deep disappointment.

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Recently, an awesome Weightless reader raised a topic that I know many of you will be able to relate to.

She wondered what to do when a loved one chooses to diet or lose weight while continuously bashing themselves and their body. When they view dieting as their salvation.

What if you’ve developed a healthier relationship with food and your body, but your loved ones continue to yo-yo diet?

You know that dieting creates a path paved with pain and heartache.

So how do you still support your friend? What if they say that you’re not supporting them.

How can you be a good friend when you feel like what your friend is doing is unhealthy?

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“When I was fourteen and a sophomore in high school (I had skipped a grade), I was nominated for homecoming princess. My mom bought me a a long red satin gown with a sweetheart neckline, spaghetti straps, and sparkly crystals in the front. I loved it. It fit, but was a little tight around the tummy. We could’ve gone to a dry cleaner or tailor to have the dress altered, but she got me a gym membership instead. (I still remember the personal trainer who showed me around the gym looking at us like we were crazy when my mom explained that we just wanted me to lose three or four pounds before homecoming.)”

This is an excerpt from Food: The Good Girl’s Drug: How to Stop Using Food to Control Your Feelings* by Sunny Sea Gold, who blogs at HealthyGirl. While I was reading this chapter, it got me thinking about how our families can affect how we view food and our bodies.

Maybe you can relate to a mom’s good intentions gone wrong?

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It’s been a long time since I’ve written a post about so-called health magazines. But every time I pass by the magazine shelves at the grocery store, I just want to scream.

One of my biggest gripes is that most info in health magazines is about weight loss. There’s rarely any mention of foods that actually nourish our bodies, workouts that make you strong and clear your head and are simply, purely and happily fun. (Gasp! Exercise can be joyful, and people would benefit so much more from this knowledge than the usual fear-of-fat or belly-bulge shaming.)

Instead, what readers get is either a sprinkling or a stockpile of weight loss talk.

So it isn’t anymore about running for fun, endurance, strength or competition. Now it’s how to run for weight loss.

It isn’t eclectic, nutrient-rich and yummy foods to try. Instead, it’s low-calorie foods that taste better than cardboard. Or eat this boneless, skinless chicken with steamed veggies, but don’t dare put pasta or pizza in your mouth.

Even Prevention, a magazine that I thought truly focused on health, has disappointingly gone over to the dark side.