Do you get stressed out and withdraw, afraid someone will see your thighs or tummy? Or do you go to the party covered in extralarge shrouds and spend the afternoon wishing you could leap into the pool like everyone else? Had enough? Learn how to turn this month of angst into a golden opportunity for self-empowerment. Step 1: Change your perception of April. Instead of apprehension, see a month filled with possibilities. Visualize yourself living each day richly, breathing in the sweet spring air and basking in the warm glow of the sun. Close your eyes, and suddenly you’re taking hikes, biking with friends, splashing in the water. Believe it, set the goal, maintain the focus, and make it happen. The goal? To cherish each day of your life. You deserve this gift of living. Say to yourself, If I believe, then I achieve. If I achieve, I succeed. Step 2: Perform a simple self-assessment. Ask yourself, Am I doing all that I can to keep my mind and body fit and healthy every day? If the answer is no, then reorganize and patiently start to incorporate healthier eating and physical activity into your life. Instead of obsessing about your flaws, concentrate on your strengths. Maybe your waist needs trimming, but your back is strong and sculpted. Take inventory, and turn your attention to these attributes. Play them up, and make them work for you. Remember, there are no imperfections, just a unique and wondrous body you’ll learn to accept. [pagebreak] Step 3: Write down some self-affirmations you can use throughout the day to keep focused on the goal of living well. Use these phrases to neutralize any negative thoughts. Feeling the tendency to castigate yourself for imperfect hips? Quickly rid yourself of these toxic thoughts by saying, I’m doing the best I can to take care of myself. I’m fine and happy and fulfilled. A simple You go, girl! does the trick quite nicely. Ban unreal media hype from your mind. Get assertive, and say to yourself, No more! I reject these thoughts! Take a moment, and tape-record your affirmations. When the going gets tough, play them back, and listen to your own powerful voice as you coach yourself through the stressful time. Step 4: Participate fully in spring events. Have some fun! Expand your mind and move your body as you try new sports or just get more active. April can be a great time to start a mind/body healing process, as you transform a sedentary lifestyle to one of get-up-and-go activities. Gardening, walking with friends, or chasing after the kids become daily health-sustaining habits instead of unattainable goals. Step 5: Be realistic. Eyeing that string bikini or waist-baring T-shirt? Before you plunk down your cash, have a little inner dialogue first. Instead of pining away for the days when you were able to wear anything, you need to honor yourself right now. Your body has changed. Good, bad, or otherwise, accept the changes, and work with what you have. News flash: You don’t have Jane Fonda’s abs. Your pregnancies as well as some expected perimenopausal weight gain have plumped up your midriff. So, buy a great one-piece suit that slims your tummy, and quit stressing out. Free yourself of anxiety-provoking goals, and replace them with realistic expectations. Now, slip into your sandals, pull on your shorts, and take your newfound April powers to a park, mountain, or beach, and enjoy every golden, magical minute of it! Dr. Peeke is a Pew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism and is one of the few physicians in America formally trained in nutrition. She was also the first senior research fellow in the original NIH Office of Alternative Medicine, where she helped to lay the foundation for evidenced- based scientific studies in the field of cancer and nutrition. Dr. Peeke is a medical and science commentator for CNN Headline News as well as PBS’s Health Week. She is presently a regular expert on NBC’s Today Show and has appeared in numerous national television specials. Dr. Peeke is the author of the bestsellers, Fight Fat After Forty and The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction, (Rodale 2012).
