Creating and Appreciating Your Lean, Sexy Body

In order to truly love your body properly, you need to do two things: make it as strong and healthy as you can and then appreciate it for the wonderful thing that it is, even if there are a few things that you don’t like and can’t change.

Ladies, picking ourselves apart is pointless. We all have things we don’t like about our bodies. I know some incredibly beautiful women but not a single one who doesn’t think her breasts are too small, her butt too flat or her chin too pointy. It is our nature to focus on our flaws rather than our beauty. But it’s unproductive.

One of the best things you can do to get yourself motivated for change is to have a definite plan for achieving that change. Constantly lamenting our tummy pooch while we sit on the couch and do nothing makes us feel depressed and defeated.

I have four simple steps to help you appreciate the best parts of you and get motivated to change the rest. They’re easy and they’re effective.

Step One: Taking Inventory

The first thing you need to do is take a really good look at your body. That means every part and from every angle possible. You can do this in an empty studio at the gym, in your own bathroom with two mirrors or one big mirror and your camera/cell or even in a dressing room at the mall if you have no other options. But get into your birthday suit, a bathing suit or some really revealing workout gear and take stock.

Make sure you have a pen and a small notebook with you. On one page, write down everything you like about your body. On a separate page, write down everything you (realistically) want to change. You’re not going to get taller, so don’t bother fixating on how much better you think you’d look if you were 5’6” or 5’9”.

Try to be as objective as you can be while you’re evaluating your body. This is something that’s really hard for women, I know. But you want to have as non-judgmental an eye as you possibly can.

Go from head to toe or feet to face, but take a long look at every part of your body and make some notes. “I look fat” is not a constructive note. “I’d like to lose about an inch of fat from my abs” is more like it. Be as detailed as you can in your notes and be sure you note the things that are just fine the way they are. If your butt looks amazing, then say so. If you think it needs some lift, then say that.

When you can add specific numbers to your notes, do so. Things like “I’d like to add another inch to my biceps” or “I want to trim another inch from my thighs” are good examples of measurable goals that you can work into your plan in the third step below.

Step Two: Inspiration without Comparison

If you thought being objective about your body was tricky, you probably won’t find this one that easy, either.

I have issues with the magazines, movies and TV shows that present gorgeous, airbrushed women that make the rest of us feel inadequate. They really play a huge role in the fact that women have a hard time loving and appreciating their bodies.

However, you can use all of these images to your advantage as well. Looking at pictures of women who are truly fit and healthy can be very inspiring, as long as you’re not comparing yourself to them unfavorably or getting angry about their personal trainers or your genetics.

You can also get inspiration from women you know, women you see in the gym and other real-life examples of fitness and beauty. You don’t want to just look at these women or images and say, “I wish I looked like that.” But it’s perfectly fine to look at a woman working out across the room and say, “Wow, I’d love to get really hard, defined calves like those.”

Look at women who you think are fit, strong and sexy and you’ll probably start seeing some patterns in these women. Maybe they have lean, dancer-type bodies. Maybe they’re very muscular. Maybe they have full, rounded butts or rock-hard abs or really defined shoulders. When you start seeing that pattern, you’ll know which things define beauty to you. Those are things you should work into your goals in the next step. Write them down on a third piece of paper.

Step Three: Create a Plan to Create Yourself

Next, find a time when you have an hour or more to yourself. Put on some comfortable clothes, get a nice drink and a snack and grab your notebook and pen.

On a fresh sheet or sheets of paper, you’re going to write down each area of your body in its own section, with plenty of space to write things down below the headings. So write down “Arms”, leave plenty of space and then write “Back” and so on, in whatever order you like.

Look first at the list of things you want to change. Write them down one at a time in their proper section. Then write the steps you need to take to achieve those things. You might want to have your computer or smartphone handy to look up solutions.

Let’s say your first note states you want to have more defined shoulders. You write that down under arms (or shoulders, depending on how much you want to break things up)

and then you might look up some great shoulder exercises here on my site. Then you’ll write down the exercises you need to do.

Do this for everything you found to change when you took inventory. Then add to each section the things you came up with in Step 2.

When you get done, what you will have is a blueprint for a new body, the one that either changes or camouflages your “flaws” and incorporates all of the things that you find beautiful on other women.

Now you have definite goals, inspiration and the positive actions that you need to create a body that you love living in and that you feel is truly beautiful.

What do you do with your list of things you already love about your body? Stick it on the fridge or on your mirror to remind yourself of how hot you already are when you start feeling like quitting, cheating, slacking or feeling too sorry for yourself.

Step Four: Show True Appreciation for the Body You Have

It’s really important to appreciate and value your body as it is now and every step of the way as you’re transforming it.

We women spend a lot of time covering up or camouflaging what we think of as our physical flaws. In doing this, we often cover up some of our best features. If you have a rockin’ butt, forget about covering up your belly pooch with long tops; show off that backside by wearing a waist-length top and some great jeans or a pencil skirt.

Playing up the features you already like will help you to feel beautiful now, which is going to keep you motivated and happy as you’re working on the other stuff. Why should you wait until you lose ten pounds to feel beautiful?

Along those same lines, if you’ve been slacking a little on your grooming because you think there’s no point, stop it. Now, if you hate make-up and prefer ponytails, that’s fine. But if you skip your face and hair because you think that extra 20 pounds makes hair and makeup irrelevant, you need to change your outlook and your habits.

Taking care of your appearance, even if you go for a natural look, is important for your self-esteem, for your confidence and for your mood. How much better do you feel when you just got your hair done, you’re wearing something that makes you feel put-together and you found a great new shade of lipstick? Why shouldn’t you feel that way every day?

Another thing you might do is set up some kind of reward system for yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or outrageous. Make a list of things you can do for yourself every time you hit a goal. It could include an ice cream cone, a new haircut, a new workout outfit, a new magazine subscription or just the time alone to read a magazine.

Make sure that your goals are small and measurable; five pounds of fat lost or finally being able to curl fifty pounds. This way you know how you’re progressing and have something solid to attach those rewards to.

You don’t have to wait until you’re perfect to love and appreciate your body. If you do, you’ll be waiting forever. So start doing it now!

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