Be proud of your strong body.

“I used to reach for food to deal with every emotion—stress, fatigue, worry, even happiness. The fix lasted for minutes, but the guilt hangover lasted much longer than that. Now when I need a quick boost or an energy lift—or even a way to celebrate something good in my life—I exercise. The fix carries me through to my next workout—unlike ice cream! And instead of guilt, I feel proud of my stronger-than-ever body.”

Find your own body-loving path.

“Six parts dedicated therapy + three parts realizing there’s so much more to life than worrying about cellulite + two parts ditching the scale + two parts opening my eyes to the perils of airbrushing + just a smidge of medication = My Path to Loving My Body.”

Set an example with your body image.

“The first time I saw my older daughter imitate me by scowling at herself in the mirror, I knew my relationship with my body had to change. No longer do I focus on ‘problem areas’ when I look in the mirror. Now I revel in the miles my body can run, bike and swim. By ensuring that my girls love their bodies, I learned to love mine. It was certainly an unexpected gift of motherhood.”

Appreciate all the things your body can do.

“I learned to love my body when I turned my focus from appearance to gratitude for everything my body enables me to do. I am so fortunate to be able to spin, Zumba, run and teach aerobics without limitations, and every time I do something active, I think about how grateful I am to be able to do so. A healthy and active body is a beautiful body.”

Step off the scale.

“When I stopped letting the scale steal my happiness and be a gauge of my self-worth, I was able to really build a true love relationship with my body. Learning to love your body and be accepting of everything—excellence and flaws—is a process and a journey but one well worth it!”

Dare to not compare your body.

“If I compare myself with other women, I can create a million reasons why I should hate my body. Comparing myself with others always leaves me feeling inadequate and unhappy about my body, so I choose not to do it. My body might not be perfect compared with a model or even my neighbor, but it is the only body I will ever have. I would rather accept this fact and love my body the way it is than waste my time hating any part of it"