We all know perfection is an illusion, and when it comes to our bodies so many of us cannot embrace, let alone consider loving our flaws. So many companies are becoming rich off of our self-loathing and inability to love our bodies. A good example of this is cellulite, aka cottage cheese. Also known clinically as adiposis, edematosa, dermapanniculosis deformans, status protrusus cutis, gynoid lifodystrophy and orange peel syndrome. The fact is, is that it's very common. Did you know that, 85%-95% of women have some form of cellulite? This means that it's actually a physiological issue and not pathologic. Almost all women have this and either inherit it, or have it due to hormones, yet we hide it and spend gobs of money to get rid of it. Same goes for stretch marks, wrinkles, grey hair etc. There are endless products out there telling women that these imperfections are wrong and need to be eradicated immediately. But what if instead of hiding these flaws, we chose to celebrate them? Or at least decide to work on a remedy after loving these imperfections first? Or just embrace these flaws as part of our bodies, which makes us unique and perfectly imperfect? Life would be boring if we all looked like Barbie, no?

When it comes to weight loss I coach my clients on how to love themselves first before they look at changing their lifestyle. We cannot change something that we literally hate. You wouldn’t make great strides to make up with a neighbor that you hated, same goes for your body. This doesn’t mean that even though you love your body at an overweight status, you can’t make efforts to change it, but having it come from a negative place won’t work. Body fat and cellulite will be there, whether you love it or hate it, and you have better odds at decreasing it if you come at it from a place of love and acceptance vs. a place of disgust.

Remember that I teach people that if you don’t manage your mind first and foremost around the meaning you give the number on the scale, even when you hit your goal weight, you still won’t be happy and will just find another thing you don’t like about yourself. I have seen this time and time again. So what’s a girl to do?
Step one-- Find parts of your body you do love.
Focus on those parts of yourself when you look in the mirror or when you shower, instead of the parts you dislike. Don't zero in on the flaws at first glance. Once you have mastered this then go to the next step.

Step two--Move towards loving your whole self, flaws and all.
The stretch marks may be the result of your babies that you carried. Celebrate them. The cellulite may be something you inherited from all the women that came before, love this.

Step three--Once you are at a state of acceptance, then you can make a plan to reduce it, if that feels good to you.
Either way you know how to be happy (hint, b/c you are able to manage your mind). Maybe you decide to eat clean to reduce body fat and cellulite. This is better than doing it because you are telling yourself you are unattractive and can’t show up as your whole self in the world. Choose love, love your flaws, love you. The rest will follow. Mindyourstrength.com.