[VLOG] The Fastest Way to Lose Your Muffin Top

Did you know that there are 13 million people in the world who are perpetually dieting?

Doing everyyyything in their power to lose their muffin top. Amongst other things.

And this time of year articles and blogs promoting ways to do just that in 30, 60, 90 days or less are a dime a dozen.

Because of the hardwired belief that to fit the societal beauty standard that we shouldn’t have one.

According to society thinness = beauty = happiness

But let’s flip this on its head for a minute.

If you, like millions of other people, have embarked on a however-many-day-program to finally lose your muffin top, tell me... has the end result typically been lasting happiness? Thinness even?

Right, I thought so.

Because you know as well as I do that the shit just doesn’t work.

A 95% failure rate isn’t great odds…

So, what’s the alternative you ask?

What’s the absolute fastest and easiest way to lose your muffin top?

1. Stop judging your body by comparing it to a food item! Seriously, when you think muffin top in terms of body speak, do you get those warm and fuzzy feel-good-feelings?

Unless you’ve been doing some radical body image work, I’m leaning toward your response being a big NO. You get a serious emotional hit.

So why in the world do you keep doing it? To motivate yourself? If so, I want you to consider the last time that ridiculing, judging and treating yourself poorly ended in amazing results….

Right, probably never!

So, instead of grinding away to lose your ‘muffin top,’ why not lose the judgmental labels and body-speak you’ve been participating in on the regular.

Instead, practice observing the hard and fast truths... you know those truths that you've been struggling to accept.

• Maybe your stomach is round.

• Maybe your sides have more fat on them than 5 years ago.

• Maybe the sides or front of your stomach hang over the band of your pants.

Observe it.

Describe it.

Notice how and when you’re triggered and instead of going down the self-loathing rabbit hole, ask yourself how you can care for and respect that part of you through your words and behaviors.

Consider if not now, when will you be willing to respect and care for that part of you in a way that makes you feel something other than shame and embarrassment.

2. Now, if the skin and fat that hangs over the sides and front of your pants is just driving you nutty, a super fast way to lose it is to buy clothes that fit differently.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking.

“Sarah, if I buy clothes that fit my body better I’ll just keep gaining weight!”

My response?

How has forcing yourself into a pair of pants that are epically uncomfortable served you so far?

Seriously, when has wearing clothes that don’t fit made you feel really good?

Think about all of the things you could gain from buying articles of clothing that fit you differently.

• Comfortable!

• Confident!

• Free from perpetually pulling up your pants or wearing long baggy sweaters to cover-up.

This goes back to the whole treating yourself with care and respect thing. When you’re so uncomfortable that all you can do is beat yourself up over the way your body falls over your clothing, are you giving yourself the opportunity to care for and respect your body?

Right. I didn’t think so.

But if you honor where your body is at this moment in time, you’re actually showing yourself some radical, RADICAL self-care and respect.

Because you’re proving to yourself- and to your body- that you’re worthy of comfort. You’re worthy of care. You’re worthy of acceptance.

That maybe there’s nothing wrong with your body at all- maybe it’s the clothes that need to be change.

Self-respect = self-care = self-acceptance = self-kindness = true beautiful badassery

It might be a longer, less known and talked about road to feeling comfortable and at peace in your own body, but it’s one that can stick for the long term.

And in the end, that's what we're after, right?

I'm a body image and eating disorder therapist in Horsham, PA.

I help people recover from eating disorders and make peace with their mind, body and food.

I specialize in treating binge eating and helping women learn how to stop dieting and really start living.

Questions? Get in touch here!