Ten Ways to Love Your Body....

It's the only one you have.

Fara, one of my fitness gurus, inspired her class earlier this week by taking the stage with her glorious pregnant belly on display. Fara is one of those people who loves her body, takes care of it and celebrates what it can do. In this case, her body is building a little human. Amazing, right?

No, I'm not suggesting we all invest in crop tops. But we all can take a lesson from Fara and celebrate what we've got.

Here are 10 ways to Love Your Body.

1. Stop obsessing. Don't stand in front of the mirror and pick yourself apart. Nobody has a perfect body. (Well, maybe Halle Berry and JLo, but I've long said they aren't human. And I bet even THEY are unhappy with something.) And while we're on the topic, stop rewinding the negative messages in your head. Instead...                                                                                                                          
2. Celebrate what your body can do. Run, dance, swim. Open a jar of pickles. Hug a child.      Create some something wonderful. Garden. Paint. Sew. Strut down the street in drop-dead gorgeous shoes. Which brings me to...                                                                                                    
3. Dress the body you have. That was the advice from What Not to Wear hosts Stacy and Clinton. Don't slouch around in oversize sweats because you want to hide from the world. (Unless, of course, all you want to do is go home and take off your bra. I have those days, too.)                       
4. Fuel it. Eat real food packed with nutrients. Drink lots of water. Cheat once and awhile and when you do, savor it, and move on. NO guilt.                                                                                    
5. Pamper your body. Take it to the pool or slather it with scented lotion. Get a massage or a facial.                                                                                                                                                       
   
6. Exercise it and take it out to play. Consistent, regular exercise produces results. But don't get stuck in a rut. Walking the dog or taking the kids for a bike ride counts as activity.                                              
7. Quit comparing it to everybody else. I will never by tall and willowy. I will never look like a supermodel. But we all know even the supermodels don't look like supermodels in real life. That's airbrushing and Photoshop. And if they do look like that, they aren't human. (See Halle/JLo reference above.)                                                                                                                      
8. Surround yourself with supportive people. If they drain your energy and make you feel bad about yourself, maybe it's time to cut them loose.       

     9.   Let it rest. Your body needs days off, too.

     10. Have fun with it! I love to dance so there's nothing more fun than Jazzercise. Maybe running
           or riding your bike is what turns you on. Find what you love. And do it.