The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

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Looking Healthy, Looking Stylish

Looking+Healthy%2C+Looking+Stylish

I don’t feel comfortable wearing the latest fashions, because I don’t feel that they fit me well. Besides, I have no idea what the latest fashions are, anyway, and don’t feel like I have time to keep up with them! I’m overweight, unhappy, and I end up looking even sloppier because I wear loose-fitting clothes like sweatpants and sweatshirts. How can I look more like the people in the magazines?

Caring a healthy amount about how you look is fine. While you should always be careful to maintain a healthy relationship with your body image and self-esteem, it’s OK to want to look better and to use that as motivation for positive changes. Perhaps it’s time that you made some changes to your diet and exercise habits to look your best. And it sounds like it’s time that you updated your wardrobe, too — so let’s talk about both.

Fashion has a lot to do with how clothes fit. In fact, some experts say that fit is everything. Though trends come and go, the basic truth of fashion is that well-fitting clothes just look good. There’s a reason that movie stars from the 40s still look good on screen, instead of just dated. Those clothes were tailored to them, and while the styles are old, the look is still on-point! We can’t all have personal tailors, but turning to higher-quality clothing retailers can help you find clothes that are designed more carefully and sensibly than those you’ll find in big box stores and on the websites of e-commerce giants. A few key pieces of classic jewelry like hoop earrings or a fashionable watch also add to your look – and great jewelry you can last a lifetime and get passed on say the experts at Bromberg’s jewelry store in Alabama.

You don’t have to be in fantastic shape to get a good fit. Try clothes from different quality manufacturers and see which ones suit your body type best. Go ahead and start dressing better as soon as you feel ready. While it’s OK to set a goals and establish rewards for weight loss, you shouldn’t be punishing yourself in the near term. Dress well and improve your body at the same time, and focus on the positive rather than forcing yourself to wear only sweatpants until you “deserve” something better. Trust the people who have tried — and failed — with the clothes-deprivation strategy before: they’re the experts, and they say it doesn’t work.

Besides, buying new clothes as your diet progresses can be affordable and convenient while also marking a milestone in your journey. Shop online to make things convenient, because modern return policies and shipping speeds make it a breeze compared to going to the mall. Choose reliable retailers such as hip online dress boutiques, not the big e-commerce giants — remember, fit is key, and the quality shops will have clothes that work better with your body than the boxy cheap stuff you’ve been buying has.

A great fit can help someone of any size be stylish, but you’ll certainly feel and look better overall if you choose to get in shape. Make changes to your diet. Ditch processed foods and eat more whole foods, including (and especially) vegetables. If it helps you stay on track, count calories and macronutrients — but remember that the key to healthy living is sustainability, and that the diet that helps you lose weight should be close to the one that you stay on for the rest of your life. You’ll eat less and can use healthy diet-related supplements such as Lipodrene while you lose weight, but the end of your diet shouldn’t mark the end of your healthy eating habits. Perhaps you’ll eat a bit more, but you should still be eating whole foods and veggies — otherwise, that weight is coming right back.

It’s also incredibly important to stay active. Get at least a half-hour of exercise per day, and see a doctor with any mobility issues or injuries. Never, ever postpone treatment for an injury. Lingering injuries can do enormous damage to your body and health, say the experts at the Alberta Institute for physiotherapy in Okotoks.

Self-image and confidence play a big role in the way others perceive you. That means that doing things that remove your insecurities, whether its whitening your teeth through cosmetic dentistry, getting a great haircut, or going to a cosmetics store like Sephora and getting makeover.

All of this works together. By choosing to dress better as you improve your body, you’ll gain a more positive body image and can bring that positivity and elevated mood to your diet and exercise tasks. By improving your body, you’ll give yourself a mood boost and make those clothes look even better on you. Stay positive and don’t give up.

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