Tuesday 29 April 2008

How to feel good naked, fast!

Thanks to Gok Wan of Channel 4's How to Look Good Naked for services to womankind. Every week almost, I avidly watch his programme slotting myself into the mind of this or that person and on occasion thinking my body shape is that person, in particular the last one which was Nicki Denbigh. Some of those women look so beautiful as the attitude to themselves changes, and of course with the assistance of some styling and make-up helps!

I might be relatively petite but I don't really have an idea of how I look. Thinking I have builder's shoulders and proportionately large upper arms upon a short squat frame. Now here's the fast bit .... I remembered a book of self-esteem exercises for children that I bought when my daughter was in early puberty. She fought so much I was never able to carry any of them out. Anyway, one activity that appealed to me was to lay on the floor and draw around each other on large sheets of paper. Which is an activity I have also seen used on TV with people who are body dysmorphic.

We have a large roll of brown paper knocking about the house. Otherwise, I'd have used the back of old (unused!) wallpaper blue-tacked on to the wall. Using a light pen I then drew what I thought my shape was. Then wearing just bras (as I would always wear them with clothes) I stood against the picture as Mr Doris got up close and intimate and drew around me proper. I then stood back and compared. What a difference. Not only was I shadow of what I thought but I found I actually did have a nice shape with everything in the right places.

The two sets of pens were confusing for me so I put up a fresh piece of paper for Mr Doris to just draw round me. And for some days now my double has hung on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Mr Doris put in some eyes and a mouth but it looked so unintentionally silly it was quite offputting. So he printed out a lifesize face of Betty Boop and stuck that over and since has been calling me his Betty Boop. Which I don't mind in the least. I may not be utterly curvacious like the mythical Betty Boop but I still have curves and shape.

And just this morning I caught myself naked in bathroom mirror and immediately noticed all my good bits, but most of all thought my tummy looked good. Such a turn around for me.

On the day I did the outline exercise I went out and splashed out on two new pairs of shoes (both on sale - one with £15 off and the other with £20 off!) and some new mascara and I felt fabulous. Not something I ever say about myself.



A word of warning though .... be careful what pen you use on the paper as permanent marker seeped through our brown paper and onto the whitish wallpaper.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE Gok Wan! He is a miracle worker! And he seems to be a really nice, sensitve man. I love the way he talks with the women, unlike his rivals, who seem to delight in belittling their taste.

I also love the idea of drawing what you think your outline is like and then drawing around yourself. I think a lot of women would be surprised.

And you have Betty Boop shoes!! Yay! Lucky you - my feet are so peculiar I've never been able to wear those pretty styles.

Oops. Does that sound dysmorphic?

Anonymous said...

There is nothing like a pair of new shoes to make you feel fabulous. Gorgeous underwear also does it for me too.

Jo said...

You look fabulous and you ARE fabulous!!!

Hope the wedges have softened up a bit ;-)

Anonymous said...

What little figure I had has vanished and I can only wear flats now, but who cares?!!!!!!

Xta

Anji said...

What a great idea. I last used that exercise to teach French children the parts of the body and lined the walls of the classroom with the extra cut out children; Your post has arrived at the moment when I have been trying on my summer clothes and do not like what I see in the mirror!

More new shoes! It must be spreading all over the internet.

Anji said...

Oops - the children remained fully clothed!

Chandira said...

That sounds like something I should do! Wow, I bet my own body image is way off. I am short and wide, and look just like my grandma in my self-image.. Urghh!!

I have a wide waist, and a small butt, I just go straight down, no curves! I wonder if that's true.
I keep thinking I'm getting fat, but you know, I haven't gained a pound in about 3 months at least, I have my weight on my calendar at MapMyRun.com (which is a great website!!)

New shoes? sigh.. YOu know the trouble I have with finding them. I have short fat feet, too, apparently.. lol

Anonymous said...

I just heard about this show the other day, but it's definitely one I'd like to watch. I don't know of any woman that doesn't have a self-image problem. *raises hand*

Reality shows like this are a breath of fresh air.