Unless the body you see in the mirror is thin, buff and curvy (for women) or six-pack fit (for men), you walk away disappointed. Everywhere you look there are magazines, TV and movie images that seem to scream, “You aren’t okay!” “You’re not good enough!”

And before long, you start to believe that you aren’t okay just the way you are. Those kinds of dangerous beliefs can cause you to have irrational fears around food and begin to loathe your body – as if it’s the enemy causing your “sub-standard” results.

So what can you do if your body doesn’t seem to match up with the way you want it to be?  Fad dieting, laxative abuse, purging and exercising to exhaustion are not the answers.  But here are seven ways to love the body you have as much as (or even more than) the body you want:

1. Look at an anatomy textbook. The organs, muscles, senses and functions of your body are amazing. Your brain has potential beyond the most powerful supercomputer. Appreciate your body for all that it is and all it does on autopilot, just to sustain life.

2. Think of your body as a vehicle instead of an ornament. Have you ever had an old reliable used car that ran great while your friend’s sports car spent more time in the shop than in his garage? A vehicle can get you where you want to go. An ornament is only valuable when it sparkles – and that’s a static quality.

3. Stand up straight, with your shoulders back and walk with your head upright. When you do that, your body not only looks longer and leaner but you also feel better as well.

4. Wear clothes that fit and flatter. Clothing sizes are inconsistent at best. Don’t make a big deal out of wearing a certain size. Nothing looks worse than a body crammed into too small clothes.

5. Choose an exercise or sport that you enjoy, rather than one you have to force yourself to do as part of a weight loss effort. Your ultimate goal is to look better, feel stronger and healthier – and you won’t get there if you begrudgingly make yourself do an activity you don’t enjoy.

6. Never refuse to attend a social or special event because you can’t fit into a certain outfit. Get something else to wear and enjoy yourself. That’s better than staying home, feeling depressed and eating an entire cheesecake in one sitting.

7. Make a list of 10 things that you like about yourself. Do not include anything about your body on that list.

You can tone, tan and trim your body in many ways, but none of those things will satisfy you until you learn to treasure your body regardless of what state it’s currently in.  It’s the vehicle that takes you where you want to go in life!