I Hate Self Hatred!

What is up with our society and the way we are taught to view our bodies? Why is it that only 1% of women love their body, according to Self Magazine? Also found in Self, 75% of women admit to being competitve about weight with their friends! Why is it that no matter how much weight I lose, how many times a week I hit the gym, or how many calories I count there is a part of my brain that tells me I am not good enough? Why do I look in the mirror and still see a girl who weighs over 300 lbs? We have these images of women who are air brushed about a zillion times over shoved in our faces 24-7. We put these insane expectations out there in the universe for ourselves, and we are just as guilty of putting them on our friends, mothers, sisters, and worse...our daughters!

Well I am here to tell you that you are good enough. You should value yourself enough to take care of your body. I have mentioned before that my faith is an intrical part of my journey to being healthy. As a Christian I am a daughter of the Lord, a co-heir with Christ. I deserve to roll out the red carpet for myself. The Lord loves me enough to bless me abundantly with all of the things that I need to achieve my goals, who am I to tell him that I am too busy, the diet is too hard, or that I just flat don't want to do it?

As I struggle with my own self image daily, I know all of these things listed above. It is still a struggle. I still have to ask the Lord to let me see myself as his precious child. That my worth is not wrapped up in the number on the scale or the size in my waistband. As I look in the mirror at my body I see all of my battle scars, the saggy skin from my years of being morbidly obese, the stretch marks from carrying a miracle inside my womb, the scars from my laparoscopic gastric bypass, and my ever shrinking breasts that are finding their new home after nursing the baby for 9 months. I know that these things are beautiful in their imperfections...but I have to ask the Lord to remind me all the time of this!

So what can you do?

Let me ask you a question, do you value food more than your body? Do you value watching television more than your life? Do you think that facebook is more important than being able to run with your kids?

Of course you would rather not look at these things in this light. It is convicting to think that by saying that you could 'never give up coffee, chocolate, pizza, (insert your own food vice here) you are actually saying that you value these foods, tv shows, or websites more than your own well being.

I totally get it, because I used to think exactly like you! I would diet and try to get around limitations. While on weight watchers I would save up points so I could eat pizza. I would justify my time spent on facebook or watching tv while my 6 year old played outside alone.

I am here to tell you that you owe it to yourself, your kids, and most of all the Lord to take care of the body you are living in. The Lord has given us 1 body to live in, and as a Christian it is our duty to take care of that body so that we are healthy enough to share His message with everyone we meet.

Think about this as you go through out your day. When you have a chance to work out and don't, what are you spending your time doing? Is that more valuable to you than your life? When you pick up that doughnut, is that Krispy Cream more valuable than lowering your risk for heart disease?

I have adapted this idea into my daily life. Each time I consider 'cheating' or eating something that isn't allowed I ask myself if it is more valuable to me than myself, and it works!! Remind yourself each day of your successes, and most of all Pray about it. You are not strong enough on your own, accept it and ask the one person who can help you, the Lord!