NEDAwareness Week

It's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Visit this link for more information! http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Do something great for your self confidence this week and thank God for how beautiful He has made you ♥ You are one of a kind, made by Him!

 

To all of you who are fighting your eating disorder.....YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL <3

I saw this on Pinterest the other day and it made me think of my recovery and how it's during life's hardest times that I have become the individual I am today. My success in overcoming my struggles is what has built up my character and given me compassion towards others and a passion to fall in love with the real me and to turn away from the "me" my eating disorder told me I was. I like to think of my recovery as dancing in the rain, taking life's trials and making something beautiful out of them. I could not have done this without the Lord though. "He hath made all things beautiful in His time." Ecclesiasties 3:11 <3

Love Letter to your Body

As the Valentine's Day holiday festivities come to a close, I want to share something with you that I have done every Valentine's Day since rehab, that has truly helped me through my recovery. I take a moment and sit down and write a love letter to my body. You may be thinking just the mere thought of doing this seems impossible but with some determination I know you can do it. When I was in rehab I had to write hate letters to the body parts that I disliked the most, mine was passionately written with hatred towards every inch of my anatomy. After I finished the letter, I could not believe how much I truly despised myself. It was a harsh realization but the next step was one of the hardest things I had to do. I had to change every negative thing I said about myself into something positive. For instance, if I said the statement, "My butt is fat." I had to change it to "My butt is curvy and beautiful." As much as it killed me to focus on the positive, by the end of my time at rehab I believed most of the positive remarks I had countered my original comments with. As time goes on, I find myself recognizing more and more good in my body type and realizing that God made me the way He intended and I need to be satisfied with that. By taking the time to write a love letter to your body you are working on maintaining a positive focus and that is contagious. Even if you feel like you can only admit ONE good thing about your body that you love, it's better than nothing. Write it out in big letters and read it everyday. I guarantee with a willing heart, it will change the way you look at yourself and help boost your confidence!

Now Vs. Then: The Sad Reality

Some of my previous blog posts have discussed the media's distorted portrayal these days of the "Perfect Body". I found this photo online and thought it was a perfect example. Be(YOU)tiful and fight to not fall captive to what society says you need to look like! You deserve a HEALTHY and happy life <3

Too Skinny?

Today as I was surfing through my Facebook newsfeed a post caught my eye, it said, "Dear world there's no such thing as "too skinny"...if you say it ur only trying to make urself feel better for the simple fact that you wish you wer that skinny so please lets not say that about ppl no-one is ever too skinny." I was devistated as I read this and thought about the hundreds of girls that would read it as well and how it may drive them even further into their eating disorder. The media and society today have created the idea that there is no such thing as too skinny and that is exactly what is destroying individuals lives today. The actual word skinny is now being used by marketers of all industries as they market skinny jeans, skinny water bottles, Skinny Girl Margarita and many more. There is no limit to skinny anymore and less weight is being portrayed as the ideal for society. How about we start filling our society with thoughts of having a healthy body weight and maintaining a good diet with balanced exercise without being excessive. What if for once, a size six was acceptable and a size zero was simply unattractive? I absolutely disagree with the statement, no-one is ever too skinny, I believe skinny is out of control and everywhere I turn people are in fact way too skinny. If you are reading this today and feel discouraged by society's pressure that you have to be as small as possible, please think again, you are SO much more than your dress size and you deserve to live a happy and healthy life. One of my favorite quotes is, "Why are you trying to hard to fit in when you were born to stand out." Please join with me as I go against the societal norms and stand out as a happy and healthy individual  that is known for much more than my dress size.

Speak Up!

I remember when first starting recovery for my eating disorder I was so embarrassed to tell anyone about my struggles and did not want to reveal this dirty little secret  to the whole world around me. I always made sure that I avoided the topic at all costs. However, the other day I received a message from a dear friend's mom and it it made me realize how thankful I am that as I progress through recovery I become more and more open about my past with my eating disorder. As a result I am able to transform a horrible experience in my life into something with a purpose. I believe that my purpose is to reach out to those around me that are struggling with eating disorders, share my story and help in anyway that I can. The message was speaking about a very young girl that confided in her that she had been struggling with an eating disorder. As I read the message, my heart sank and I began to cry just thinking of this young girl and the pain and struggle she must be facing. I replied and offered to meet with her and try and point her in the right direction and I do hope that can come to pass. When I put aside my own pride and concern of reputation and made the decision to try and help others through my own mistakes, the door was opened to so much opportunity to make a difference. The scripture verse that came to mind as I reflect over this story is, Romans 8:28 which states, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." God has a purpose for my life and wants to make something beautiful out of all that has happened in my past. He has a purpose for your life too and is just looking for a willing heart to surrender to Him and His plans, out of that so much blessing flows. If you are in recovery today, even if it's just the beginning stages, you can make a difference. Speaking up about your recovery and what you have learned along the way could change someones life.