10 Ways to Feel Good about your Weight

Hey girls,
So we all feel insecure about our weight sometimes. I know girls who--at the time, already bordering on underweight--told me that they'd like to loose weight (as much as 10 pounds sometimes) before summer started (presumably, so that they'd look good in a swimsuit).

What do you do if you constantly struggle with feeling overweight? Here are a few exercises I've found helpful:

1. Read your Bible.
It's amazing what a profound difference the Word of God can make. Start in Psalm 139 and just start reading your Bible every day. Knowing you're God's child has a huge impact on your outlook.

2. Talk to God...then listen.
(aka pray)
Tell God how you feel. Tell God about what you've been reading in the Bible. Then, turn on some Christian music, and remember how much He loves you.

3. Love your image
When you look at yourself in the mirror, don't think about your weight. Tell yourself you're God's beautiful creation--and believe it. Even better, memorize Psalms 139:13-15 or write it on your mirror. Repeat those verses to yourself when you check in the mirror.

4. Exercise just to feel good
Everybody has their "feel good" exercise--something that just makes them happier, regardless of how many calories they think they've burned. Find yours! It could be going on a long run, doing a hundred crunches, or doing leg lifts until your legs feel like they're going to fall off. Find an exercise that you like to do, and just do it for fun. Don't time yourself. Don't worry about how long you go (unless that adds to the fun), and don't let yourself think about burning calories. Just exercise...just for fun.

5. Eat
It's easy, when you're feeling overweight, to under-eat or skip meals.
Don't.
This doesn't work for weight loss, by the way. It just knocks your self-esteem while lowering your metabolism.
Eat until you're full (not bursting--that isn't healthy--just until you're not hungry anymore). Enjoy your food...God gave you taste buds for a reason! And don't forget to leave a little room to eat a (healthy portion of) dessert once in awhile. When you do have dessert, decide in advance approximately how much you'll eat to satisfy that last little bit of hunger you saved just for dessert ("I'll have just one cookie" or "I'll have two scoops of ice cream") Then, enjoy your dessert without thinking about the calories EVER AGAIN. Not while you're eating, not after you've eaten it. Enjoy it.

6. Find your identity elsewhere
This sort-of goes with numbers 1 and 2. You need to have your identity in Jesus Christ and not in your appearance, so find an outlet to do something you love that makes God smile and gives you an identity: Try taking up a musical instrument, joining a photography club, or writing a blog. Find out who you are--you are much more than your weight.

7. Imagine where you would be if your health fell apart.
It's scary, but it does happen. People get sick. People get health problems. Someday, you may end up with a health issue that makes it difficult or near impossible to be as thin as you'd like, or you could end up in a situation where looks don't even matter to you anymore. If you completely lose your looks, what will you be? What will be left of you? What kind of a person will you be? Why will people value you? (they still will, you know) Read 1 Peter 3 for more on this. Develop inner character.

8. Buy a modest swimsuit
This is a huge one. If you're going to walk around in revealing clothes (especially if everyone else is also wearing revealing clothes) it's going to be much easier to feel insecure about your weight. Instead, buy a modest swimsuit. I wear a boys' t-shirt and shorts over mine. Yeah, it bugs me that I can't go to the pool and look skinny. But it also reminds me that being loving is more important than being skinny.

9. Stop caring for a day
Try wearing a full skirt, that one shirt you bought that's bit too big, or that giant hoodie. Just spending a day once in awhile going out of the house wearing something that DOESN'T make you feel skinny can do wonders for your self-confidence. Don't feel like you have to make a habit of dressing down, of course. It's okay to look good and know what clothes flatter your figure (modestly, of course) But spend a day once in awhile to remind yourself that what really matters about you is your inner beauty and your personality, and not your outer shell.

10. Make a list of Bible verses that describe you as a whole person
Look through the Bible, search BibleGateway.org, search on Google--do whatever it takes to find some great Bible verses that say "This is who you are." Find out who God says you are on the inside. Find out what He thinks about you. Make a list of Bible verses that describe how God thinks of you and who God says you are, and then work on memorizing them (you can even keep the list in your pocket).

There you have them--10 ways to feel better about your weight. Hope they helped! :)