Dear Steemy,
I've been quietly fighting a losing battle with my body. It seems like no matter how hard I work, or how much I change my diet I can't get results. I know it's shallow to want to look a certain way but it helps my self esteem and I can't help but hate the way I look. It's on my mind all the time and sometimes I just can't eat so I drink water to feel full. I know if I could just slim down a little more I'd be happy with how I look and not constantly wondering if people are staring at the parts of me that I hate. I'm starting to wonder if anyone else ever feels this way or if I'm alone.
Thinmint
Dear Mint,
If you get only one thing from this, let it be that you understand that you're not alone. Body image is an issue that almost all people deal with at some point in life. And for those who don't have body image issues, rest assured they're dealing with other problems just like the rest of us. How we perceive ourselves can color our everyday interactions in society, making us more or less introverted. we need to learn how to accept ourselves if we ever hope to move past the lies we whisper about ourselves.
You're More Than Meats and Eyes
There's everything right with wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle and feel good about yourself. But don't go too far and forget that one day you will inevitably grow old. When that happens, it is who you are inside that will help you endure. If you forget to groom the inside, you may find yourself lost when the outside starts to go. Our minds are the most important aspect of ourselves, and it deserves your attention just as much, if not more than, your body.
Moving Target
When will enough be enough? Right now you just want to 'slim down' a little more, but tomorrow what will it be? Will your hair no longer feed your need for appearances, will you move on to surgeries or other procedures in mad dash attempt to perfect your physical self? What we want is always changing, so how do we attain our desires? How can we look perfect if perfect is an abstract that keeps shifting? The short answer is that we don't.
If we let the external presentations of what humans should look like affect our internal experience, we're always going to be chasing goal posts as the scuttle backwards, out of reach.
Live a Little, Love A Lot
It doesn't sound like you're going to stop trying to attain your view of perfection, but at least you can remember to try and love yourself right now. The self that is "imperfect" is the self that is doing all the work, and that self deserves love too. If you forget to find love for yourself within yourself, you may find that you look amazing but you'll never find that you feel any happiness about your life. Live a little, but love a lot, my grandmother always told me, and I think we can all use that advice.
If you do find that you're harming yourself in an attempt to look "beautiful" you may need to get some help, which we all need from time to time. Your health is already at risk from so much in life, please do not become your own biggest risk factor. You're beautiful exactly as you are. Repeat it with me as needed:
You're beautiful exactly as you are.
Good Luck,
Steemy
Remember you can email me at dearsteemy@gmail.com to ask for advice or share some insight!