BEACH
BODY
Her
skin was toasted like a crispy brown marshmallow roasted over a
summer campfire. The tanned hue was so perfect, it could be a
Starbucks flavor. Mocha Marshmallow. Her skinny hip bones drew
attention to her flat abdomen where a clingy bikini showed off her
curves. You could balance your drink on her waist, it was so flat.
I cocked my head and bit my lip. It was only an image on my
computer screen but the girl was so perfect it wasn't even fair. And
I am a naturally thin person! But this girl brought beautiful to a
whole new level.
The words on this picture hit it home. “Wanting
a perfect beach body.”
It was obvious now. This was the new
standard. This is the “beach body” that girls are chasing after.
This is how we want to look. We desire to look like all the
pretty girls we see on magazine covers, T.V. Screens and Tumblr
blogs. We're chasing down that perfect beach body.
The
problem?
It's an image that most of us find unattainable.
We're forever being bombarded with greasy foods, fatty
snacks, and candy-tasting sugar drinks that keep us overweight. How
can a girl possibly rid herself of these delicacies to get a body
like that in time for summer? It's a tough choice...a bag of
Cheetos’s, or a dream body?
When faced with this choice, so
many of us dive off in extreme's. Half of us opt for the lie that
says, “I need to starve myself to be pretty!” The other half
grabs a second bag of Cheeto's and says, “Forget it. I love food
more then boys. I'm gonna stuff my face because dieting is dangerous
and food tastes too good to give it up.”
Both of these
options leave us miserable and unsatisfied. The girl who starves
herself hates her body. And the girl who indulges in every cupcake
that passes by loves her body's cravings just a little bit too
much.
So where's the balance? Is it possible to eat well, be
at a healthy weight, and feel good about yourself without bouncing
from one extreme to the other? Absolutely YES!
These three
steps will get you off your sugar craze, avoiding the “skinny”
deception, and help you step into the healthy, beautiful life that
you always knew you could have!
1)
Your Weight Does Not Define You
Before
we go any further talking about food and body image, I want you to
get this deep in your heart: What the scale says is just a number. It
does not define who you are. God gave you a beautiful body. He
blessed His daughters with a beautiful array of different body types.
We were not created to all look the same! God purposefully made girls
with large frames, small frames, big hips, little hips, tall, short,
thick legs, boney arms, ect.
If he wanted everyone to be a carbon
copy of a magazine model He would have done that! You are not a
mistake. Every detail of your body was carefully thought out.
If
you're not happy with your life now, you're not going to be any
happier in a size two. I am a naturally small person. I'm thin,
wiery, and kinda boney. So many girls would envy my body because I
have what this generation thinks is, “IT” right now.
But
honestly, there are many little things I would like to change about
myself. I grew up so much smaller and weaker then all my friends. My
teeth are a little crooked, I feel like I have chicken legs, and
sometimes I wish people didn't think I look like a thirteen year old.
With my pale face, long arms, and double jointed knees, I don't
always “love the skin I'm in.”
Why am I telling you all
this? I don't want you to fall for the “skinny” trap. The world
tells us that if we get skinny we will be happier. I'm thin, and
sometimes I wish I wasn't so tiny! Couldn't I have bigger hips, or a
bigger bust, maybe a little more normal looking body?
Thinking
like this is wrong.
Happiness does not depend on your
weight, life situations, what you had for breakfast, or which guy on
the basketball team things you're a hottie. Genuine happiness can
only come from one place. Peace with your Creator.
He created you
for a purpose and calls you beautiful just the way you are. If you
align with Him and ask God to fill your life with peace and joy, then
and only then will you find that satisfaction you've been longing
for. You can't find it on the treadmill. I didn't find peace and
confidence by standing on the scale. I found it in my Heavenly
Father's arms.
2)
Oh, Sugar!
God's
Word makes it pretty obvious...He made no mistake with your body.
Big, small, or somewhere in-between you are made exactly the way He
wanted you to be.
But God also makes something else clear. We
are supposed to take care of our bodies and keep them healthy. This
is where so many girls get confused. The words “diet” and
“healthy” get swaped around with one another, even though they
DON'T mean the same thing. When I talk about healthy eating, I am NOT
talking about dieting. Diets are ridiculous and can also be
dangerous. Obsessing over your weight and fretting about food can
lead to very damaging behaviors and mindsets.
Living and eating
healthy is a different story! What's the big difference between
dieting and eating healthy?
A DIET- Is a dangerous activity
where a girl gets hyper focused on what she cannot eat. This is a
form of hurting herself, giving herself ridiculous boundaries,
trapping herself in a cage. A girl who is dieting counts carbs,
calories or grams. Diets are all about what you CANNOT have, and
making yourself miserable to loose some pounds. A diet strives to
satisfy the scale, who like a thirsty leach is NEVER satisfied.
Dieting makes you a victim of self-hatred.
HEALTHY EATING- Is
a totally empowering, encouraging experience where a girl fills her
body with all sorts of amazing stuff. Healthy eating is about
focusing on what you CAN have and then eating tons of it! Getting
filled up and feeling fantastic is what healthy eating is all about.
Healthy eating has a fantastic purpose: to become the best version of
yourself for God's glory.
But wait...does God really want us
to be healthy?
God
has so many amazing plans for you, things He desires that you
accomplish great things as you co-work with Him to bring His love
into the World! He has exhilarating missions, mountains to climb and
hurdles to jump! If you want to be your best for Christ, you have to
be operating your highest potential...(making the most of every
opportunity.) If you're going to be like Christ, do the impossible,
and reach your dreams, you've got to be mentally and physically
prepared.
What do I mean by mentally and physically prepared?
I simply mean, if you want the absolute BEST coming out, you have to
put the BEST in.
Ever heard the phrase, “You are what you
eat”? Well, that is frighteningly true. Our bodies were made to
absorb and use every food and ingredient that we consume, to build
our bodies with. Just like our hearts and minds are always work in
progress, so are our bodies.
They are growing and changing
everyday. They adapt to the foods we eat and the atmosphere we live
in.
3)
Wanna Know A Secret? Skinny Girls Eat...A LOT!
I
don't know where we got the idea that less food equals skinny.
We've been told to avoid all fat. To skip meals. To not eat
meat. But where has that gotten us?
Nowhere but miserable. A healthy
girl isn't focused on eating less of something. She's focused on all
the wonderful things God created for her to eat...then she eats as
much as she wants!
The key to developing a healthy lifestyle
about food is quite simple. Just ask yourself, “Is the food I am
about to put into my body living or dead?”
What do I mean
by living foods and dead foods?
Living foods are God-given
foods are in their natural state. Meaning, no one has altered these
foods with chemicals. Living foods are raw or nearly raw. Foods that
fall under this category include fresh or frozen fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. They have not been
stripped of their fiber or other nutritious parts. Also, nothing has
been added to them. They are still “alive”, with all the
nutritious vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes intact.
When
we eat them this way, they bring life, energy and fullness into our
bodies. How cool is that? If we eat the foods God originally gave us
to mow on (which includes meat! Hallelujah!) then our bodies will be
in optimal condition, ready for any life mission God might send us
on! We can be ready in season and out of season, we don't have to
constantly get sick with every flu bug that flies around. We don't
have to feel tired, sluggish and have negative thoughts bogging us
down. We can put LIFE into our bodies, and reap the benefits of it!
“Dead”
foods are processed or altered until there are little or no living
properties in them. They are overcooked or heated to extremely high
temperatures, which kills the enzymes and vitamins, or they are
altered by chemicals. This processing is for the purpose of creating
a product that can sit on the shelf at room temperature for a very
long time. (Twinkies, anyone?) Chemicals are often added to foods on
the shelf to keep the food from rotting, and excess salt, sugars and
fats are added to make them addictive. (French fries?)
These
are the foods we find all over our grocery store shelves. They are
packaged and processed foods that have been changed into frightening
counterfeits of the real deal. Another name for these dead delicacies
are “fake food.”
Is there anything real
about donuts, boxed sugar cereals, or a bag of cheesy chips?
I
know what you're thinking. You're drooling. You're panicking. You
LOVE this powdery sugar stuff. God couldn't possibly ask you to give
it up...would he?
If your flesh is freaking out at the
thought of fasting from French fries, take a deep breath.
Let's
think about what we know. We've all been feasting on the standard
American diet. We've grown up in homes that serve us chemical
enhanced foods everyday. It's the norm for us. But if we go back to
Little House on the Prairie era, we see that it wasn't always like
that. All this “fake food” is new...and dangerous, and our
generation is consuming it. Cancer is out of control. So is diabetes,
lung problems, liver problems, depression, panic attacks, allergies
and all sorts of “plegs.”
We believe these things to be
normal and good for us, and don't think for second about the fact
that maybe...just maybe...the
food we are consuming has something to do with all this illness.
Some
might argue that cancer and sickness has been around forever and
there's nothing to worry about. Okay, these illnesses have always
been around, but right now our country has an overwhelming epidemic of sick
people. Our generation is being poisoned in so many ways. One of
those ways is from the foods we eat.
If you're growing
offensive, don't shut me off yet. Ask God to open your heart and mind to what's happening. Ask to see what's really in the food we're eating. Ask if He
cares about it. Ask if He is calling His people to a higher level of
purity, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Just ask. Give
Holy Spirit a chance to speak to your heart. You may be surprised at
what you hear.
But then again, you might NOT be surprised.
You might already know this to be true in your heart. Why do we all
feel guilty after eating a massive piece of chocolate cake? Because
we hate ourselves and don' think we should have anything good in our
lives? No way! It's because we, somewhere, deep down inside, know
that cake isn't any good for us.
Our
bodies are amazing
creations. They were made to heal and transform themselves from
within. Because most of us have been eating dangerous foods since we
were born, our bodies need to be refreshed and renewed. We need to be strengthened! We have tremendous power to combat dangerous intruders
or diseases, and we are able to cleanse themselves if we only give
our bodies the chance.
Of course, the choice is all ours.
Just as no one can force you to wear a certain outfit pair of shoes,
or demand you dress a certain way, the choice to live healthy is
inertly your own.
Your journey to a healthy lifestyle can
start today. You don't need to go on a fad diet, swear off sweets, or
shun do-nuts for the rest of your life. You don't need to be a
radical health food freak!
The
concept is simple. Eat TONS of living foods and less dead foods. A
good rule of thumb is to fill your plate with 70 percent fruits,
veggies, nuts, or meat.
Just take baby steps. Eat your
favorite salty chips every other day instead of every time you watch
your favorite T.V. Show. Save your cupcake for Friday night. Swap
that massive slice of chocolate cake with a smaller mini-chocolate
bar. Eat one scoop of ice-cream instead of three. Make more
smoothies. Get creative and make an amazing salad. Drink more water
and less pop. (These tips also help with acne! Our skin reflects what
we eat and zits thrive off salty foods!)
Think more about
what you CAN eat, and less what you can't eat. You're free to eat
whatever you like...a healthy girl doesn't think about denying
herself the pleasure of something...she just TRADES it for something
else, something better. (Just like in Christ, whenever we trade
something with Him, we get the better deal! It might be painful or
not make sense at first, because our flesh really wants what we think
we want. But God knows what we need, and will enjoy the most!) It you
don't have healthy food in your home, or can't afford it, don't worry
about it. Eat whatever you have, but whenever you have the
opportunity to CHOOSE a fruit, veggie, meat or nuts, then go for it!
A healthy girl eats for life. She eats because she wants her
body to serve God. She eats because she knows God's food gives her
energy. She eats because she's celebrating every moment of this crazy
beautiful experience with God's energy called LIFE. A healthy girl
never, ever, ever starves herself.
Again, if you are in a
position that you honestly have no power over what kind of food is
coming into your house, eat what you have. Ask God to give you grace
until you have access to healthier foods...He will!
Remember,
working toward a healthy lifestyle is exactly that...working. It
takes baby steps. Nobody becomes radically healthy overnight. For a
healthy girl, it's simple...eat MORE living foods and less dead
foods!
Lie DE-BUNKED: Fat does not make you fat!
Okay, so
many girls are freaked out out “fats” and “carbs”. I remember
when a friend told me, “I don't want to eat an apple...too many
carbs!”
Her phrase frightened me. She was totally deceived.
She thought that every carbohydrate would make her gain weight. So
many people are confused about what actually causes weight gain. If
you eat something God made, like meat, vegetables, or fruits, you are
NOT going to gain unhealthy weight from it. Yes, it will build
muscle, but good fats are actually good for us. We need them!
Remember, skinny girls eat meat. ;)
Advice For Girls:
Livy Lynn: The Big Sister
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Boy Advice
Inner Beauty
Self Confidence
Positive Thinking