Self-Acceptance: Dealing with Weight Gain
We live in a society where we look at the magazine and all we see are size 2 models gracing the pages. As a result, a lot of us think that if we are bigger, then our body size is no longer acceptable. Because of this trend, we forget that the main idea behind maintaining an ideal body weight should have more to do with our health, than our figure.
However, more and more people (especially women) feel a certain amount of guilt when they start to gain weight. This guilt comes from different reasons: the fear of looking unattractive, the dread of not being able to control weight gain, and the frustration over trying so hard to be skinny.
Weight gain should be dealt with positive motivation, and people should never to resort to anything self-destructive as means of “punishment” for oneself.
Some people think that they should stop eating, or eat less to reduce weight. It is true that it’s good to watch the portion of food we eat, but we should never think that food is the enemy. Food is our body’s energy fuel, and without it, we would feel weak. Instead of not eating, you should watch the type of food you eat and control the serving portions.
Weight gain should not also be a reason to lose self-confidence. Sure, you may not look like a supermodel, but you must keep in mind that there are other things that you can be proud of about yourself. Confidence comes from feeling good about yourself, not from looking good. So raise your head up and stop feeling so bad about yourself.
There is also no such thing as permanent weight loss. We need to accept that weight gain, unless drastic or sudden, is not something that one should be alarmed about. It is a normal occurrence, especially when the body is recovering from ailment or under stress. It is also something that could be easily controlled if you just have the discipline to follow through.
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Amy Fountain is a health-conscious mom who likes to help women feel good about themselves. She keeps her love for blogging by running the Tabletop Fountains and Home Décor Art websites.
I love this line “we should never think that food is the enemy.” This is a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing it.
Stopping by from SITS. Have a great weekend.
misssrobin recently posted..The Kindness Project — 6 Months In
Thank you… it’s sad that many girls nowadays start starving themselves just to stay skinny.
Good reminders … I am on the other side of being a child-bearing mom and slowly discovering what my new post-four-kids-body looks like. And hoping to accept it (and me) gracefully!
Visiting from SITS
Morgan recently posted..small things {commitment}
You’ll do just well.
Twitter: Doc_Megz_to_be
10 June 2012 at 9:13 pm Permalink
I love this. I get so upset with beautiful women starving themselves for someone else’s opinion of beauty. Thanks for sharing!
BarefootMedStudent recently posted..Autumn in the Western Cape
Glad you like it… me, too. It’s really painful to know that a lot of girls engage on such practices because of this kind of pressure to look good.
Twitter: BlondeDuckie
11 June 2012 at 11:49 am Permalink
Kudos to you! I got trapped in the size 2 thinking and spent two years at a weight too low for my body…even at my skinniest, I still had a little belly pooch! We need to focus on health and happiness!
Blond Duck recently posted..Magical Monday: Dreams
Couldn’t agree more! People need to realize that there really is no “perfect” figure; just a healthy one.