When our self-worth is tied to our body composition:

Little numbers on a scale can dictate the flow of our day, and sometimes our week.

Passing reflections in mirrors and windows can affect how much food we consume for the rest of the day.

We spend precious time fixated on being the “best version of me,” thinking how our thighs and tummy could be smaller, or how our arms should jiggle less and our booty should be firmer.

Our heart falls slightly when we see an old picture and think, “If I could just look like that again, I’d be happy.”

We play the comparison game far too often with women we see, friends and strangers alike. We compare the best parts of them to the parts of ourselves we believe need improvement. 

We continuously search for the diet that’s finally going to work. It feels like a missing key.

No matter how many goals we’ve surpassed, we’re still trying to lose that “Last. 10. Pounds.”

We seek out the best angles and positions in photographs in hopes of making ourselves appear smaller.

When we receive a compliment, we decline it or point out the areas we believe are not compliment-worthy.

This is not me telling you to stop thinking these thoughts. This is me telling you that I understand. That you are not alone. That some days are better than others.

This is me telling you I know it’s hard. I too have wished for the ability to turn off my thoughts. I too have wished to see myself through the eyes of my mama or my husband or those who love me most.

We are not wrong for thinking the way we do, but more importantly, we are not trapped here.

It’s not an easy task to cut the connection of self-worth and body composition. It’s an ongoing, sometimes painful process to work through.

This is me reminding you that you are so much more than the thoughts running through your head.

You are more than how you looked in pictures from 2012.

You are more than numbers on a scale or inches on a measuring tape.

You are more than your last 10 pounds or the reflection staring back at you.

If no one has told you this week, then please read the next line at least five times:

You are enough as you are.

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Author: Bailey Gehrke
Image: Author’s own
Editor: Nicole Cameron
Copy Editor: Catherine Monkman
Social Editor: Waylon Lewis