27TH March 2011

If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. Edgar Watson Howe

Yesterday was all about me and mom time, I turned my phone off and me and mom chilled out and watched tv and laughed, she started to tell me something on the afternoon and then suddenly stopped and said, “Have I told you this already today”, I smiled and said yes, but that it was ok as I often need telling twice so I don’t forget and we both laughed. It’s good to spend time with those you love and also to give yourself time when you spend so much of your life helping or talking care of others.

LasT night was WWF’s Earth Hour when across the globe, people were switching off their lights at 8:30 PM to show they care about climate change and protecting our natural world.
So I’m naming today “I’m gorgeous day”, we’re all gonna love our bodies today whatever their size or shape. Think about it, when in a room with a mirror, do you tend to:

- Frown at your image and quickly turn away
- Smile and give yourself a mental hug
- Obsess about the details of how you look

So today, we’re going to work on getting you to smile and give yourself a mental hug if you’re not already there.

Why? Because like many women, I used to diet until I was dizzy. I looked at my body and hated the parts that stuck out, and the ones that didn’t stick out far enough. And I believed that having the so-called “perfect” body—at any expense—would guarantee success and eternal happiness. Do I need to say it? I was deluded. When I hit the super low weight (which as 2 stone lighter than I am now), the only thing it gave me that I didn’t already have, was the ability to buy size 8 clothes, which isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be and also a very boring social life because when invited out I’d refuse for fear of gaining weight! Mmm not a very healthy life is it being skinny!

Most women’s relationships with their bodies are dysfunctional at best. With multibillion-dollar diet and cosmetics industries barking at our heels, loving our bodies is no walk in the park. It’s especially hard when our friends complain about their bodies, and our moms have been on diets since we were in nappies.

But this is a matter of life. When we don’t feel comfortable in our bodies—our natural bodies—we deny our spirits everything from dancing to delicious food to lustful abandon. We miss out on all the sensuality and joy that life offers. And we deserve to have it all. If you love your body and take care of yourself, you want to eat healthy and nourish yourself with good food and you want to get active to make yourself feel alive.

Here are a few suggestions to help you fight the pressure, and practice the new art of loving your body, just the way it is.

Find your inner goddess.  Go grab a full-length mirror, most of us play a love-hate game with mirrors, gazing at the parts we like, and avoiding the ones we don’t. We never look at our bodies as they are. Instead, we pick ourselves apart like chicken dinners, scrutinising our thighs, our breasts,our legs. And what we see in the mirror is often no reflection of what is really there.

Find some private time, even if it’s just a few moments. Then take off your clothes, and look at yourself. Let the hateful thoughts run their course, then pass. It will clear space in your mind for positive ones to replace them. Don’t turn away from your reflection — try to clear your mind of judgment and keep looking.

Now look closely at those parts you struggle with most. Do they remind you of anyone? Perhaps those full hips once belonged to your great-great-grandmother. If not for them, you may not even be here—her size could have helped her to survive pregnancy and childbirth. Our bodies are living family albums. Pay homage to your ancestors by loving the body they gave you and the legacy it represents.

Remember healthy comes in all sizes, don’t just focus on the external think about the internal, when you picture your body, do you think about your heart, your brain, your kidneys? Probably not. More than likely, you think about your thighs, your hair, your stomach. So start eating for health, to feel good not just to get thinner.

Healthy people come in every size. There are plenty of fat people who are active and “in shape,” and plenty of skinny folks who are thin but unhealthy. In this case, it’s what’s inside that truly counts.

SO from today, I want you to walk with your head up, and never, ever apologise for your size. Get into your body, treat yourself to a massage, an hour in a hot tub or a sauna. Dance naked in your room, or go out and shake whatever your mama gave ya. Take a walk for enjoyment’s sake—and leave the running shoes at home.

ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU’RE GORGEOUS!