Challenge no more

After much thought I have decided to do away with the weekly challenge. I felt like it was sort of retarded. This blog was never intended for me to tell others how to do what I do not yet know how to do. If that makes sense. Instead, this blog was intended for me to share my thoughts, challenges, ideas, successes, and failures in finding inner peace with myself.

Something I have been thinking about a lot goes along perfectly with the following quote:

"Body image expert and psychologist Judith Rodin notes in her book Body Traps, 'You don't need to lose weight first in order to take care of yourself. In fact, the process actually happens quite in the reverse!' We also have found that if you are willing to make weight loss a secondary goal and respecting your body a primary goal, it will help move you forward.
     "We are not saying disregard your body--we are urging you instead to respect it. This does not mean that you should throw in the towel. This does not mean that you should disregard your health. In fact, respecting your body means taking care of your health. It is the beginning, however, of making peace with your body and your genetics. It is probably the most difficult thing that you will do."
~Intuitive Eating, p. 167

This is something I have thought a lot about. This is what I'm attempting to do. Back in the day if I had looked at this blog I would have thought, "Cute, some excuse for a fat person to justify being fat and to stay that way." Please do not assume that is what I'm doing. Not at all. I know perfectly well the dangers of being overweight. I really do. I hear it all the time. However, I feel that the way I have been beating myself up when I fail at diet after diet is unhealthy and counter productive.

Our bodies are special and deserve to be treated with respect. I have been doing much better. Rather than pushing through my bad days when I'm in a lot of pain I have been giving myself breaks. Just that right there has made a huge difference. When I think negative thoughts about my body I have been replacing them with kind thoughts. That has made a huge difference as well. Not just in how I feel about myself, but in how I feel about others. So, I'm making progress.

Stay tuned later in the week for a giveaway. I'm excited to share some of the things I've been reading and learning with you. Thus the giveaway.