Body Image Challenge

BYU is having a 10-day body image challenge, and I'm so excited to start it.

Here's what the website says regarding the challenge: Recapturing Beauty is a campaign to reshape our ideas and attitudes about beauty away from those promoted in our popular culture. The definition of beauty has been high-jacked by a group of people and industries who have in mind profit more than beauty. We are sold ideas of beauty that are very hard to attain unless, of course, we have enough money. When we make beauty exclusive and difficult to attain, it sets up a culture of self-loathing, competition and envy. None of these  reflect the true nature of women. Instead of embarking on more meaningful  quests, we place our faith in products and images. Rather than loving our bodies and being peaceful, respectful and gentle with them we attack, manipulate and try to control them, never feeling satisfied. Recapturing Beauty is about reclaiming the truth about beauty so that we can find peace and contentment in our bodies and in our lives.

How true that is - and especially at BYU. I've talked with so many of my friends who often feel inadequate here because sometimes while walking to class you feel like the only normal girl in a sea of barbies.

That's why I'm planning on doing my research project here on body image issues here at BYU. I'll let you know what the results are once we get them. :)

But with all this talk about body image, it's gotten me thinking... do I need to lose weight?

I've been bigger all my life. Cllothes that I wear now I wore back in middle school. And even in high school when I was doing track and swimming, I never fluctuated in my weight. I know that I will never be a size 2, and I'm completely ok with that - I like my body! But in a sea of barbies, it's hard to feel like I'm at an ok weight.

Good thing that Day one of the challenge is not to weigh myself. :)

For more info on the body challenge, click here.