I’m the type of girl who loves to go to the gym, run miles on top of miles, and eats handfuls of spinach just because I love the taste. Simply said I try to live a life that will result in my body being the healthiest it can be in order to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. With this said I haven’t always had this outlook about myself. For the longest time all I could see were my ‘flaws’ the things I thought I needed to change or get rid of. There were times where I felt I wasn’t working out enough, that I needed to spend hours at the gym despite how tired I was. Times where I became so cautious and obsessed about what I ate that I would only eat raw veggies and fruit.

You're probably asking why would she put herself through this? You see I didn't want to, I simply was just so unhappy with the body I saw that I was willing to do any and everything to change it. But guess what, it didn't work. The countless hours at the gym, the days I wouldn't eat . . . it only made it worse. I couldn't function and live the life God intended for me because I was so busy trying to change the person He so uniquely made me to be. It was as if I was telling God that the body He gave me wasn’t good enough when in reality He designed it with the perfect plan and purpose. I would look at myself thinking I wasn't physically good enough, that I needed to lose the cellulite, fat pockets, stretch marks etc. (things that honestly were over exaggerated in my mind). I became consumed with these lies and let them take over my life -- I finally realized something really needed to change. I began the process of actually REALLY getting healthier by learning how to build a genuinely healthy relationship with food and exercise with the help of a nutritionist and counselor. I began to learn and see myself in a way that wasn't so focused on the physical aspects. I started to accept that now I was allowing myself to obtain a healthy body in the sense of it being able to function at its optimal capabilities, to finally be able to live life fully and filled with real purpose and that I AM NOT defined by what society may say is 'wrong' or things we need to 'hide and be ashamed of.'

To this day I’m in a much healthier mental, physical and spiritual state and guess what! I still have that red tomato flushed face when I work out that people make fun of me for, I sweat uncontrollably at the gym, I still have those stretch marks on my thighs, when I bend over so does my tummy, I have cellulite that shows when I stretch or squat, and my gait isn’t average (I’m a tip toe walker). For the longest time, people would say things about these physical aspects that would leave me bashing myself and internalizing the lies society was telling me, but I’m here to tell you that’s exactly what they are: lies. My friends, It’s OKAY! It’s okay to have stretch marks, cellulite, a tummy that rolls over. It’s okay to have a unique walk, to get really sweaty at the gym or have a little jiggle when you run! Those stretch marks are signs of growth and life, they tell a story. That gait you have is unique to you, so walk with confidence! Those rolls on your tummy is just your skin smiling. The gallons of sweat show you’re capable of pushing yourself, that you are full of strength and endurance. That extra skin is a reminder of how far you’ve come. That cellulite you have is so minuscule compared to the strong muscle poking through and what your body is capable of. None of these things are bad, just things to be embraced and when you can embrace them let me tell you it truly changes how you view yourself and others. It allows you to still engage in a healthy lifestyle but not become consumed by it. It will set you free and help you be able to live this life intentionally and to its fullest. Our bodies need to be strong and functional and if that means having extra skin, stretch marks etc. that's perfectly okay! Your body was intended to do great works, to be strong and cared for, not to be something so fragile and 'perfect' that you can't even use it to its full capacity and purpose. So embrace it, love it, care for it and always hang tight to the truth that God created YOU with a much larger purpose than you could ever imagine, a purpose greater than the physical parts, greater than the lies from society, greater than the stretch marks.

“It is quite impossible for anyone else to have the exact same stretch marks as you. They are almost like fingerprints: something uniquely yours which accent your body. They make you even more special and distinct from the rest of the population. No, they are not scars or flaws, but beautiful features that are remarkably you.” -Vanesa Pacheco