With the media today, most people feel obligated to look exactly like the models that we see. Girls feel that they have to be skinny or perfectly curvy. Guys feel that they have to be muscular and "buff". These unrealistic body types force some to feel bad about themselves. I used to think that I had to have the hourglass figure or boys wouldn't like me. While I still don't love the way I look, I have changed my goals to strive for a different image. This time, I am going to shoot for healthy, not skinny. Instead of worrying about making my body a different shape, I am focusing on feeling good and staying healthy instead. So what happened when I started focusing on my health?

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

I didn't feel pressured! I felt like I was worknig towards something! I felt more motivated!

When trying to lose/gain weight. The scale gives you a lot of pressure and stress. Stepping on and waiting for the number to appear is nerve wrecking. The number will make or break you and force you to change your lifestyle in order to accomplish your number goal. Now that I am focusing on being healthy I judge my success based on how I feel. Is my energy up? Do I feel better? Am I getting stronger? These questions are a better assessment than a simple number. I actually feel like I am working towards something. I'm working towards a healthy version of me! I want to feel better about myself. I feel more motivated than before because I don't have an image in my head of my "goal body" I just have the image of me getting stronger, healtheir, and happier!

I'm still unhappy with my body and I don't always have positive things to say about myself but I hope that this new goal will help with those areas and more.