In a recent (dreaded) trip to the gym, I overheard a girl say that she was only working out to "look skinny."  Ever since I heard that comment I have seen an abundance of "skinny" advertisements everywhere I go.

Honestly, I am having a hard time understanding the obsession with being skinny. I will admit it took me a long time to accept my body type, but I now know that I will never be stick thin or wear a size zero.  Lucky for me I embraced this realization, but for many people it is not so easy.  

Instead of loving and accepting our bodies, we are succumbing to what society tells us is beautiful.  Take a walk through any local drug store and you can tally all of the "skinny" ads: "how to look 10 lbs lighter", "be fat free!", "shrink your belly, butt, and thighs in just 10 days!", "look slim while you swim!,"  and I even saw a bag of popcorn that promised to make you the "skinny-est." And we wonder why so many people are focused on being "skinny."  

We are being conditioned to think the thinner we are, the more value we will possess.  We do not wake up one day and decide to hate our bodies, it is taught to us.  So why not teach people to love themselves; to have strong bodies and minds?  Instead of striving to be your skinniest self, why not strive to be your healthiest self?  We are being taught how to be thinner, more perfect, and more beautiful, when we should be learning how to keep our bodies healthy.  We should workout because we love our bodies and want to strengthen them, not because we hate our bodies and want to change them. 

Of course you should maintain a healthy, balanced diet and you should be regularly active, but if you want to eat a piece of pizza, eat a piece of pizza (or two)!   I give props to those who are on strict diets and are very conscious about what they eat, but that lifestyle just isn't for me and you shouldn't be ashamed if it is not yours either.  Enjoy your pieces of pizza, eat them without shame and just go harder at the gym the next morning; life is about balance. If we stop trying so hard to be skinny and start trying to be healthy, our weight will take care of itself.

Our lives are so much more than trying to look smaller; you are worth more than just a number.  No one should tell you what your body should look like, how much you should weigh, or what size you should be.  How we perceive the way we look on the outside often dictates how we feel on the inside, so learn to love your body, take care of it, and be healthy.  Once you learn to love your body, that is when true happiness will come; losing weight and looking skinny is not your life's purpose.