In the U.S alone over 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder. In this day and age, it is beyond easy to get caught up in the fad diets, workout trends and in turn, become obsessed with weight loss. When we idealize the loss, it’s not just pounds that we end up losing. Over time, this obsession causes us to only see the flaws on our bodies -- the things we want to get rid of, rather than all the beautiful things there are to embrace.

I’m not, by any means, discouraging a healthy lifestyle but I am urging everyone to be vigilant about how they see themselves. We are all a work in progress, and just because you want to lose a little weight that doesn't mean you should have to lose yourself in the process. The more wrapped up you become with the number on the scale the more self-esteem you lose and you forget about all the things that make you wonderful and instead, tear yourself down. Obsessing over the “ultimate goal weight” or “perfect body” makes you not want to love yourself but rather, want to change constantly.

It’s easy to preach being comfortable in your skin, but living is the real challenge. I propose that instead of idealizing the loss, we should spend more time on the gain. What will I gain if I lose 5 pounds? Self-esteem? Confidence? A better self-image? If that’s the case, you can start to gain those things immediately by simply spending less time envying Instagram models, and more time embracing what you see in the mirror, instead of despising it. It is hard to stay on the course of self-love when every little thing we see in the media begs us to change who we are, how we dress and how we look. If we just spend less time on the “ideal body type” and focus more on becoming someone we are comfortable with we can all be just a little happier.

If your New Year’s resolution was to hit the gym more, then do it! Just do not ever forget that your body does not define who you are. Do not lose self-esteem just because you aren’t a few pounds lighter and you want to be. No matter what the scale says, always remember to love yourself. The first step to loving the skin you’re in is to stop comparing yourself to others and stop obsessing over every inch and ounce. The world can be tough and demanding. In the blink of an eye, it can sweep you up in a whirlwind of body shaming. Anywhere from magazines to music videos, airbrushed girls with perfectly round glutes and flat abs will fill your sensory but never let those images turn your goals into an unhealthy obsession or you may lose more than just a few pounds. Gaining can be terrifying for someone who wants to lose weight. But maybe, there are things that would be good for us to gain -- positive energy, self-love, self-acceptance and confidence being just a few. For anyone who’s looking to lose weight this year, I hope you gain a little something too.