Self Acceptance Part 1

I have been watching "The Biggest Loser" the last couple of seasons. I have enjoyed the show; however, I have a bit of a problem with the show. I do feel that it is important to eat healthy and to exercise and all but I feel there is another important issue. I think that it is important to learn to like yourself. To accept yourself just the way you are. Until you can learn to love yourself you will continue to struggle. Because when you do not like yourself there are a lot of self defeating thoughts going on in your head. When you change the heart you are able to really change the way you are.

I have battled a weight problem for what feels like all of my life. And what is really sad is that I felt fat even when I wasn't. I look at the photos now and can not believe that I thought I was fat.
I come from a family of big boned people. I had 4 uncles who at about 5 ft. 6 - 7 inches were probably about 300 pounds. And these same uncles felt it was important to tell me and my sister not to get fat. We did not see them very often- maybe a couple of times a year. But they took every chance they got to tell us comments like, "Don't you ever get over 200 pounds" and "You don't want to get fatter."

And what is really sad is that my Mother did not want my sister and I to get big heads so she did not like us to get compliments so we were never given the idea that we were ok. We were not told that we were pretty, so we thought we were not. We thought we were worth less than other people.

Well during this time recently as I have been working on making changes in my life. I have just recently figured out that I am not lower than other people, nor am I higher than anyone. We are ALL equal. And that is a really nice feeling.

So I may be overweight but I am learning to like myself and to accept myself right were I am.

Tomorrow I am going to share how I have become able to accept myself and where I am getting my value from.

* I wish I had a photo of myself when I was a girl and I thought I was fat to share. And as soon as I can get ahold of one I will add one here.