On A Diet

Now that school is well underway and friendships are reconvened, I'm hearing more and more fat talk. It's easy to get together with your girlfriends and say "oh, you know, I should really cut back on my calories," or something like that. Maybe that's true. Maybe you shouldn't have eaten that second, third, sixth cookie last night while reading boring AP Econ notes, but that was one day out of 365. It doesn't make you automatically "fat."

Speaking of which, whether you're bigger or not is completely besides the point. What the scale says DOES NOT MATTER! How else can I get this through your thick skull? For real. If you feel comfortable with yourself, if you're eating a healthy and balanced diet, and if you're exercising regularly that's all anyone can ever ask of you, and that's all you should ask of yourself.

It's unhealthy to skip meals. In the long run yes, you'll probably lose some weight. But that is so unhealthy. And isn't that the opposite of what you're trying to do? Skipping meals slows down your metabolism. And if you're like me, and you have zero self control when it comes to food, you'll probably just end up pigging out on a bag of candy corn later that night while reading Lord of the Flies.

So, have I convinced you to drop the "I'm on a diet" speech? Because I'm not going to listen to you whine about how you've consumed too many calories in the past few days.

On a side note: I know that counting calories works for some people. If you know how many calories you need to consume in a day to stay at a consistent body weight or whatnot - go for it. Count all you want. Just don't live your life by it. I know if I were to count calories I'd drive myself insane.

To begin our "healthy journey" out of the land of calories, diets, etc. I start by grabbing some fruit in the mornings. I've gotten into a wonderful habit of eating frozen berries, yogurt, and raw oatmeal, which fills me up just enough and is super good for me. When I get the munchies during school, I grab an apple to tide me over until lunch - great way to get in another fruit/vegetable.

Like a lot of schools around the country, we've morphed into eating only what's good for us (sarcasm). The only upside I see to this is it's easy for me to eat two more produce items with my lunch, which puts me up to four! And it isn't even one o'clock yet. See what I'm doing here?

Plan your meals around fruit and vegetables, add on some whole grains, and never forget to eat a little protein (it helps keep you feeling full longer).

Got it? Produce. Whole grains. Less meat, but enough protein. Lots of water.

Oh, and NO MORE DIETS!

Say Cheese!

For those of us who have been or are seniors, we all know the stressful-ness of getting everything done that ought to have been done months ago. I am just beginning to experience this type of procrastination. Yep, that's right, senior pictures! I just got them taken, like today, just. And I would like to say one thing - there is wayyy too much pressure put on the "perfect" senior photos.

All week I have totally been freaking out about my appearance. Every little detail that I found a nuisance has been blown out of proportion into a full fledged "ugly". Starting with my hair. Everyone has good and bad hair days, and I am learning to enjoy my natural hair style. There's only one problem. Once it dries, that's the way it's going to look for the day, good or bad. And with all this nice weather we're having, my hair has been drying pretty flat. Which has been stressing me out all week long! I wake up, look in the mirror, and complain, complain, complain about my hair. I probably asked my mother a thousand times what I should do if it turns out bad.

That's just one of the many things I've been fat talking myself about this week. My teeth are crooked. My eyes are too close together. I'm too pale, for heaven sakes it's summer! And goodness, gracious, I have no idea how to pose for a picture. No modeling in my future. That's a joke. I'm too short, and not skinny enough, and it goes on and on and on.

But then this morning came, and I woke up two hours early. Went through all the steps to ready myself in the morning. Voila! Fret about outfits some more. Look at myself in the mirror twelve hundred times. Check to make sure my makeup wasn't smudged. All the worrying comes down to a couple hours of harmless photography.

To wrap this all up, the right photographer can make you forget all your worries. Once we started snapping pictures, I was no longer thinking about if they were going to turn out alright. Besides, these pictures aren't for the "today". They're to remember the yesterday ten/twenty years from now. And I hope that when I look back I won't think, "Man, look how crazy my hair was!" but I'll be remembering how happy and special my teenage years were.

So if you're in the midst of a modeling session just remember: You are so beautiful! No hairstyle, number on the scale, makeup smudge, or pant size can change that.

Good Old Vitamin D

My mother watched me through the glass of the mirror as I was applying aloe vera to my lobster-esque skin. As mother's everywhere do when they see their daughters scrutinize their reflections she told me I looked beautiful. "I hate that I see it this way, but I find tan skin so beautiful," she commented. I looked up at my bronzed face and attomatically thought, "If beauty hurts, we're doing it wrong."

A hundred years ago tan skin was a sign of bad breeding. If you were tan that meant you worked in the sun, which implied that your family was poor. Hats, gloves, and parasols covered the ladies and shield them from being considered lower class citizens. Fair skin was beautiful. What happened?

From what I have gathered, it was the 1920 when Coco Chanel, a French designer, arrived home from a yacht party with a deep suntan. Being famous, she of course set the new trend of "tan." Bikinies arrived in the fifties along with self-tanning products of bronzer and brown creames. Of course, with short summer months, the tan didn't last longer than days of sunshine. Well somewhere along the line the brilliant idea of tanning salons began. In the eighties the world saw the first tanning beds which have only grown up until now. And this, my dear friends, is the new idea of beautiful.

It's true that sunshine makes you happy like chocolate. But did you know that it only takes your skin fifteen minutes each day in the sun to soak up all the vitamin D you need? I like to look tan as much as the next person, but over the years I have realized that is nearly impossible with my complexion. So why expose myself to unnecessary risks?

We all know that too much exposure to tanning lamps or even from the sun itself can cause skin cancer. The ultraviolet radiation causes skin cell damage that can lead to abnormal cell reproduction. I'm not a science person so I don't understand it all, all I know is that it's dangerous. UV rays are a killer and we're willingly letting them hurt us for something our culture sees as beautiful.

If you do, however, escape the skin cancer epidemic, too much exposure to radiation can lead to premature skin aging such as wrinkles and brown spots. And no. A quick fix with Botox should not be an option!

So it's your choice. Weigh the risks. I love being outdoors during the summertime, because it's the only time that the sun really warms your skin. But seriously, sun screen can be a lifesaver. Literally. What's the point of being tan anyway? Does it really make you more beautiful? Because the right guy will be able to see your beauty, tan or not.

All I'm saying is you're not going to see me at a tanning salon anytime soon.

MakeUp Madness

I thought I would catch you up on my no makeup Wednesdays.  It's been about six weeks since The Beautiful Face Project, and I have gone makeup-less every Wednesday since. This is a fantastic accomplishment for me, except for one thing, I've noticed some negative fat talk coming through the radar on those days I go unencumbered by makeup. I hate to admit it to you, but the nasty, bad habit thoughts have returned like the plague.

In light of recent development, I think it's necessary to bring back The Beautiful Face Project every other month, once a week. Although I will keep going without makeup on Wednesdays, I think that a more forward approach will cause a "great awakening" (if you will) to what really matters (i.e. NOT makeup).

Plus, mascara is just so expensive!

With that being said, here are a few simple tips and sayings to get you through a day without makeup.

1. Imperfections are beautiful.
2. CoverGirls are simply that, they are created to be shown on the front of a magazine, effortlessly flawless. Photoshopped. You can't live up to the fake-ness a photo like that entails. Get over it.
3. Really, people don't pay as much attention to you as you might think. They're just worried about themselves. 
4. Keep your chin up. If you feel beautiful, you are beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
5. Don't stop smiling. A smile is your best feature.
6. Your reflection does not define your worth! Don't let that mirror interpret your emotions.
7. Think of all the time you spend on the days you don't wear makeup. Not only do you get to sleep in fifteen minutes, but you won't feel the need to duck into the women's bathroom to check yourself between every class. 
8. Everyone loves rain. No makeup? Good. Now you don't have to worry about mascara smudges when you're splashing in puddles. 
9. Beauty is made from confidence. Go change the world. 

Phrase for the day: "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." -Audrey Hepburn

A New Chapter

Blogging for my advanced placement language and composition class is officially finished with. It's been long, it's been hard, and at times, I wish I could quit, but now that it's all said and done, I wouldn't change a moment of it. Everything that I've learned in the past several months will do nothing but help me. Now and in the future. I have learned more about the existence of God in my everyday life than I ever could if I hadn't dwelled on his goodness in my blog. I have also been able to grow and see inner beauty as beautiful, and in turn, find the beautiful qualities in myself and others. Like I said, I wouldn't change a minute of it for the world.

The big question now is will I continue to blog without the prompting of this class? The answer is a resounding yes! I've spent two days without worrying about mandatory blogs and the need to write is itching in my fingertips. Although I won't write as frequently, I hope to continue to dive into the topics that I have already been discussing here such as beauty, Christianity, and RUNNING. So don't stop reading, because there's a whole lot more coming!

Speaking of running, and with my post being entitled "A New Chapter," I have a little bit more to share with you. Ever since I ran my half-marathon a whole three days ago I can't wait for my next race! I haven't run again yet, my legs are still a little shaky, but I'll be running a 5K for breast cancer in June. I can't wait. Until then, I will be speed training. My average mile time for the half was 11:16 and I want to be able to run a solid ten minute mile before my next half. Yes, I said NEXT. What can I say? I'm addicted to the feeling of crossing that finish line.

Also, I'd like to remind you that "No Make-up Wednesdays" have thus far been a success. Although, the more time that passes since the week of no make-up, the less enthused I am about going make-up-less. It's a work in progress. But I see another week without make-up sometime in the near future, just to remind myself of who I am, painted or not.

The Dreaded Swimsuit

It's almost summertime. Ladies, you know what that means. Yes, it's time to dig deep into your closet and pull out your swimsuit. As you do this I'm sure you'll be crossing your fingers that it still fits . . . or that you can even find it!

Middle school was around the time I began to feel self-conscience in a bathing suit. I'm sure this is true of everyone. My first swimsuit dressing room horror story was in eighth grade. It was a week before my class trip my mother and I were shopping for swimsuits. I was so excited, until I realized that NOTHING LOOKED RIGHT! I'm sure I tried on a hundred suits (and just as many tears) until I finally decided to "throw in the towel" and chose the next one on the sales rack.

Swimsuits are a pain. I just don't even know where to begin. For me, the most important part of a swimsuit is that it's appropriate. That's kind of a difficult task, obviously. Nothing in swimwear will ever be modest. The next thing is I have to feel comfortable in it. I will never wear a bikini. That's a personal choice.

I guess the inspiration of this post was that I just bought a new swimsuit. I went shopping with the intention of buying a new pair of running shorts and ended up in the swimwear section of the store. I'm normally hesitant to shop for a new swimsuit, but I saw a cute one and just had to try it on. To my surprise, I didn't hate it. Which is better than most of the swimsuits I buy. Why waste a good thing?

What I'm trying to say is don't worry too much about what you look like on the beach, or in my case, on our nasty lake sand. Everyone is way more worried about how they look than how you look. Have fun, enjoy yourself, stay modest if at all possible. Remember, if you feel good, you look good.

Positive Exercise

We all love a good exercise, at least I would hope. You know those exercises that make you feel on top of the world? You could conquer anything! Especially while training, these are the days that keep me going. Every time I overcome another mile, I know that I can do anything I put my mind to.

We have also all had those moments when we felt like we would collapse if we took another step. Everything we do is not good enough. Sometimes I get home from a six mile run and feel like I didn't push myself hard enough; I could always be faster, I could always run more. This is ridiculous. After doing something HEALTHY for your body, after making yourself STRONGER, you still feel like it wasn't enough. Truth is . . . if you pushed yourself to the max every single day all you would be doing is wearing yourself out. I had to learn this the hard way when I began training. I hadn't run for at least a year, and I stepped onto that treadmill the first day of January with the goal to run three miles. Ha. That didn't happen, which just discouraged me. Start small. Build up. Don't push yourself to the max all the time because then you'll just be worn out all the time. Six miles is a lot. I've let myself think that six miles isn't actually that far in so that I'll be able to run ten miles without thinking it's that far. If that makes any sense. I was surprised when talking to one of my friends that he was impressed that I had run six miles. Then I realized that a long run/bike/swim/etc. is anything that is long FOR YOU. 

I kind of let myself go off on a tangent. 

Where was I? Oh yes, it's ridiculous to be unhappy with yourself after you exercise. It's like praying and then regretting it. Don't belittle your accomplishments! You are amazing and strong. I often come home from a long run and find myself looking in the mirror in disgust. This is fat "thinking" and it does not belong in your head. 

I was running with eighth graders today. They're training for a 10K (six miles), which is totally awesome! I did the same program when I was in eighth grade and it taught me not only how to exercise, but how to keep up my endurance and how to be healthy. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Anyway, a couple of the kids were struggling, saying how after the race was over they never wanted to run again. Which is all good and fine. Every man for himself. You have to find exercise that fits you. But how much harder does it make it to continue something you hate if you're constantly telling yourself you hate it? 

In order to counteract this thinking, I pray during my runs. I get out there, find that I don't have the strength to push myself forward, and start praying to God. Before I know it, I've run my mileage for the day and can be proud of my ability and God's ability to work in me. I'm not going to lie to you. Running isn't my favorite thing in the world. But it is something that I'm proud of. 

As I'm writing this I'm thinking about school and how I'm always complaining about how much I hate Chemistry and Algebra II. Endurance isn't just for exercise. You use endurance in everything you do. For instance, sometimes I have writers block and have to "endure" to meet the requirements for my AP Lang class. Sometimes we have to build up our endurance for subjects such as Chemistry. I would just like to take this moment to apologize to those I've complained to this week. From now on I will absolutely "adore" Chemistry. As my sixth grade teacher always said, "Fake it till you feel it." 

To wrap it up: don't get down on yourself because you had a hard day. Don't give up because of a bad test grade or a difficult, painful run. You are more than you know! God can work miracles in you, but you have to believe in yourself and "fake it till you feel it."

And It Continues

Last night I had a dream . . . I was looking in the mirror and applying make-up for the first time in weeks. When I looked at the finished reflection I realized that I didn't like the way my mascara looked. I began to scrub it off, but it wouldn't wash off and I began to cry because I realized that I liked myself better natural than "fake."

I believe that everything you dream about has a purpose. I dreamed about make-up because yesterday was the last day of my no make-up challenge. The Beautiful Face Project was a success. The beginning of the week was rough. Many times was asked why I wasn't wearing make-up. A few girls told me that I was brave because they wouldn't have the courage to go without make-up. That kind of made me sad, but even a week before I had thought the same thing.

It isn't really about courage. Natural is beautiful and it has been for thousands of years. We weren't born with the ability to apply make-up; it's something you learn. At the beginning of the week I had to remember to trust God. We are created in His image, and we are beautiful. If we believe the lies that we aren't pretty or good enough without make-up, the newest brand of clothing, etc. then we're telling God that He's wrong. That He isn't enough. Make-up-less, that's the way God created me and He sees me as beautiful. 

1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'" (Note: God was talking about Samuel choosing a king to lead His people, but I think it works for everyday beauty too!)

I realize that a week isn't much time to really change your mind about something. At first, I was just doing this for my eighth grade girls. But as I began to see myself for who God sees me as, I saw that I didn't need the make-up to be beautiful. Beauty isn't about your outward appearance, it's about your personality. It's about how you treat your friends. It's about your relationship with God. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." The most important part of beauty is your heart. If God is in control and is the Lord of our lives, we don't have to worry about being seen as "ugly." 

After three years of wearing make-up, I always feel pretty self conscience when I go without. When I'm in a hurry I usually make sure to at least put on mascara. Towards the end of the week, though, I realized that make-up doesn't make me someone else. I'm still me, with or without it. What everyone else thinks - that doesn't matter, because what matters is your opinion of yourself.

One of my expectations was that I would return to my old habits of applying make-up everyday. After my dream last night I realize this isn't true. I debated upon whether or not to wear make-up today but decided to wear make-up to bring a sort of "closure" to my week. From now on I'm going to have No Make-Up Wednesdays. I think it's good to have one day a week to "be yourself." I just don't want to forget that I am beautiful without it; make-up is not a necessity. 

If  you're reading this and thinking that you could NEVER go without make-up, I'd say you're someone who needs to do it the most. So that I wouldn't be tempted to apply any foundation or anything I woke up ten minutes later every day this week than I normally do. JUST DO IT! Don't think about it because then you'll change your mind. You are strong, and beautiful, and confident. Let The Beautiful Face Project continue. 

Natural Beauty

I woke up on Sunday morning not at all excited to go to church without make-up. I didn't feel pretty. I didn't want to dress up, which if you know me at all you know that dressing up, especially on Sundays, is my thing. I forced myself to put on a skirt, sprayed a little perfume, and walked out the door.

Throughout the day I questioned why I was doing this little project. Why does it matter if I wear make-up? Then again, why does it matter if I don't? If I feel comfortable without make-up on, which I should, because it's NOT NATURAL, then why should I continue to wear it? But I feel lazy without it. Which is another reason to do this. Not applying make-up doesn't mean your lazy. I just have to get that from my head to my heart. Besides, I got an extra fifteen minutes of sleep.

I am proud to say that I made it through my first day with out make-up! My friends are all very supportive of me, even though I'm trying to guilt trip them into joining me for at least one day this week. Honestly, I don't expect to get much out of this week. And I do feel bad about that.

Expectations: I'm trying to take super good care of my skin this week. You know, give my face a breather from foundation and what not. Since I don't normally wear make-up on Saturdays (what's the point if all you do is go to Wal-Mart?) It doesn't feel that crazy for me to go to school without make-up. Of course, I say that now. After this week, I'll probably go back to my habit of applying make-up daily. I don't feel like I wear that much in the first place; just foundation and mascara, and occasionally blush and lipgloss. We'll see what happens!

Currently, it's Monday afternoon. I have successfully gone a full school day without make-up on. This is a first. I felt more independent for some reason. Maybe because I don't feel like I'm giving into what society sees as beautiful? However, I couldn't imagine giving up my make-up indefinetely.

The Beautiful Face Project

I had the most amazing opportunity last night.

I was able to lead a Bible study for eighth grade girls on true beauty.

I don't think I could even begin to describe how nervous I was. I've had sort of a "falling out" with my inner beauty topic, and when I was asked to do this I wasn't sure how it would go. I did a lot of praying and a lot of looking for Bible verses to go along with my topic. I wrote down every little word I was going to say in order to remember all of my points. You might not have noticed, but I am a TON better at writing than I am at public speaking.

This girls were so cool! (YOLO) I've worked with them before in a junior leadership program and I was so amazed at the depth of their faith in God. I was definitely not that confident when I was fourteen. They have such a love for God and for others. I know they're going to be such a light when they go into high school in the fall.

I began with the verse Proverbs 31:30, which says, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." I wanted to get across that before anything we must have a heart for God in order that our "inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). I shared with them the Beauty Redefined catch phrases: "You are capable of much more than being looked at." "There is more to be than eye candy." "If beauty hurts, we're doing it wrong." and "Your reflection does not define your worth."

And then I brought up the term "fat talk." Fat talk is defined as an expected behavior for women to participate in to "earn" compliments, express emotions, seek social reassurance, and excuse eating behaviors (Boyle, Operation Beautiful).

I wasn't sure how they would react to that. I know some people just accept it as normal to fat talk, but these girls were so willing to listen. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

We had great discussions about how society wants us to believe that we aren't beautiful. This is a lie. It not only challenges the Bible, but it makes us question God's Will in our lives. I challenged them to all go a day with out make-up, stop fat talk and hold each other accountable when they do fat talk, and believe that they are beautiful, no matter what.

I wasn't expecting such awesome feedback when they quickly decided that they were going to go a WHOLE ENTIRE WEEK WITHOUT MAKE-UP!!  Beginning on Sunday. I myself have been talking about going without make-up since I began this thing and I haven't had enough courage to do it. So I promised them that I would do it with them. No make-up. Sunday through Saturday. The reason I'm writing about this? Is so that all of you know to hold me accountable. I cannot wait! I'm calling this:

The Beautiful Face Project

Won't you join me in an ENTIRE WEEK of natural beauty? 

Beauty isn't only our reflection in a mirror. It's the essence of who we are. If we decide that we're having a bad day based on our reflection, that isn't beautiful. Visa versa. When we fix our eyes on God's view of beauty, it's so much easier to find beauty within ourselves. 

Note: I kind of got my idea from these women. Aren't they amazing?

Running For Jesus

Hey ya'll! It's been a long time since I've written. Maybe you didn't miss me, but I sure did miss writing. These past two weeks have been pretty hectic. I mean, I THINK I had Spring Break somewhere in there, but it kind of got lost amongst the homework, working, and training.

Speaking of training, have any of you began something on a whim, and later realized that you didn't particularly enjoy pushing yourself to the extreme in that area? Yeah, I enjoy running. But only on a good day. Which hasn't been for a while. To catch you up: Three weeks ago, I ran my first nine miles. Which was amazing. The week after, I ran ten miles. That ended up being just as amazing as nine. It's those midweek runs that kill me. You know, the "shorter," recovery runs that you go out thinking you're going to conquer the world and you come back with sweat pouring down your face along with a tear or two. Either that or you go out dreading a run and come back with endorphins pumping into your blood stream and you feel as if you could do ten things at once. That happens a lot too.

Take Saturday, for instance.

Since I'm taking the ACT next weekend, I wasn't able to run at my regular Saturday run time (eight o'clock). Instead, I took three hours out of my morning to do horrible math equations that I haven't learned yet while I listened to a teacher "dumb-down" the problems in order that we absorb everything we needed to. Back to running. After my ACT prep, my family went out to lunch. I ordered pasta. Before a run. Maybe not the smartest decision on my part. I've been having a lot of ankle pain lately, so we went to an athletics store to look at new tennis shoes for moi. I was hesitant at first because of the price, but I knew that if I was going to finish this thing I needed to not injure myself. So I bought the shoes. Which, I thought, would encourage me to run that afternoon. Until it began raining.

For those of you who have run in the rain, it really is awesome. But it's the getting started that's hard. I have a really hard time motivating myself and all I wanted on Saturday was sunshine and warmth to accompany me. But I forced myself out onto the trail anyway. In my beautiful new running shoes that were getting soaked with mist. I knew that if I was going to keep my mind occupied I needed something to do - other than run, of course. So I began singing songs. But that makes you breathless pretty quickly. Imagine: some crazy blonde, singing to herself at the top of her lungs, running like a maniac in the rain. Funny picture? Pretty much.

Running gives you a lot of time to think. I know a few runners who like to talk to God while they run. Honestly, I've had a pretty hard time connecting with the God-man lately and I knew that if I tried to pray in my head I would get sooo distracted. So I just began talking to him like I would if one of my friends had been running beside me. I recently have had a hard time knowing what to pray for. So as I was talking to Jesus, I just began thanking him for everything. My new running shoes. The rain. The fact that a teacher is willing to sit down with students and help them study for the ACT. My ability to run ten miles. Then I began praying for the people in my life; the ones who encourage me, and those who need the Lord. And I prayed for myself. For my decisions and that I will have integrity to know what He wants me to do. During this time I realized, not only that I've been negligent in my walk with God, but I'm running for the wrong reason, for myself, when who I needed to be running for was God.

Before I knew it, my run was over, but God's presence was with me. And He can "run" with you too if you ask Him.

My Pet Peeves of RUNNING

As I was running the other day, I began to list all the things that annoyed me while I ran. Here's my list of the things that drive me crazy:

1. When you begin running and realize you forgot to stretch, so you stop in the middle of the trail and almost get hit by a biker.
2. Your foot falls asleep while you're trying to finish your eight miles.
3. A bug flies up your nose and you suddenly can't breathe.
4. When a bug flies in your eye and you suddenly can't see.
5. All the bicyclists try to ride by you as close and fast as they can and you pee yourself a little.
6. You can run eight miles but you can't sprint to the car without breathing like a racehorse.
7. You're so proud of how far you ran and all of your friends just stand there, unimpressed, as you tell them how you can't believe you did it.
8. The city doesn't open the trail restrooms until May. When they do finally open up the bathrooms to the public, they forget to leave toilet paper.
9. Your friend who has never run in his life asks to run with you and is better at it than you are.
10. You trip on a crack in the sidewalk and practically fly up into the air, flail your arms, and fall headfirst into a bush.
11. The homeless man on the trail begins to follow you.
12. All of the baby geese hatch and the mothers suddenly decide that they need to viciously attack you as you run by.
13. You run past a dog and it jumps up and tries to attack you. You pee yourself a little. Again.
14. You think it's going to be warm, so you wear shorts. It begins to snow.
15. You think it's going to be cold, so you wear sweat pants. The sun is melting you.
16. Your shoelace comes untied. Five times. You double knot it. It comes untiled again.
17. You can feel a blister beginning to form during the first mile of your run.
18. When you forget to bring some form of time keeper and you're late to dinner.
19. You accidently run a mile further than you're supposed to; therefore, you run an extra two miles.
20. You stand on the street corner for five minutes because the "walk" sign doesn't change.

But really, running isn't so bad. I am in the sixth week of my training program (for my half-marathon), and I've never felt better. For all the things that drive me crazy, the feeling of accomplishment after I run is what keeps me going.

Despite everything I just told you, this is what you need to know: exercise is healthy. Get out there and do something good for your body. Whether that be running, walking, or playing a competitive game of sand volleyball, get outdoors. Have a beautiful day!

Facing Your Insecurities

You probably wouldn't guess it, at least not now anyways, but I used to be the most insecure person in the world. Especially in middle school. Of course, everyone is insecure in middle school and it takes a lot of courage to overcome your insecurities. This might sound funny, but I think that that's how the whole "girl group bathroom thing" came to be. We were all to insecure to be seen walking alone, so of course we ask our "best friends forever" to come with us. Everyone is trying to fit in in middle school to the extent that we forget about who we are and who we want to become. I often wonder what some people could accomplish if they didn't feel the need to follow the crowd.

As the insecure middle schoolers enter high school, this is when we begin to notice that not everyone is a certain way; people are different, and sometimes it's okay to be different. Freshman year I stayed pretty quiet as I tried to judge what was considered normal. It wasn't until the last few months of the school year that I began to step outside of my comfort zone and make friends. And I regret that. I regret my inseurities to become friends with the people who I now consider, as my mother says, "my peeps."

So here's what I'm trying to get at. We all need to forget the titles and the names, we need to forget who's cool or popular and who's considered, if you will forgive me, "dirty." Because if we step outside of our confort zone and become who we want to be instead of who others see us as, then we could accomplish so much more!

For example, as you all know, I am currently training for a half-marathon. I can't imagine having the courage to do this a year ago. Not only is it uncomfortable for me to push myself to the limits I'm asked to in order to run 13.1 miles, but it's intimidating. So I take it one week at a time. Little victories. Isn't that a song?

Another way that I have stepped outside of my comfort zone is through this blog. I often worry that if I write about a certain topic I will offend people. But if I feel compelled to write about something, then I need to do it! So I have. And have gotten some negative feedback along the way. But that doesn't matter because I did what I needed to do.

What are you going to do today to step outside of your comfort zone?

A Different Kind Of Beauty

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." You've all heard that statement. But have you taken it to heart? All over the world women are striving to meet the beauty standards of their culture and all over the world women are feeling like they're just not good enough.

Japan: Women in Japan believe that beautiful skin is the key to true beauty. In order to achieve this beauty ideal, they spend hours working for smooth, soft, and wrinkle-free skin. Instead of using Botox injections, Japanese women use nightengale droppings, an old beauty recepie. This is used as face wash and scrub and supposively makes the face look young again. Another trick the Japanese use is ingesting collagen infused foods such as protein and putting collagen powder in their beverages. Japanese women also wear face-slimming belts in order to make their faces thinner. After all, who doesn't want a beautiful complexion?

Burma and Thailand: Members of the Kayan tribe have a different outlook on beauty. Situated in the middle of Burma and Thailand, women of this tribe use brass rings to elongate their necks. Starting at the age of five, young girls begin the painful process of pushing down their collar bones in order to make their necks appear longer, because the longer the neck, the more desirable they are. Throughout their lifetime, Kayan women continue to add more rings to their necks that can weigh up to twenty-two pounds.

China: You've all heard about the ancient (or not-so ancient) tradition of foot binding. Although this painful form of beauty has since been outlawed, bound feet are still a sign of wealth and social status. During the Qing dynasty, mothers would begin binding their daughters' feet at birth and continue to break the bones as they grew in order to create the concave-shaped feet that were so popular. Today, plastic surgery is a common theme of Chinese beauty. The more plastic, the better!

New Zealand: In New Zealand, women find their beauty through tatoos. These indigenous people believe beauty is found from tattooing the lips and chin. Permanent body and face markings indicate social status and each one is believed to add uniqueness to a person's image. In fact, a woman with full, blue tattooed lips is considered the most beautiful.

Ethiopia: We all have scars, and we all try to hide them. However, in souther Ethiopia, the women of the Karo tribe allow their elders to cut scars onto their stomachs. This is seen as beauty! It isn't until a woman has received all of her scars that she is allowed to marry and have children.

India: Unlike women in China, Indian women use homemade, natural remedies to make themselves beautiful. Women wear special clothing and jewelry, especially on their wedding day, that includes a forehead chain and a dot of red powder on her face. Indian women naturally have beautiful skin and hair. Have you ever gotten hair extensions? It most likely came from the Venkateswara Temple, where Hindu women cut their hair as an offering to the Lord Venkateswara. The temple then sells this hair and it is made into hair extensions.

Brazil: Of all the countries I have read about and what their ideal beauty is, Brazil is the most extreme. The average Brazilian woman weighs 110 to 125 pounds. This leads women to take extreme measures when it comes to their weight. Brazil is the biggest consumer of diet pills and plastic surgery is becoming more common as these thin ideals get more extreme. Hair is also important to women in Brazil. Naturally dark and wavy, more women are going with blonde and straight hair.

Mauritania: This one might come as a shocker. Women in Mauritania, they're considered beautiful for their curves; so much so that young girls used to go to camps in order to be force fed through what is called the gavage. The idea is that the bigger you are the better chance you have at finding a husband. Some women are so desperate that they purchase black-market drugs meant for animals in order to attain this body standard.

France: Paris is probably the most elegant of cities, with the focus on beauty and sexiness. French women, however, would never admit to spending time and money on beauty products. They work towards being effortlessly beautiful. Something different about France is that women there look forward to getting older! This just gives them more entitlement to feeling beautiful.

Women all over the world are striving for their perfect body image. Our mission is to make sure that they feel beautiful and healthy and strong, no matter what. Remember, you are beautiful!

New Motto? "Being Fit"

The media seems especially focused on being in shape. But do these fit ideals go to extremes?

The problem with exercise programs and healthy eating habits is that we often begin with the idea that we'll lose weight and when we don't shed the "extra pounds" as quickly as we thought we would, we get discouraged and return to our old bad habit of potato chips and television. I've told you before and I'll tell you again: weight loss is NOT a way to measure fitness or health. The mindset that being skinny is equivelent to being healthy is killing our society. This is the mindset that leads to self-destructive behavior such as overexcercizing, overindulging in food, or falling into an eating disorder.

I recently began an excercize program in order to train for a half marathon. Branching off of my new fitness craze, I decided to eat more fruits and vegetables in an effort to be healthy. I'm not going to lie to you, I had hoped that this would help me lose "fat." For two weeks straight I would weigh myself every day (on my Wii Fit) and cross my fingers for a lower BMI, even though I know that looking at ourself through body mass index isn't healthy or not accurate. About halfway through the third week of this I broke down. It's exhausting trying to be thin. It's exhausting to weigh yourself everyday. It's exhausting to judge your mood from your BMI. So I quit "cold-turkey" (I've always wanted to use that expression!). My new focus is on being healthy. I'm still going to eat pleanty of fruits and vegetables to sustain my body but a slice of cake isn't going to kill me. I'm changing my perspective on training for my half marathon from trying to be skinny and athletic to getting in shape again and feeling good about my body. Plus, how many high school students can say that they're going to run a half marathon?

It can be scary going to the gym for the first time, getting on one of those big machines, pressing all those fancy buttons and hoping that you don't pass out in the first five minutes. But you know what? Everyone was a beginner at some time or another. Healthy isn't defined by thinness, it's how active you are. That doesn't mean that we need to be running to every class or jogging to the grocery store, but maybe take a walk after dinner and try to do a cardio workout three times a week. Women who are uncomfortable in their bodies are more likely to become more sedentary and take less care of themselves as they age. It's important to be confident in your ability to complete a task. If you feel like you can't workout, start out small. Go mall walking, for all I care; just get your body moving! If you do want to go to a gym for the first time, I would suggest that you use an elliptical machine. They're fun and easy to use, plus you can change the difficulty level.

One of the biggest lies standing in the way of you and that elliptical machine is the "I'm too fat to exercise" idea. The media tries to sell us this perfect body image when there is no perfect body image. In other words, the "I'm too fat" speech is an effect of the media getting inside your head. So set a fitness goal. Say you want to be able to run a mile in under ten minutes. Or find an exercise that is fun for you such as yoga, dance classes, etc. Ninety percent of women are dissatisfied with their body; lets change that.

One last word of advice: don't strive for weight loss, strive for health. If we're living a healthy lifestyle, changes are sure to follow; but be sure that you're exercising and eating right for health.

Find your healthy way to live beautifully!

Beautiful Flaws

In a world where our culture revolves around the need to be perfect, it's hard to find your flaws "lovable." There's always something you hate about your body: you think you're overweight and your eyes are too close together; maybe your nose is too big, or your ears are crooked or you hate the way your feet look in flip flops.  It's so easy to get caught up in our flaws that we forget about the ways they make us beautiful and unique.

I'm sure you've all heard of Bethany Hamilton, the girl who lost her arm to a shark attack when she was thirteen. I absolutely love her movie Soul Surfer. It not only has a great message for seeing your body for what it is than for what it isn't, but it also shows Bethany's struggle with her relationship with God and her relationship with surfing. After her accident, you see Bethany sitting in her room as she rips off the arm of her Barbie doll. Her mother, Cheri, comes in and tells Bethany that she likes the Barbie doll better with one arm. Bethany says, "I thought at least with clothes on I could have two arms, I thought I could look normal."

I love Cheri's response, "The right guy will love you exactly the way you are because you're beautiful."

And you are so beautiful!

Cheri then shows Bethany a picture of Venus de Milo: the pinnacle of beauty. "And she has one less arm than you," she tells Bethany. What an excellent example of what beautiful really is. When you can find your flaws beautiful, when you can look at yourself in the mirror and say that you are beautiful because of your flaws and not in spite of them, that is what beauty truly is.

In an interview, Bethany said, "There's definitely times in my life where I'm just struggling with body image whether it be having one arm or feeling like I'm fat or having bad hair or a pimple but there are just so much worse things in life than what you look like." Who would have thought that the outgoing, encouraging Bethany Hamilton would be insecure over having a pimple? I guess there's a lesson in this, everyone feels insecure from time to time, but you can't let it get to you.

The media leads us to believe that if we dislike something about ourselves, we can get a quick fix, whether that be with a crash diet or surgery. But you know what? Liposuction isn't the answer to your "fat" thighs. In a survey conducted by the Girl Scouts of America, thirty three percent of girls had a distorted view of their body and saw themselves as overweight. The media is feeding us lies!

Jacqueline Saburido is also a woman I admire for her self-esteem. Jacqueline was a victim in a drunk driving accident in 1999. She was the only one in her vehicle who survived; however, Jacqueline was left with third degree burns on over sixty percent of her body. After undergoing over twenty surgeries, Jacqueline appeared on the Opera to share her story. When interviewing with Opera, Jacqueline said that she only allows herself five minutes a day to cry. If this woman can still keep going after losing everything, how can we possibly shield away when we have a pimple or are having a bad hair day?

In honor of embracing our flaws, I feel the need to tell you one of my insecurities. I think my nose is too big. There, I said it. I have been insecure about this for a long time, but the more I tell myself that I'm beautiful because of my nose, the more I believe it. Besides, we all have our own insecurities and we are most likely focusing on ourselves rather than scrutinizing others. So . . . LET GO OF YOUR INSECURITIES.

If you can't find your flaws beautiful, then for every flaw you see in yourself, write down two things that you love about yourself. This isn't limited to your outward appearance. I think that you'll find when you stop focusing on your flaws you'll see the more beautiful things in yourself that you never saw before.

1 Samuel 16:7b says, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." We need to remember that before we fix our distorted view of body image, we need to fix our heart. Our heart is what God looks at to see our beauty; and that, therefore, is the most important form of beauty we could ever imagine. We can't fix our heart with plastic surgery, we need to fix it by getting right with God, by reading our Bible, and, most importantly, by praying to Him. Once we are right with God, we can find beauty within ourselves and it will spill into our outward appearance.

Bethany leaves us with this advice, "I think the secret to finding positive self-esteem is just loving who you are and just go for it."

Health-Ful Living

I have been doing an experiment, something I hope to make a permanent change in my daily life. I have successfully eaten five servings of fruits and vegetables every day for a week. How's that for a major change in my (I don't want to use the word "diet") daily food intake?

Now you may be thinking, "Oh, big deal. You're eating five servings of fruits and vegetables. Do you want a sticker for that or something?" Well to that I say: you try it. It's hard! And I'm not going to lie, it's a little pricy. But you can't put a price tag on being healthy!

To be honest, five servings is the minimum amount of fruits and veggies we should take into our "diet." Twice that amount and you'd be the healthiest person alive! Throughout the week I have been really hungry, however. I thought fruits and vegetables were supposed to fill you up? But whatever, because that just means I get to eat MORE fruits and vegetables and I've been feeling super good about my eating habits this week. And guess what? You should join me! (You totally knew that was coming, didn't you?) But seriously. I've been like - super high energy, can actually stay awake during class, no more headaches this week - happy

So I bet you're now waiting for a super appealing argument to convince you to eat more of that green leafy stuff that your mother says is good for you.

Deep breath. Here it goes . . .

Fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to live on! And they're all natural! I even found a whole website that names the nutrition facts of a ton of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that apples contain 5625 grams of tfglhya? (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Plus, eating all this good food makes me want to get outside and get moving. Not to mention we've been having super nice, unseasonably warm weather.

To start you off on your new and improved five servings of fruits and vegetables a day self, here's what I've been filling my stomach with for the past seven days:

• Apples! yumm. They really do keep the doctor away.
• Pears. delicious. If you get the right kind, they taste like candy!
• Lots of salad. Did you know that green leafy stuff is actually good for you? I love to put parmesan cheese on my salads with a little bit of light raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
• Carrots. Apparently, they're good for your eyesight? I think this is just a myth to get people to eat them.
• Broccoli! If you put it in the oven with oil and salt, it's kind of the best tasting broccoli you've ever had. But if you need to choke it down with cheese, I won't think less of you.
• Oranges. They remind me of summer! And afterwards, your hands will smell like oranges for hours. It doesn't matter how many times you wash your hands . . .
• Bananas. These are just good. I don't understand people who don't like bananas. I love making oatmeal and putting bananas, walnuts, and, of course, brown sugar in it.
• Asparagus! I love it so much. You have no idea. And make it the same way you made the broccoli, yumm.
• Strawberries. Who doesn't like strawberries. Seriously. You're crazy if you don't like them. Again, reminds me of summer.

These are obviously just a few fruits and veggies that I love. I would like to include chocolate to this list but sadly, it's not a fruit or vegetable. But cocoa is a bean, and those are good for you too! But that's another story.

Have a beautifully, health-ful day.

What Makes You Beautiful

I just love this song. You are so beautiful!

Eating Disorders

That's a pretty nerve-racking title if you ask me. Nonetheless, it's a subject I feel like I need to get aquainted with. This may be a negative outlook, but I think that every teenage girl in America "flirts" with an eating disorder at some time in her life. It seems unescapable in our society today; our society that is so appearance driven. It's impossible to go about your day without seeing an ad, commercial, or television show that doesn't focus on improving your look. It's engraved in our minds that if we aren't skinny then we better do something about it. Whether that's liposuction, cosmetic surgery, crash diets, or through eating disorders, it's all dangerous. I'm sure you've heard the saying "playing with fire," that's exactly what you're doing when you experiment with an eating disorder.

Know the facts:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that revolves around the desire to be thin and to lose weight quickly. It often stems from the need to want to be in control. It is most commonly found in women and develops during middle to late adolescents. It affects around one percent of women and one-tenth as many males. People with anorexia refuse to maintain body weight at or above eighty-five percent of normal weight for their age and height and have a fear of becoming fat, even if they are already severely underweight. The first widespread attention brought to eating disorders was in 1983, when singer Karen Carpenter died from anorexia. People with anorexia restrict their food intake and deprive their bodies of enough energy and nutrients to live on. even after overcoming anorexia, it can have lasting effects on your heart, immune system, kidneys, digestive system, and metabolism.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging of the food through laxatives or vomiting. A study on bulimia found that after eating 3,530 calories and then vomiting, 1,209 calories were left in the body. After smaller binges of 1,549 calories, 1,128 calories were retained after purging. Bulimia also has lasting effects on the throat and esophagus, teeth, heart, stomach and pancreas, kidneys and liver, intestines and muscles.

Binge eating disorder occurs when an individual eats uncontrollably and does not purge the food. Binge eaters are often overweight and are distressed over the amount of food consumed. Binge eating can have lasting impacts on the heart and metabolism.

These are the most common eating disorders. It seems like it would be so much easier to lose weight by just not eating or purging after you've overindulged. Easy solution, right? But that can be the most dangerous thinking in the world, the kind that could kill you. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, maybe you haven't attempted anything but you've thought about it a lot, talk to someone you trust. Instead of focusing on your body shape, focus on being healthy by exercising and eating the right foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, dairy products, and lean meats and make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Listen to your bodies "hunger and full" cues to make sure that you're eating enough nutrients that your body needs and so that you don't eat out of boredom or stress.

When we succumb to eating disorders we are proclaiming that we accept the worlds standard of beauty when what we need to be doing is revolting against such unattainable standards. Remember that you are beautiful, no matter what the media says. Embrace your flaws and SMILE.

A More Beautiful You

There could never be a more beautiful you. God created you. Trust Him!