Tuesday, October 14, 2008

BIBLICAL WOMANHOOD: DAY 1

I've been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be a Godly woman. I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I will do my best to summarize my thoughts in this coming series of posts. Today I will share some of my thoughts on body image.

BODY IMAGE: Part 1:

Our society places many demands on us, and few (or none) of them point us to the way of biblical womanhood. For instance, we are constantly told that we "should embrace our bodies" and "be content with who we are and what we look like", and then we are bombarded by images of frighteningly thin models who apparently are meant to be our beauty ideals. Do you see anything wrong with this picture??? I sure do. Having struggled a lot with body image issues and anorexia, I can tell you that being thin will NOT make you happy. When you have an eating disorder, it doesn't matter how thin you are, because you will still think you are overweight! I remember a time not too long ago when I frightened my family and friends with my appearance. I was always sick and miserable and hungry, and I looked so undernourished because...well...I was. Of course I denied to myself and everyone else that I was starving myself. In my mind, I was "controlling and disciplining" myself. I mean, it's a sign of strength and self control to starve yourself, right?? Wrong. I remember keeping a journal of exactly what I ate for a few months. Here's a sample entry:

Breakfast: 1/2 apple

Lunch: 3 crackers

Dinner: nothing

Workouts: 1 hour cardio, 1/2 hour weights


Admitting all this stuff is really hard. I don't think I've ever shared this kind of thing before, but it needs to be said. Girls need to be made aware of what this kind of nutritional deprivation can do to their bodies and minds. Even though I am eating more now, I still struggle with body image on a daily basis. It's a constant battle. But you CAN win! Rejoice in the body God gave you, and do not listen to the devil telling you that you are anything less than a beautiful child of the King!

In BODY IMAGE: Part 2, I'll share some tips for keeping a healthy view of your body.


Blessings,

Erin

2 comments:

Corinth said...

Do we get Part 2 soon? I'm eager to hear more of your insights. :-)

Praying! *hug*

Anonymous said...

yeah, where is part 2...smile...