Shopping Disaster

I was looking forward to this fitting appointment for a while now.

As part of the fall fair ambassador program you go to a certain store to pick out a formal dress and a casual outfit for a fashion show type idea.

I do not go shopping often because I can't afford much so I was looking forward to trying on some nice clothes without the price tag.

The store specializes in adult women clothes, not teens, kids or males.

I knew the sizes were mostly size 4+ but I figured they would have some stuff I would fit.

I am a size 2, and working on becoming a size 4.

So we start looking at dresses. None looked small enough to fit me!

Most were gorgeous & I wished I could try them on but they would be way too big.

All my life I wanted to be skinny like the models. And now I am skinny I can't even wear the clothes I want! Life is not fair.

I say it again...

Life is not fair.

Finally after trying on over 10 different dresses, they pulled out a dress from the basement that thankfully fit me!! In fact it fit me perfectly!! I was soo happy.

The dress was also very pretty. A dark blue, just shorter than knee length with some crystals on the top.

Then came the next round. A casual outfit...should be easy but wrong!

Nothing was my size-or near it. And I didn't even like most of it anyways.

We settled on a gray & black striped long sleeve shirt with a black legging (and because I am short the leggings pooled at my ankles) with a turquoise purse to add a pop of colour.

A 30 hour appointment took 1 1/2 hours.

Well I am happy that is over.

Anyone have a similar story? I would love to hear it!

No matter your size, love your body & be healthy! Enjoy life!

Why Skinny?

Out of all body types, sizes, and shapes, why does the ideal female body have to be stick thin?

But is it really the ideal? Who decides that?

Why are all runway models 6 ft 2 and a size 0 or 2?

Do the clothes really look that much better on a size 2 body than a size 6 or 8  body?

And why are celebrities always flaunting their pin legs and tiny waists?

They talk about their latest diet consisting of just salad & mineral water while also telling us they work out 3 hours a day.

For some reason thin seems to = happiness....?

Thin people are thought to be perfect & have their life under control.

But is this true?

The opposite is usually true. Many girls who are skinny due to an eating disorder struggle with their lives. Their eating disorder is usually their "escape" or their one thing that they can control!

Ok, there are naturally thin people out there and they are healthy, because that is just the way their body is. They have fast metabolisms and don't gain much weight. They too are beautiful just like any other girl.

Each girl....and boys included, has a unique body & that makes everyone unique!

So we need to stand together to let every girl & women out there know that they are beautiful as long as they  eat healthy, and sweets in moderation, and do some form of exercise they enjoy! And even if you are not at a healthy weight, that does not mean you are ugly!!

A curvy women or underweight women can work on becoming healthier. It takes time!!

So please do not criticize other women, and don't compare yourself to others.

We love YOU the way YOU are!

Your personality is so much more important :)

(picture taken from http://sugarandspicecater.blogspot.ca/2012/04/all-shapes-and-sizes.html)

Questions to ask yourself

While searching the web for worthy content for my blog I came across this website;
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/weightless/2012/08/body-image-booster-ask-yourself-these-23-questions/

Considering that I am dealing with body image issues myself, I thought these were some excellent questions to ask myself!! I want to share them with you  :)

1. If my body could talk right now, what would it say?
2. What do I need right now?
3. What’s one way I can celebrate my body every day?
4. What’s something that makes me feel worse about my body? (e.g., women’s magazines, diet books, keeping a scale at home.)
5. What people make me feel bad about my body and myself? Why?
6. What people make me feel better about my body and myself? Why?
7. What helps me to feel comfortable in my own skin?
8. What doesn’t?
9. What do I need to feel nourished, energized and strong?
10. What helps me deal with stress in a healthy way?
11. What has my body helped me do in the last few days?
12. What helps me express my emotions effectively?
13. What are the bare essentials I need to feel good?
14. What can I eliminate from my life that doesn’t make me feel good?
15. What are my favorite ways to move my body?
16. What brings me joy?
17. What does a positive body image mean to me?
18. What does it look like?
19. What does self-love mean to me?
20. What does it look like?

Here is a list I thought of of things to do that might make you feel better about yourself/ help recovery

• volunteer
• gardening/growing something
• read a good/funny/how-to book
• learn a new skill (e.g.knitting, painting, sewing, horse back riding)
• paint your room a new colour
• call up an old friend
• write a letter to someone in the hospital, senior home etc.
• donate $ or time to a charity
• adopt a cat/dog from a shelter

Hilary Duff!! :) She's my favourite celeb/singer/actress

She herself struggled with body image as well. She was very skinny a few years ago but now she's happy & healthy!! (and married...and a mother of a beautiful baby)

calories!!!

The truth about calories!!
I'll be honest...I am obsessed with calories.
I eat low calorie food & sometimes I eat more of a low calorie food while I could've just had a high calorie food but smaller portion!
Calories are not all the same. A 100 calorie apple is not the same as 100 calories of fried potato chips.
It is also important to know that your body NEEDS calories! It also NEEDS fat, sugar (yes it needs sugar), cholesterol, sodium, etc. Just more of some than others.
Also, each person needs a different amount of calories!! Due to: body size, muscle mass, height, metabolism, activity level, type of food eaten, climate, etc.

 The definition of a calorie is “the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C”.

Most people need around 2000 calories a day

3500 calories equals one pound of body fat

Fat has 9 calories per gram

Protein & Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram
healthy body :)

http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1LENN_enCA491CA491&biw=1517&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=3uNejwk0kIUY3M:&imgrefurl=http://color-me-healthy.tumblr.com/post/25594367249/curvy-and-beautiful-and-healthy&docid=lWzw7sNqQ7fkXM&imgurl=http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5zhitGx4A1ruh8x7o1_500.jpg&w=494&h=658&ei=NjJNUL66E-SJywGbzoH4CQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=114046538348975316278&page=2&tbnh=160&tbnw=121&start=24&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:24,i:150&tx=90&ty=95

Focus on YOU! dont compare yourself to others!

Welcome!

Welcome to my brand new blog!!!

I'm super excited to start this blog because I hope it will help not only me but many others out there as well!
I have suffered from anorexia/bulimia for a while now, not super severe but enough that it affects my every day life & it's with me all the time.
I no longer want to calorie count, purge, over exercise, have anxiety, etc.
Since I live in a part of Ontario where there is no eating disorder treatment I want to use this blog as my help.
It is this or nothing.
So if I can't save my own life maybe I can save someone else's life.

I want to fill this blog with recovery inspiration, healthy thoughts, healthy recipes,quotes, events etc.

Please, If you would like to contribute or have your recovery/healthy life blog or recovery story featured please contact me!! at judith-12-purple@hotmail.com