This is the sixth post in Karen’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ blog installment. Karen will be dishing regularly on what we’re all thinking when it comes to body image….and trying to fit into that oh so small dress that haunts us all!

Why do you Care?

Good question, Suzi… “why do we care…?” Do we REALLY care about the dress? Not really. There is NO WAY I am actually fitting into it ever again. Ya’ll it is TINY!!! This is not me being hopeless. We WILL win this battle against the dress… but we gotta pick an attainable one! Did I mention I have more than one…eek! I even thought about having a “rainbow” dress marker for this challenge… You know… the yellow one: 1 size down, the purple one: 2 sizes down, the blue one: (OH the blue one!) 3 sizes down… and on and on. This way I can have “little” wins along this journey. But we will get to “The Dresses of the Rainbow Goals” soon! I’m clicking my slippers Take me home Toto! Back on track, Karen: The dress…and why we care? Because I Karen Broadwater (insert YOUR name) DO have control over myself… but sometimes I just don’t. (big gulp) How many scenarios must we torture ourselves with?

  • My Thyroid
  • My Medication
  • My Metabolism
  • My Injury
  • My Schedule

While some of these may be legitimate, if you take a minute to REALLY ask yourself this question…deep breath…REALLY DEEP…the problem is simply:

YOU.

Whoa…“you” looks so alone there… I know this is a hard pill to swallow…grab some wine, it will go down a little smoother. Totally kidding people! The first step to winning, is admitting what the real, raw, nasty, painful, problem actually is. Ouch. I am sure we all have different triggers, and subconscious habits from our childhood and beyond. Believe me, we ALL have issues. And if you don’t; get the heck outta my blog… go hang with Suzi… she is awesome like you.

We will not succeed by beating ourselves up. But the first step to winning, is admitting what the real, raw, nasty, painful, problem actually is.

However, we must make a decision to stop lying, and stop seeking that allusive “answer’ somewhere out there. Thinking it is your thyroid (though you really might have a problem, and I feel the legal and moral need to tell you to go to a doctor…) Somewhere deep inside of us… we are simply blame shifting.

What Blame Shifting Looks like:

*It can’t be me…? I work out! I really do not eat that bad! I don’t eat much; it can’t be that… I run for goodness sake! Okay, I think about running. I own gym clothes… Its genetic. I had a baby.. a few years ago. (Insert everything you can think of) If you really think you have a problem, get it checked out. Otherwise, bite the bullet of truth, look yourself in the mirror (tell yourself you are BEAUTIFUL because you are!) but tell yourself THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE! That is enough homework for today kiddo’s! Exhale. It is all going to be okay!

..Stay tuned for more inspirational moments from Karen, coming out next week.