• Do you feel guilty when you eat “bad” foods?
• Does the number on your scale dictate the quality of your day?
• Do you eat when you’re not hungry and keep going when you’re full?
• Do you eat when you’re angry? When you’re just bored?
• Do you exercise to eat?
• Do you measure the success of your day exclusively by a calorie count?

If you answered yes to many (or all!) of those questions, you’re normal. That’s the sad, but good news.

Most American women are dissatisfied with their bodies, regardless of their size. Heavier women feel “fat and ugly”, and thin women are never thin enough. The focus is more on size than on health. Many women don’t consider themselves worthy of good things in their lives until they lose that 20 pounds.
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It is time to reclaim your power! Watching calories and exercising are critical to weight loss. Logging your activities into a diet journal ensures that you’ll be honest with yourself. There are no magical cures, and by keeping an accurate log, you’re taking the smartest and most positive action to losing excess pounds.

But that’s not enough. Your worth as a human being must be determined separately from your food intake and your body size. Your personal power must be connected to your ideals and your actions. Your value must be measured by the quality of your character, not by the size of your thighs.

Sadly, women in our society are oppressed by media images of beautiful models and celebrities, who eat lettuce and chain-smoke to stay stick thin. Many are anorexic and jeopardize their lives for image, but the media doesn’t share that. Fashion designers pump out jeans in size 2 (not the average-American size 12) and six-foot models strut down the runway looking painfully chic. How discouraging!

Recent ad campaigns representing the “average woman” as beautiful and sexy are wonderful, but scarce. Emme is a magnificent plus-size role model, but she’s not nearly as glamorized as the more commonly featured “skinny bitches”.

Society’s negative messages about body weight and size can seriously undermine any efforts to improve your self-image. By eating smarter and exercising, you are not being a victim, and that’s exciting. The challenge is to focus on your goals and not succumb to the negativity.

The pressure on women is overwhelming. But if food controls your life, the power is yours to regain. Armed with the right weapons, you can fight back. Join me here each month, as we explore the ways to win your freedom.

Are you ready to fight?

This article Copyright 2009 Judith Bingyou, M. Ed. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Judith Bingyou, M.Ed. provides psychotherapy and counseling services, specializing in weight management and body image. For 28 years, Judith has helped clients gain control of their weight, and their lives. She can be reached at Judith@jbingyou.com.