Guiltless Recommends: Proud2Bme

I think we can all attest that the teen years were both fantastic and horrible at the same time. You're learning so much about yourself and the world, sometimes it's hard to stay positive, and have a strong self-esteem in the neverending battle of popularity and who will be homecoming king and queen. That's why i was so excited to see this new website:

National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) recently launched Proud2Bme, an online community created for teens by teens, the inspires positive body image, health and happiness. It covers everything from fashion and beauty to news, culture, and entertainment—all with the goal of promoting positive body image and encouraging healthy attitudes about food and weight.You can be inspired by teens that traveled to Capitol Hill to push for eating disorder insurance coverage legislation , read other thank you letters to our bodies. If you are worried that a friend might have an eating disorder this article tells the best way to approach that friend. Because you don't need to be a size zero to be a hero...



So spread the word! If you're a teacher, tell your students. If you have a little brother or sister, tell them. If you are a teenager share this with your friends! You can also follow Proud2Bme on Twitter and like them on Facebook.(Oh and Happy Halloween!)

What makes you happy?

Happy Friday! Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend.

Radiant as the Sun

“I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun”. -Katniss Everdeen

You are the instinct in your gut, the strength in your body, the kindness in your heart.

You're not a number on the scale. And the harsh critic inside your head isn't real - it's only a bad habit- a habit you can break with practice and awareness.

The past and the future don't actually exist - there is only now.

Guiltless is not about living without regret. It's acknowledging that things happen in life that make you feel regretful, but instead of beating yourself up over it, keep moving forward and learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are a beautiful mess that are designed to teach you, not abuse you.

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You already are the person you want to be, and you have the tools you need to get through the obstacles in your life right now.

You are not pretty or beautiful. You are as radiant as the sun, and that kind of brilliance can only come from within.

I love my curves

I love my curves. That I do. And I think I need to share that today.

Because first I saw this:
Katie Halchishick – co-founder of Healthy is the New Skinny in Oprah Magazine. Cosmetic surgery dotted lines cover Katie, indicating what would have to be cut away in order for her to have Barbie’s body.

And then I saw this PostSecret
And I have to saw I'm much more in support of the latter.

So here's for the curves. For stomachs that aren't always flat. For legs that have occasional cellulite bumps. For un-tucked, un-lipo-ed, un-smoothed, un-altered bodies. Bodies that we work to keep healthy and strong, but that are still beautifully imperfect.

Today I love my curves. What do you love?

A Life Long Romance

Happy Love Your Body Day!

This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival.

Today, the NOW Foundation will host a Love Your Body Day blog carnival, featuring strong voices voices from all over who want to share some thoughts on loving your body.

In celebration of this awesome day, I'd like to talk about what loving your body means to me. I don't think loving your body is a static thing. What I mean is, your perception of yourself is constantly evolving and developing, and loving your body is part of that. For a long time, I was dangerously self-critical. I had to really focus on the parts of myself that I was proud of, and sometimes that's a lot easier said than done. But I knew in my heart that it had to happen, because who wants to go through life criticizing themselves all the time?

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The way I came to appreciate my body was treating myself like a friend. I forced myself to look at myself like I would my best friend - seeing all her qualities as unique and beautiful. I started to forgive myself as I would a best friend - acknowledging something that hurt me, but letting it go and moving forward. And I talked to myself the way I would my best friend - I stopped the negative thoughts as soon as I felt them creeping in and I started to point out the things I did well.

This works. It takes effort. But it works.

Just the other day, I was hanging out with a group of women- all totally gorgeous by the way- who were pointing out parts of their bodies they hated. When my turn to criticize myself came up, it was hard not to chime in. I caught myself vocally hating part of my body, and then I remembered - be your own best friend.

And so, hoping to change the tide, I said that I want to be fit, but I refuse to agonize over it and I will not give up the things that make me happy- The love of cooking and celebrating around a table of food, wine, and friends...the comfort of eating ice cream in bed while watching a scary movie...ordering pizza with my nieces and nephews...baking Christmas cookies and tasting the batter...All of these things do not need to be banned from life. Instead, I make sure I treat my body well by eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, drinking water, going for walks, etc. If I respect my body the way it deserves to be respected, I will not need to give up the things in life that make me smile...and I can love my body while I'm at it....now that's having your cake, and eating it too!

I hope this post inspired you to continue down the path toward self-appreciation! Be well, and enjoy the day.

Fat Talk Free Week!

Yesterday was the first day of Fat Talk Free Week, and while I think EVERY Week should be Fat-Talk Free, why not take some extra time to celebrate!
Places where you can start to squash fat talk:

• Gym locker rooms
• Girls night out
• Yoga studios, gyms, dance studios
• Cafeterias, restaurants, coffee shops
• Your home mirror
• Anywhere really!
  

Let's replace this Fat Talk with Fine Talk! Instead of "I feel bloated and disgusting today" reshape your thoughts to focus on what you love about yourself- "well at least I still have a gorgeous smile!"

Just see what shoving away these fat talking demons does to brighten your day!

Take the Pledge and Declare to End Fat Talk today.
Find an Event near you
Join the dialogue on Facebook or Twitter

Guiltless Leaving My Family

We received this delightful blog post from a reader and just couldn't wait to share it! Listen while Diane shares how she learned to let go of guilt while moving far away from family.

Have you ever felt guilty leaving your family for an adventure or a relationship that you truly wanted to pursue? Has the guilt overcome you so much that you find yourself not fully able to connect to that relationship or adventure? It's like you really want to be there but your guilt is holding you back. I often see a mental picture of guilt as a pause button on your life. Do you feel that as soon as you release the guilt that your life will propel you fully into your new gig? I often think so.

I am 31 years old and come from a very close family where no one moves away. Not that my family would disapprove, in fact they are quite supportive of anything I am passionate about. Yet my guilt for leaving them to pursue my own dreams often makes my path one of struggle and indecision. One thing I've learned about indecision is that it's incredibly challenging to feel grounded and move forward in life. So here I am, in a wonderful relationship with my dreamy surfer boy. We have 2 lovely dogs and are cultivating something so sacred and beautiful that I said yes when asked to spend 6 months away from family to join him on the East Coast. We are originally based in San Diego, California. Naturally I said yes and that's when the guilt crept in. It sounded like this...

Is my family going to be ok without me? Should I have just stayed and spent time with my family and let him go to the East Coast on his own? Am I sacrificing precious memories with my family in pursuit of this relationship and is it worth it?

So I arrived and tried to settle into our new adventure and found myself so torn, unable to connect with my boyfriend and our new friends. I found myself falling deeper and deeper into despair feeling that I had made a mistake moving out here. I then felt angry with myself for leaving my family in pursuit of a relationship. I mean, how dare I leave the family when my parents are getting older, my brother needs my motivation to stay focused in his life and my sister needs a hand with her new baby? How dare I pursue my own life and possibly star my own family?

Then a funny thing happened. My mom called. She was worried and knew exactly what was going on. She asked me to open to her and through much resistance I finally let my superwoman guard down and allowed myself to be her scared daughter. She asked what I was so afraid of, and through hours of conversation and many tears I admitted the guilt I felt for wanting my own life without worrying about them. She laughed and comforted me in a way only a good mother could and said the words I could not find a way to tell myself. Those words were, "We're fine, now go live your life. Please!"

Her words set me free and cut the heart strings that pulled me back from embracing the fullness of life that had been present the whole time. Yet I couldn't see it under the shroud of guilt. Since then, I am more aware of how guilt stops you and how it's simply another form of fear. Since then many things have changed as I learn to get out of my own way and truly let myself have what it is I want. The true blessing is realizing that what I want is exactly what I have, it has been here the whole time just waiting for me to participate. Now I am guiltless and free. -Diane

Want to read more? Check out Diane's gorgeous blog and follow her on twitter @simplyfreckled

Sad Ads

Now that I am officially a Registered Dietitian, I've had less study-time on my hands and more free time. (I can't believe I just said that.) Anyway, one of the things I like to do in my free time is read magazines. I know, I know...it's a dirty habit, but I can't help it.

It's a well known fact that when flipping through magazines, surely some images or articles have the potential to offend. But this ad just made me SAD.


Do you really have to use peoples' insecurities to sell your strange drink? Can't we come up with something a little more creative? It's 2011, people!

Look at the ad. It's for their Neuro-Trim and it's telling you you're not perfect unless you drink their neuro-trim, because essentially, you're not trim enough. Bogus, right? They also have Neuro-gasm, Neuro-Sleep, Neuro-Supreme, Neuro-If-you-don't-buy-this-drink-you-will-suffer....ok I made that last one up, but you get the point.

I'm ready for the art of marketing to take a turn for the better. It's time to see positive messages leaving the reader feeling empowered rather than with a large list of attainable, unrealistic goals. It's time to see ads for products or ideas that increase our enjoyment of life, deepen our knowledge on our favorite topic without making us feel like crap first. Do you agree?

Here's an ad I can get behind:

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Have you seen any ads lately that you'd like to share? Ones you love? Ones you hate? Tell us about it here or write to us at iamguiltless@gmail.com with a guest post! Have a great day.

Love After Love

Love after Love

by Derek Walcott

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door,

in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread.

Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Why I am a Dietitian

In honor of National Registered Dietitian Day, we decided to re-post this fantastic post by Michaela Ballman about why she is a registered dietitian. Michaela is a fantastic body positive dietitian who the Guiltless Gals have gotten to know through the wonderful network of dietitians on twitter. She graciously wrote a guest post for us about why she became a RD. Read on!

I love food, therefore I am a Registered Dietitian. Sounds ironic? Believe me, it isn’t. Many people think that dietitians are food police, going around judging people by what is on their plate or in their grocery cart. Others think we take all the joy out of life by forbidding burgers and prescribing carrot sticks. Couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m a dietitian because I recognize that food is powerful. It can help make the body strong, healthy, and durable, or it can weaken the organs and promote sickness and infection. It can be the setting for many a social gathering, or it can be the focus of a solitary binge. It can be a pleasure at each meal and snack, or it can be an emotional nightmare. Food is powerful. Many of us don’t know what to do with food. It’s a sort of love-hate relationship that causes daily turmoil. What should I eat? When should I eat? How much should I eat? We feel guilty for our food choices, and think that it is our social duty to hate our own bodies. We think that shaming ourselves with help us eat better, exercise more, and feel great. Yes, we’ve gone mad. I am a dietitian because I want people to rediscover a love for food and themselves. It is possible to have a healthy relationship with ice cream and an “imperfect” body. Common beliefs and cultural norms are harming us; I want to undo the damage and help people overcome disordered eating, reverse chronic disease, and become their own best friend. The next time an image of a critical, food dictator comes to mind when you think of a dietitian, replace that image with one of someone who truly cares about you and the health of your mind and body. We really do!
Want to hear more from Michaela? Follow her on Twitter @Nutrispeaking and check out her blog!

A Little Musical Inspiration

She & Him - Me & You
"You gotta be kind to yourself."

Did You Catch Your Zzzzzs?

We all know we're supposed to get 7-8 hrs of sleep a night. But when was the last time you scored an A on this assignment? I was sad to read yesterday that one in three Americans don't get enough sleep and more than 10 percent of the population is chronically sleep deprived. When surveyed, more than half of women say sleep is the first thing they sacrifice when pressed for time. Sleep rejuevenates us, resets us and prepares us for tomorrow. Without it, we do worse on daily tasks, preform awfully at work, and are greater risk for developing heart disease, cancer and depression. Those who sleep less also eat more, crave more foods, and have lower self confidence.
I used to be in the "I'll sleep when I'm dead" camp. And although there's always an exception to the rule, I am now "older and wiser" and realize how important sleep is in my life. If I skimp out the night before work, I'm drowsy and much less productive. Plus I just feel like crap! So I count backwards from whenever I know I need to wake up, and crawl under the covers no later than 7 hours prior.

So are you counting enough sheep? Here's some suggestions:

• Schedule in sleep. yes I know you're scheduling in appointments, lunches and exercise already. But allot 7-8 hours a night to rest. Turn off the computer, tv, and dim the lights.
• Take work outside. Only have sex and sleep in your bed. Don't bring in the computer or papers to grade.
  
• Relax. Having trouble falling asleep? Make sure to turn off all electronics 1 hr before trying to sleep and avoid bright lights. Have a cup of herbal (non-caffeinated) tea. Read a light book. Meditate. Think soothing thoughts. Take Deep breaths.

Sweet dreams!
How'd you sleep last night? How much do you sleep on average? How can you rearrange your schedule to make sleep more of a priority.