[WATCH] She Had the ‘Perfect’ Body and Her Pic Caused an Uproar World-Wide

I was blown away when I saw this video. I felt the emotions well up inside and realized that  this struggle is real. Body image. How we see ourselves in the mirror and what we say about our bodies is vital to our confidence and self-worth. This is one of the coolest things I've seen about this topic. Watch the video:

On my own journey, I have not appreciated the young body I had in my late teens/early 20s and wasted so much energy thinking I was "too fat" or "disgusting" just as the other women in the video showed. I couldn't believe I was seeing other women outright confess the very thing I used to hear in my own head!  As life went on and after becoming a mama, the "sands" shifted and so did my body. I have been up and down with weight my entire life.

I finally put together that my emotions play a huge role in my weight. For me personally, it's the best gauge. When I am feeling happy and loved, I shed weight. When I am unhappy, feeling overwhelmed, under-appreciated and my basic needs aren't being met (let's face it, mothers tend to self-sacrifice more often than we care to admit!), I would put on 10lbs almost overnight. It has been the most unique observation but it rings true in my life.

I decided that, no matter what, I was going to start treating myself the way I would tell my best friend to love herself. I made the decision that I was going to put me on the front burner, instead of the back. It's a decision I made for me, my daughters and in hopes of playing my part in our culture of 'embracing' and loving our bodies.