Self confidence challenge..?

I was overweight/obese while growing up. Ever since I can remember, I was heavier (and taller) than everyone else my age. I was used to being made fun of because of my weight, and learned to brush it off my shoulders (or so I thought). Once I hit puberty, I started eating healthier, grew taller, and overall changed a LOT physically. I was no longer fat or the brunt of everyone's jokes. I was too busy rebelling at that time to think too much about my appearance, honestly. haha.

Now I'm 16, I'm physically fit, at a healthy weight, and find myself feeling terrible about my body. I look in the mirror and all I can see is how my breasts aren't big enough, my hips are too wide, and my butt is too flat. Quite frankly, I feel terrible for even spending my time worrying about this. I absolutely abhor the common depiction of beauty, and I can't stand Hollywood and America's ideal image of a woman.

I feel terrible for thinking so much about MYSELF. So here is my goal: I'm going to think about myself MORE. This may sound contradicting, but I think the type of things you tell yourself on a daily basis truly form who you are. Therefore, I'm going to praise myself for the most irrelevant things I like about myself. I'm going to spend my thoughts on actually loving myself. I think, the key is to love yourself like a friend. Would I accuse my healthy friend of being fat everyday? No.

So this is what I will do at the end of each day: I will write out three lists. On the first list, I will write out ten things I like about myself. I must think of new things I like about myself daily. Repeating a previous like is not allowed. For the second list, I will write out ten things I like about only my body. Again, no repeats. For the third, I will write out ten things I accomplished today which I'm proud of. I will allow repeats on this one, simply because daily exercise and diligence should be rewarded. I love myself enough to exercise and be healthy. I love myself enough to eat my recommended calorie income daily. The world will most certainly not end if I exceed my calories.

If anyone would like to join me in this endeavor, it'd be great to have some support. I think this is a really important issue and is the main reason why most of us are here anyway. We have to keep our minds healthy as well as our bodies.

Good for you, sugar_and_spice. :) It's gotten so much easier to make out these lists, just after three days of doing it! haha

I want to join! This is such a good idea, I could really use some self esteem boosting. I'm alawys really bad about journaling though so you'll all have to remind me! I love writing, but I go through phases so I'll write once or twice and tell myself I'm going to write something every day, and have even made similar lists but I never keep it up. I was doing something where I wrote out what had made me happy that day if I wrote at night, or what I wanted to accomplish if I wrote it in the morning. That lasted for about a week :\

Moriah - Yeah, the only thing that might get harder is when we run out of body parts and not nameing them twice! LOL. The first one is easy, and so is the third one.

Hey, everyone.  I was a little busy yesterday and didn't have time to post my list on here. :( BUT, on the other hand, I did reflect on all of the good things about that day.  That's something I never used to do. 

Heather! haha, I totally understand.  This is when we'll have to be appreciating our healthy organs! :)

Gibbit - Welcome! You will do wonderfully, and you can check in here whenever you'd like.

Mr. Neville - Thank you so much for your comment!  It's really nice to have your support and you had some really great points and examples.  I MORE than agree with the fact that people are bombarded with staying "humble", so much so, that they think it'd be out of character to recognize the good they do.  Honestly, I've realized that it's just not enough to praise yourself quietly.  I've bashed myself for so long (I, too, was afraid of coming across as arrogant or conceited), so now my friends and family are surprised when I'm verbally complimenting myself.  I'm also noticing, just since I've been writing these lists, that I have much more mercy and empathy for others.  I know now that it's impossible to love others if you don't have true love for yourself, as cliche as it sounds.

Again, thank you so much for your response, and I will definitely start to promote this "self love" concept more. :)

that sounds like a really good idea! i just recently started becoming so self-conscious i really dont even know where it came from.  the worst part is that i dont usually get upset looking at pictures from hollywood and stuff, but when i see my peers and stuff that are all skinnier than me or less body fat or whatever.  i get so jealous of the people that can eat as much as they want and have no hips and a flat stomach.

Teedlehee, this is such a great idea. I have some of the same problems with my own body. I'm very self-conscious about my wide hips and flat butt too. But I'm learning to accept it now. I buy clothes that flatter my figure, I take time to admire what I do like about myself, I try to catch myself when I'm getting concerned with superficial things, and I try to improve on my inner self. It's more important that I can care about other people than just what my weight is.

It's also really important to surround yourself with people who love and appreciate you. In the end, self-confidence comes from within, but it really helps, especially when you're a teenager, to have other people encouraging you :) My boyfriend always tells me I have a really nice body...so why should I keep repeating negative things about it as if I want him to agree?!

Blah, I haven't been doing it. Ugh. : (

This really is a fabulous idea...

Like so many others, I also have low self-esteem.  I have problems with being assertive, am very quiet, hate confrontations, tend to overthink... the list goes on, but really it just means I feel bad and bash myself.

It's so easy to look on the negative side of things.  But it's also easy to rationalize problems, preventing growth and change.  It's healthiest to strike a balance; I think that posting this list daily will encourage that, and give me some self-confidence.

(Also: teedlehee, college at sixteen?  Wow.  Are you actually attending college, or are you taking a few classes?)