Can you Stop the Fat Talk?

Did you know that this week (Oct 19-23) is Fat Talk Free Week? This international, 5-day body activism campaign draws attention to body image issues and the damaging impact of the thin ideal on women in society. This annual public awareness effort was born from Tri Delta’s award-winning body image education and eating disorders prevention program, Reflections: Body Image Program™.

Here are a few statistics from the End Fat Talk Campaign website:

• 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. 51% of 9- and 10 -year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet. (Mellin LM, Irwin CE & Scully S, 1992)
• Barbie, the best selling fashion doll in the world, has unattainable and unhealthy body proportions. If she were alive, her waist would be smaller than patients with anorexia nervosa, and she would be unable to menstruate. Research shows that young girls (ages 5-7) who are exposed to Barbie want a thinner body than they have. (Dittmar, Halliwell, & Ive, 2006)

If you’re ready to join thousands of other teens and women who want to stop the fat talk, you can sign the End Fat Talk Promise! I signed it and I hope you will too! What a great reason to start banning negative thoughts from your self-image! Forget thoughts such as, “I need to lose ten pounds,” “I’m so fat,” or “I’ll never look like her…” What would our world be like if we could eliminate fat talk?

Fashion Tips for School

We were having a discussion at Girls With Dreams about what to wear to school. Do you think girls should just be comfortable and wear jeans or do you like to get dressed up? Why do you think some girls wear low-cut shirts and short skirts? Check out our discussion on Girls With Dreams TV or read Stevie’s advice on ‘Being a Scrub’.

Stevie Recommends Being a Scrub

Sleep in. Don’t freak out if your hair isn’t perfect. Wear less make-up. Be a SCRUB! By scrub, I mean wear sweats and be comfy! It’s okay, I promise. Who cares if you don’t look like you just got your hair done, had a professional apply your make-up or spent all night picking out your outfit?

Reasons why you should go scrub:

1. Guys actually like it. I read and hear from guys that they like it when a girl can still feel confident in comfortable clothes.
2. You get to sleep in a little longer, and you spend less time getting ready.
3. You don’t have to go scrub every day because sometimes it feels good to look really nice and polished.
4. It’s fun and keeps you from getting angry. Trying to figure out an outfit every day annoys me. Going scrub keeps me from wasting time thinking about my outfit, and from getting mad when I can’t pick something.
5. I have better ways to spend my time.
6. You’re being a leader, not a follower. It gives you a way to be your own person instead of trying to fit in with all the new fashions.

I hope these points give you something to think about. Just don’t be like everyone else. Be who you are and do what you want. Don’t follow what everyone else is doing. I’m not saying never dress nicely, I just want my point to get across that it’s okay to wear sweats and be comfortable.

Stevie Recommends Burt’s Bees lip balm

Burt’s Bees lip balm is one of the best chap sticks I have every used! Honestly, I love this product and I recommend it to everyone. It makes your lips feel really good and gives them a cool tingly feeling. They also have other great products too, pretty much anything from that company is worth buying. You can find their products at Walmart, Target, Bath and Body Works, or go to their website and take a look.

Find the Dress that Makes You Look Best

Finding that perfect fit can be a bit of a challenge. Remember you are buying a dress to compliment your body type, not to please others. Many girls buy dresses that look good on the model, without considering how it will compliment their figure. The perfect dress should highlight your best attributes while camouflaging any problem areas. I’ve compiled a brief list of body shapes and corresponding fits:

1. Thin and Tall: If you have longer legs with a smaller bust, look for flirty dresses with fuller skirts that come to your knees. Be careful when choosing dresses which are tight or cling to your figure. If you have a larger bust, try halter dresses with the same type of skirt.
2. Tall and Curvy: Look for empire waist dresses which are snug below the bust. The full skirt falls over your curves which creates a very slimming appearance.
3. Short and Curvy: Look for dresses that elongate your torso or legs. Dresses with circular necklines and voluminous skirts will flatter your shape.
4. Short and Thin: Try short and flirty! If you’re old enough and if your parents will allow it, grab a skirt length that’s mid-thigh. Work with different textures and colors to add dimension.
5. Hour-Glass: I’m in this category because I have wider hips and shoulders than my midsection. Pay extra attention to strapless gowns, look for ones with structured bodices or gathered fabric at the waist.

Quick tip for EVERYONE! Try some SPANX with any dress. They smooth out curves and help to give a more complete figure. They eliminate the dreaded pantie line and tuck in any unwanted curves.

Now go out and have a wonderful evening! The most important thing to remember is that you are buying a dress to make you look beautiful, not to make everyone else happy. Buy what you think looks best. Be confident in your dress choice. Buy the dress for YOU, not for everyone else.

For a few more quick tips, check out Girls With Dreams TV.

Saving Tips for Fashionable Teens

What girl doesn’t want to find great clothes and save a bunch of money! This video from Girls With Dreams teens shares tips on how to shop for cool clothes on a budget.

Here are a few more ideas:

1. Have a clothing swap party! Invite your friends over and have everyone bring 5 things that they don’t wear anymore. Let the swap begin!
2. Do you love that shirt in your favorite teen magazine? Look for knock-offs of the same cool style at less expensive stores such a Old Navy, Target, and Walmart.
3. Look for coupons. Sometimes you can find these online or even in the mail.  You might try googling coupon with whatever brand you are looking for.
4. Share money-saving ideas with your friends!

We Are Beautiful!

I went to a modeling audition today. I know what most of you are thinking, “Come on Miranda!” And all of you are right. I had an enlightening experience with the agents. They opened my eyes to one of the biggest jokes in our nation: body image! I’m an average-sized girl, but before they even knew more than my height and name, the agent looked at me and said, “Yeah, well, I’m sorry. We actually don’t have anything we could really use you for. You see, you fall into what we would call ‘plus size’ and there is no use for you now. Though there are…”

Yes, I did stop listening. What the agent told me was one of the most insulting things I had ever been told in my entire life. I looked around and felt so self-conscious. Normally, I consider myself a confident person. I’m confident in how I look, walk, talk, think–pretty much everything. This encounter just made me feel so horrible about myself.

I cut the agent off in the middle of her speech about how I could possibly change myself so I could please the modeling world, and be a better me. Something just clicked inside, just like a little me knocking on my forehead yelling, “Hello! Is anyone home? WAKE UP MIRANDA!” I smiled the prettiest smile I could, and said in my most confident voice, “Well that’s okay. I was just trying my luck.” She smiled back and we said our goodbyes. The whole meeting lasted less than one minute. When I explained the conversation to my mother, she wanted to go back and give the agents a piece of her mind. I was glad I had talked to them alone!

The whole experience illustrated how distorted the Hollywood world is. I was turned away for being a healthy weight, without any consideration of my other characteristics. At first I was embarrassed. It was like they announced my deepest fear to the entire world. They made me feel uncomfortable with who I was for a brief moment. I was actually listening to the options the agent had in mind that would help me to become something I’m not. Looking back on the situation, I’m appalled at the fact that I bought into that superficial world, even if it was only for a moment!

Now that I’ve finished rambling, here’s my main message: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Don’t let someone tell you that the number on a scale defines you. The number on a scale is just that, a number. I’m tired of hearing tabloids call Kate Winslet “overweight” or about how a stick figure celebrity sets the standard for how every girl should be.

I promise that I will never look at sickly celebs and wish I could be thinner, or let to someone who doesn’t even know me convince me that I don’t measure up. I AM good enough. I’m good enough for my parents, my sisters, my baby brother, and my friends. Each one of you is good enough, too. Every single girl out there is important and beautiful in her own way.

Summer Challenge Update and the Swimsuit Season

It’s only week 2 of swimsuit season and, I’ll have to be honest, the Summer Challenge has been a little more difficult than I thought! I didn’t realize how much I compared myself to others. I also didn’t think I was as hard on myself as I have been.

Have you ever felt like your stomach wasn’t flat enough or parts of you weren’t thin enough? I’m glad we started the Summer Challenge because it was an even bigger wake up call for me. We still have so far to go with self-esteem in teens and women! Eating healthy and taking care of myself have been pretty easy (minus the pint of Ben & Jerry’s that is sitting in my freezer). Now I know where I need to focus my attention during the challenge. What’s been the hardest or easiest part for you?

If you haven’t joined us yet, it’s not too late! You can read more about the challenge here and you can join our Facebook Group for the Challenge Here!

Swimsuit Season & Teen Body Image: How Confident Are You?

Every girl struggles with the way she looks at one time or another. See what Molly and Sarah have to say about body image and the added pressure of swimsuit season. 

Every girl, no matter what shape or size, deserves to be confident in her own skin. Here are a few more tips to help you stop second-guessing yourself when you look in the mirror:

• Try to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, not an unrealistic one. Make sure you’re having a healthy mix of fruits and veggies, whole grains, protein, and water. Try to cut back on or eliminate soda as much as possible.
• Look for fun ways to exercise with your friends, such as walking, swimming, or dancing.
• Watch out for negative self-talk. Girls With Dreams has started a Summer Self-Esteem Challenge. We ‘d love for you to join us!
• Be practical. Find a swimsuit that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Just because everyone else is wearing a bikini or some other style doesn’t mean you have to do the same. When you feel good about what you’re wearing, your beauty will shine through.
• Think about when you’ve been proud about your confidence. Remember those times and use them to help pick yourself up when you start feeling down.
• Have other confidence and self-esteem boosting ideas for teens? We’d love to hear them! Send your ideas to  info@girlswithdreams.com or post them on our group page!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42WFc_2lGY4

Distorted Body Image

Almost every teen I talk to seems to have some complaint about her body. It’s not always the same complaint; everyone seems to get hung up on a different body part. Think about it. How many times have you checked yourself in the mirror? When you look in the mirror, do positive or negative thoughts come to mind?

Unfortunately, many girls stress out about their appearance, which eventually leads to a distorted self-image. Some even develop eating disorders. This warped body image cannot be healed with the wave of a magic wand. Listen to these teens share their views about eating disorders.

Then, make sure to check out the other articles and tips we’ve shared at www.girlswithdreams.com.

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