Size Is Just a Number

When I watched this video from the Today Show last week, it got me fired up. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth a watch, but basically what the video shows is how much discrepancy there is in sizes from brand to brand, garment to garment, season to season. Sizes are inconsistent and unreliable, and yet we let them drive us crazy.

The truth is, size is just a number, and we shouldn’t let numbers have so much power over how we measure ourselves. It’s not just size, but our weight, body fat percentage, our measurements…these do not define us. The size of your heart, the number of people you’ve mentored, how many times you’ve given back to worthy causes, these are numbers that matter.

If you’re wearing a size 2 or a size 10, who cares, as long as it fits and it makes you feel good! If you order something that you loved online, but when you put it on at home, it doesn’t look great…that’s okay. It’s just not for you. Not everything looks good on every body type, it’s nothing personal. And, if you try something on at a store and it’s too small, just get the next size up. Keep trying until you find the one that makes you look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Ignore the number on the tag because it’s not important.

And another thing, don’t exercise because you ate a cupcake yesterday. Do it because it makes you feel invigorated, because your body is a temple and you need to take good care of it. If you hate running, don’t force yourself to run. Find something that gets you excited to sweat. And eat the cupcake, no regrets.

You may be curvier than you used to be, or you may have lost some of that muscle definition you had. You may have stretch marks, cellulite, birthmarks, or freckles. You may want to lose a few pounds or get laser therapy. But, no matter what, you have to love yourself where you are. Figure out what clothes make you feel confident, and surround yourself with people who do that too. When that pesky little voice in your head pipes up about the numbers, tell her to shut up and do another twirl in the mirror, because you look awesome! This is a message that needs repeating, so please, pass it on!