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!

Summer Challenge!

I’ve realized that I haven’t written anything in quite some time. Now that my school commitments have come to a close, its time to do some serious writing.

I wanted to tell you all about my upcoming plans for my first year in college. I’m really excited about it because I’ve realized that the best thing to do is GET INVOLVED. Its only June, but I’ve already gotten involved with my school. That’s gotta be good, right? So here’s what happened: I had registration day. Although you might think it would be extremely chaotic and stressful, it really wasn’t. I listened to a few presentations, then decided on my first set of classes in college EVER! I met a woman who was carrying around my file, and she said I’d be perfect for a leadership “intro to college” program that they call “Pathways.” Basically, it is a group of 16 freshman that live in the same dorm on the same hall and take 3 classes together to get to know each other. The courses are Critical Thinking, University 101, and a freshman seminar. I’ve also been working on finding a job around campus and getting ready to do my work study program.

One of the classes that sounds particularly intriguing, is “Deal or No Deal”. Although, this class is not like the TV show, it’s the ultimate challenge. The course has no topic whatsoever. The students make a proposal and then decide as a class what we want to accomplish during the semester. So, as I work on MY proposal for this class, I want to challenge all of you as well.

Here’s the challenge:
What can you do to make yourself a leader at your school or community? There are so many possibilities. Be creative, spontaneous, and have fun! Get yourself out there and make your voice heard. Girls, this is our time to shine and no one can keep you from achieving your highest potential. We all have something to offer this world, so lets get out there and share it!

Get involved. Make new friends. Show ’em what you’ve got!

Do me a wonderful favor, comment below and let me know what you’re doing! I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on with me too!

Also, make a summer goal for how much you want to accomplish in these few short months. Pick something risky and fun. You won’t regret it, I promise!

The GWD Summer Swimsuit Challenge is Back

It’s our third year of the GWD Summer Swimsuit Challenge!  This is not a beauty contest, it’s a call to rally together around the positive ways we can express our self esteem and beauty.  The purpose of the challenge is to reject negative fat talk, whether it’s putting ourselves down or talking about other girls. You can officially join our challenge and make comments on our Facebook page, our check out the original video that got this all started!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119541785672

The GWD Summer Swimsuit Challenge is Back

Last year, we launched the Girls With Dreams Summer Swimsuit Challenge and we liked it so much, we wanted to bring it back this year. The purpose of the challenge is to reject negative fat talk, whether it’s putting ourselves down or talking about other girls. Listen to how it got started and read more about the challenge below!

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 fan page!

Summer Self-Esteem Challenge sponsored by Girls With Dreams

Can we count you in for our Summer Self-Esteem Challenge sponsored by Girls With Dreams?

Are you tired of feeling pressured to have a perfect body?

Are you tired of comparing yourself and being compared to other girls?

What if girls could joing together and eliminate the pressure to be thin?

We’re definitely tired of it!  The idea for this challenge came from a recent discussion Molly and Sarah were having at school about body image and American Idol’s “Bikini Girl”. Swimsuit season is here and it just another reminder of how difficult it is for girls to be happy in their own bodies.

It’s hard to live up to the bodies on TV and in magazines, and it’s even harder to be around a group of girls who are comparing their own beauty to each other. The saddest part is that we are all guilty. Help us improve self-esteem in girls all over the world by joining our Summer Self-Esteem Challenge:

1. The next time you’re in an outfit , swimsuits included, and you start mentally or verbally comparing yourself to your friends, STOP. Stop trying to figure out who has the best legs or flattest stomach and replace those comparisons with compliments.
2. Every time you find yourself picking apart the way you look or feeling jealous of someone else, give yourself one compliment and at least two to your friends.
3. When you wake up in the morning, don’t forget to start the day by looking in the mirror and complimenting yourself.
4. Pick one way to eat healthier. You could eliminate soda, drink more water, or eat more fruits or veggies.
5. Pick one form of exercise to do every day. Since it’s summer, this shouldn’t be too hard. You could swim, bike, walk, run, dance or rollerblade!
6. Help us reach 100,000 girls by August 31, 2009. Please share this challenge with 3 friends so Girls With Dreams can all help improve every girl’s self-esteem.

If you haven’t joined the Girls With Dreams Self-Esteem Challenge yet, what are you waiting for? Join now!

Make Summer More Exciting

Here are 10 fun things to do this summer. At less than 10 dollars each, you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank.

1. Go to a local pool. Submission to many pools is only 4 to 5 dollars. Pack a lunch and go early so you really get your money’s worth. If food’s not allowed, bring a cooler to keep in your car. It should keep fresh as long as it doesn’t sit too long.

2. Make your own set of washers. It’s the perfect game for hanging out in the yard.

3. Head to the mini-golf course. One game is usually about 7 dollars. If it’s too hot out, check online to see if there’s an indoor course nearby. Challenge your friends to see who can get the lowest score.

4. Have a picnic at the park. You and your friends can each bring something to munch on. Pack a frisbee and a bunch of board games, and you’re all set!

5. Have a water ballon fight. Nothing says “fun” like water balloons! Even filling them up is a blast.

6. Have a girls’ night. It’s easy to bond when you’re just hanging out or making a snack together. It’s important to take time out of your busy lives to laugh.

7. Use the sprinkler. Running across the sprinkler makes you feel like a kid again. Alternate trips to the sprinkler with sunning on the lawn so you can work on your tan at the same time (remembering to use sunscreen, of course.)

8. Host a movie marathon. Have each girl grab their top movie pick, make some popcorn and find a comfortable spot. You could even pick movies in the same category, such as comedy, or have everyone dress up as their favorite character from one of the movies.

9. Be sporty. Many parks have soccer or football fields, sand volleyball or basketball courses, or hiking trails. There’s no pressure to be a super athlete, so you can just have a great time goofing around with your friends.

10. Window shop. Just because you’re out shopping doesn’t mean you have to buy anything. Don’t bring any money and you won’t be tempted to buy anything. If you’re willing to part with a few bucks, try shopping for antiques. Not only is it fun to see all of the merchandise, but you might come across an affordable item with a lot of character.

Want more great ideas about having fun this summer with your friends? Watch Molly and Sarah share more tips, or read these tips.

Five Steps to a Great Summer

Looking for ways to have fun with your friends this summer? Here are a few great ideas to make your summer sizzle!

• Have fun without spending a lot of money by following tips from Molly and Sarah.
• Think about some of your favorite memories and do some of the same activities from your past. Are you a movie-lover or beach-lover? Are sports more your style?
• What’s most important to you this summer? Hanging out with friends before they leave for college? Working? Relaxing? Spending time with your family? Figure out your priorities and organize your calendar around these.
• If you’re stressed about swimsuit season, don’t worry. Most girls are! We decided to do something about it. Join our Summer Self-Esteem Challenge. Will you help us spread the word?
• Most importantly, you worked really hard this year. Make sure you give yourself a little break this summer! Kick back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine!

Body Image & Girls: How Parents Can Help

Tim Jordan, M.D. wrote this piece on Body Image & Girls (What Parents Can Do To Support Their Daughters)

I recently taught a weekend retreat for Middle School girls, and was impressed with the amount of pressure they were under.  Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, in his new book “The Triple Bind”, describes three challenges facing teen girls today:  Be good at all the traditional girl stuff; be good at most of the traditional guy stuff; and conform to a narrow, unrealistic set of standards that allows for no alternative.  My middle school girls shared a lot about how these challenges play out for them in everyday life. 

One challenge they face is body image issues; loving and accepting the way you look.  This involves their height, weight, size of their breasts and bottoms, complexion, hair color and style, and overall attractiveness to guys.  Most of them are so self conscious about their bodies, and constantly compare themselves negatively to peers and women in the media and it’s no wonder. 

Back in 1951, Miss Sweden won the Miss Universe contest.  She was 5’7” and weighed 151 lbs.  In 1983 another Miss Sweden won the same contest, but she was 5’9” and weighed 109 lbs.  There was a huge shift in the 60’s about what defined beauty; Marilyn Monroe was out and Twiggy was in.  Today’s average woman at 5’4” and 145 lbs has an impossible task to measure up to the average model who comes in at 5’10” and 110 lbs.  And young girls feel this pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations. 

We can harp all day long about the effects of media and culture; early sexualization, mass marketing to young people, unhealthy and unrealistic images of beauty.  But of far greater influence we need look no further than your home.   

I challenge every mom reading this to imagine that your daughter shadows you for an entire day, writing down all that you say and do in regards to body image.  What would you want her to see and hear?  What would she observe?  When I asked the middle school girls on parent day how many of them had heard their mother’s talk negatively about their bodies, every one of their hands shot up. 

So with my limited space left here let me throw out a few suggestions about how to support your pre-teen and teen daughters with their body image challenges.  First, encourage them to develop some creative outlets, whether that is journaling or writing poetry; writing or playing music, drawing, etc.  These outlets help girls to self quiet and then check in with themselves and reflect on who they are and what they want.  It also allows healthy outlets for all of their feelings, which they have in multitude. 

Girls also need their parents, and in particular their dad, to affirm all parts of themselves, i.e. their energy, wisdom, perseverance, common sense, etc.  And to talk about their bodies more in terms of function vs. looks.  How often do you hear comments from adults to girls be primarily about how cute they look or about their outfits? 

Girls need to see their mom’s model taking good care of themselves, have positive self talk about their bodies, and to be content with who they are.  Stop talking about weight and dieting and focus on healthy nutrition and exercise. 

The middle school girls at my retreat loved talking about these issues openly with their peers.  So many teen girls think they are the only ones who are struggling with self acceptance and insecurities.  They need safe places to talk and vent and get information to help them work through these issues.  I want them to feel safe to talk to their parents about their feelings and what’s on their minds.  Learn to be a non-judgmental listener. 

Finally, it helps if girls can find a passion that they can pour their heart and soul into; some kind of project or cause with a higher purpose than looking good or being popular.  A lot of feelings of competence and fulfillment come from being of service and making a difference. 

It’s a weight issue (ha!), but there is much we can do to support teen girls in overcoming cultural pressures about how they should look. 

Dr. Tim Jordan and his wife, Anne Jordan, run personal growth weekend retreats and summer camps (Camp Weloki) for kids in grade school, middle school and high school and his private practice is in Chesterfield. To find out more, call (636) 530-1883 or go to www.weloki.com.

Can I Really Eat and Be Thin, Too?

I was talking to Stevie, one of our Girls With Dreams advisors, about new topics to write about. She said a lot of girls want to know how to eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight. Both of us know too many girls that might be thin, but aren’t eating well or taking care of themselves. On the flip side, there are also girls who are overeating and putting themselves at risk for being overweight.

So, can you really eat and be thin? YES! Here are a few tips to help you eat well and be healthy!

• Always eat breakfast. This is a really important way to start your day. It kick starts your entire system and gets your metabolism going. Try to avoid sugary foods such as donuts, though. Think fiber, protein, and fresh fruits.
• Eliminate or cut back on soda. Many schools have vending machines and soda is everywhere, so this can be a tough one. Try to replace all of the sugar and chemicals from soda with water. Think of soda as a treat you have once in while.
• Taste the rainbow. Try to put as many colors on your plate as possible. I’m not talking about french fries and yellow cheese dip. Try to get different fruits and veggies into every meal, so you eat the entire rainbow throughout the day.
• Eat regularly. Different theories suggest eating anywhere from 3 regular to 6 small meals a day. As teens, it’s easy to skip meals, so make sure you eat at least 3 meals a day with maybe a few healthy snacks in between. Plan ahead and pack a snack  if you know you’re going to be out so you won’t be tempted to eat junk food.
• Don’t obsess! Eating well should become a natural part of your life, not an obsession. If you’re constantly thinking about your weight, how you look, or what to eat, you might be on the verge of a serious problem. Unfortunately, too many girls have distorted images of themselves. If you fit into this category, check out our other posts about eating disorders and body image.
• Get support from your friends! One great way to do this is to join our Summer Self Esteem Challenge!

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

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