I'm also one of those women who has struggled with body image, though not obsessively so. As a younger woman, I was too skinny (98 pounds at the age of 36). While it seemed to bother everyone else, the only time it bothered me was in church because it hurt to sit on those hard pews (my bum was too skinny, no padding).

Now I'm at the other end of the spectrum...overweight with a BMI that worries my doctor. I seemed to settle in at about 160lb, and nothing I did ever made a difference. Diets, exercise, nothing budged. It wasn't until I had my full hysterectomy in 2010 (due to uterine cancer) that the weight finally began to come off. Even then, it takes hard work and diligence.

Now I've just been diagnosed as low-end diabetic. That seems to have sparked me to make some changes in lifestyle and diet. My brother sent me some ideas of what has worked for him, and I've been following his regime and - gasp - it's actually working! I've lost close to 7 pounds in less than a month!!! Mind you, I've had to cut out almost all carbs, which has been difficult.

I still have to tweak my diet, to make sure I'm getting a healthy balance of all food groups without spiking my sugar. It's been an interesting few weeks. I just added ice cream yesterday (~2 tbsp in a small cone) and was delighted to discover that it didn't appear to affect my sugar. Small tweaks...those 2tbsp (after not eating any at all for so long) were more than enough to satisfy my yearning, while still maintaining my target sugar level.

I think if we obsess about anything for too long, it becomes monumental and too overwhelming for us to face and/or tackle. For me, everything is better if I break it down into smaller more manageable chunks of "do-able". I can't look at more than 1-2 days ahead...or worse, on the failures of the past. I have to focus on here-and-now, today, and what I can do TODAY to make even a small change or small difference.

If whatever one is doing isn't bringing peace, resolution or some sense of accomplishment, it's a sign that we need to change our tactic and try another way...and if that doesn't work, then try another way tomorrow. Eventually we do find one that works.