You are gorgeous!

I realise I am promoting the lie that you can't be gorgeous if you're overweight, which of course is nonsense. Gorgeousness doesn't depend on how much you weigh. 

Gorgeousness is internal and shines out of us. It's not a spotlight that is put on us when we reach a certain target weight. It's about how we treat others and how we treat ourselves. We can be our own harshest critics. I know I can. 

And that self-criticism can be a heavy burden that can cloud our gorgeousness - because if the world knew what I'm really like, what I eat when no-one's looking, well, I can feel myself retreating into my tin of biscuits as I write.

I read an interesting article when I was waiting in the optician's recently. It suggested giving your inner critic a name and talking back to her/him when she/he starts on you. It also suggested asking yourself if you would say to a friend the things you say to yourself. Would you say to a friend, for example, 'You're fat and horrible and a waste of space'? Of course you wouldn't. So why say it to yourself?