Bodyweight

Our bodies are magnificent creations from God, and we should care for them through proper nutrition, exercise, and rest.

“I plead with you … to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! … We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.”

—Jeffrey R. Holland, “To Young Women,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 29

Be more accepting of yourself and your natural body type. Express gratitude to your Father in Heaven for the transcendent miracle of your body. Don’t obsess over or go to extreme measures to reach a certain body type. Doing so will almost always lead to unhealthy practices that will damage your sacred body and create a negative body image. Such practices will also limit your ability to serve him as a missionary.

Instead, listen to the unique abilities of your body to guide you when to eat, how much to eat, when to move and exercise, and when to rest. As you honor the gift of your body and listen to it, you will settle into what is uniquely healthy for you.

Unwanted Changes in Weight

It is common to experience slight changes in weight as you adapt to a new environment, new stressors, and possibly a new country, culture, and diet. It can take time to adjust to such changes, and you might experience weight gain or weight loss, depending on your unique situation.

If you are consistently and involuntarily losing healthy and needed weight, try slightly increasing the amount of food you eat each day. You can easily do this by adding an additional portion of protein, carbs, fats, or vegetables to your day. Continue to increase your portions slightly until you can maintain your weight week to week.

Likewise, if you are consistently gaining unwanted weight, try slightly reducing your portions each day. You can do this by cutting out a portion of carbs or fats you eat in a day. Continue to reduce your portions slightly until you can consistently maintain your weight week to week.

If you experience drastic and unwanted changes in weight over a short period of time, seek help from your mission leaders. You may need to see a medical professional.

Unhealthy Efforts to Change Bodyweight

Using unhealthy practices to achieve a certain body result takes away from your focus as a missionary in bringing others to Christ and His restored Church. It can also be dangerous for your overall mental and physical health. If you honor your body’s natural signals around food—eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied—and fully utilize the time set aside each day for you to exercise, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight that is natural for you throughout your mission.

“Ponder the magnificence of what you see when you look in the mirror. Ignore the freckles, the unruly hair, or the blemishes, and look beyond to see the real you—a child of God, created by Him in His image.”

—Russell M. Nelson, “Your Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish,” New Era, Aug. 2019, 4

Try This

• Express gratitude in prayer to your Father in Heaven for the magnificent gift of your body.

• Write down three things about your sacred body that you are grateful for. Do this each day for several days. Then journal about your experience.

Disordered Eating

Sometimes, when you’re feeling stressed or upset, you might start doing things with food that aren’t good for your body or mind. This is called disordered eating. People with disordered eating might notice feeling anxious or guilty about food and worrying a lot about their body, food, or exercise.

Disordered eating can harm your physical and mental health. It can lead to depression and anxiety, digestive problems, bone loss, low blood pressure or heart rate, and obesity. Disordered eating behaviors can get worse over time and become an eating disorder.

If you think you might have disordered eating and it’s affecting your health, it’s important to talk to someone you trust, like a mission leader, about getting help from a trained professional who knows about eating disorders. This could be a counselor, therapist, registered dietitian, or medical doctor. They can help you figure out how to take care of yourself better. Please remember that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. You don’t have to go through it alone.

Some examples of disordered eating behaviors include:

• Going on diets a lot.

• Purposely and frequently skipping meals.

• Using exercise or not eating to make up for eating “bad” foods.

• Having strict and unreasonable beliefs or routines about food or exercise.

Food was made to “gladden [our] heart.” It was made “to strengthen [our] body and to enliven [our] soul.” (See Doctrine and Covenants 59:18–19.) Work to let go of the strict rules, guilt, and shame around food. Learn to find joy, peace, and gratitude in the food our God created for our benefit and use.