I spent twenty years thinking of the word weight as an adjective, as in something that described who I was as a person.

"If I lose 20 pounds, I will be the person I always wanted to be."

Once upon a time, I got to my 'goal weight.' Truthfully, I was not in the least bit satisfied and I never would be if I continued to depend on what the scale said in order to make me happy. (Similar to when you are dating a boy who is a jerk and always will be.)

Being okay with who are and what you look like is a lifelong battle, especially in this media-obsessed, artificial world that we live in today. Rule number 1: Ditch the scale.

1. Stop looking to others for what you want to look like

"I want her stomach, her hair, and her butt."

The Instagram stalking, the girl crushes, the photoshopped photos of girls in bikinis all have a way of influencing women to believe there is a certain social standard that they are required to look like.

The human body is beautiful and every cell should be celebrated, but the beauty in this sometimes cruel world is that no two people are the same. You will never look like that girl in an Instagram photo or be her exact weight because you are not her. Every human body is beautiful, and the sooner you accept that, the happier you will be. You have the power to be something this world has never seen, so get busy.

2. Learn to love your flaws

Human beings are never satisfied. We can always be better, faster, prettier, skinnier, or smarter. It is the way we are hardwired. Accept that perfection is overrated and that you are your hardest critic. The amount that you weigh is not a flaw, it is a scientific fact. We are all kind of weird, a little awkward, and have something that we want to change about ourselves. If you weigh 20 pounds less, you will still be weird and awkward. Your flaws are what separate you from the crowd, so embrace them, love them, and never lose them.

3. Do something for yourself

Eating potato chips and lying on the couch all day does not do much for your self esteem. Neither does weighing yourself right after. We all have lazy days when we stuff our faces. If you do not partake in these days, then I probably don't trust you.

If you are feeling down on yourself, do something to honor your body. Eat really well for a few days, try a yoga class, or do an activity that makes you feel alive. Notice the change in how you feel when you start doing nice things for yourself. This could even be as simple as going to get a pedicure. Never stop doin' you.

4. Stop letting a number dictate what you can or cannot do

A number will never define who you are or dictate how you can change the world. Want to study abroad? Go for it. Stop letting a silly number control your life. Size 2 or size 12, you have a ton to offer and the world is dying to see it.

5. If you are happy with your size, who cares?

How is anyone expected to accept you, when you cannot even accept yourself? If pancakes make you really happy, by all means, eat them. Just don't hate yourself afterwards for doing something that pleases you. If you do not like yourself right now, you will still dislike yourself two sizes smaller. It isn't your body that needs winning over, it is your mind. Show yourself some love because you are awesome.