Wanting to Be Her: Body Image Secrets Victoria Won't Tell You

by Michelle Graham

How do you feel when you look at a magazine cover? Do you ever look at the models and wish you looked like them? Most women have had that experience. When you go to the health club, you notice how buff the woman to the left is and how skinny the woman to the right is. And when you go out, you see the guys flocking to talk with certain women and wonder if your looks stack up to theirs. When you get dressed in the morning, do you worry about whether your jeans are flattering? Do you think about who you are going to see when you decide how to do your hair? When you eat a meal, do you think about those magazine models again? Most women do. And they are buying into a lie. In this book Michelle Graham reveals how easy it is to fall into the trap of viewing your body through the lens of culture rather than through the eyes of God. She helps you understand that these are not the things that God wants you to dwell on. And these are not the true qualities of beauty. As you read this book you will discover that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, and it cannot be airbrushed or faked. In these pages you will discover the true secrets of a positive body image.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Health, Womens, Christianity

169 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2005

Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent message! I especially appreciated the section on ethnic women and their struggles. We tend to get caught up in our own body image issues and are not aware of other ethnicities and their struggles. Hollywood has ruined the image of true beauty for women globally. But it doesn't have to be so.

[Hannah Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense book full of God's truth about how we are created, how he loves and accepts us, and how he views beauty.

Humble and rooted in Scripture. If you don't want to tackle your body image issues, don't read this book.

I appreciated the efforts to include ethnicity into its discussion. There was even a whole chapter on it! Women of all ethnicities can gain something valuable out of this book.

I read it solo, but I think it would have been great to read it alongside other women. Each chapter had reflection questions throughout and then group discussion questions at the end. I'd suggest journaling through this book. I didn't, and I found myself just grazing over the reflection questions without really going deep.

Examples of a great discussion questions from this include: How would your body image be different if you lived by the standards of God's grace instead of shame? and What is God asking me to do, as a part of building his kingdom and loving others, that might put my body issues into eternal perspective?

I probably could have gotten a lot more out of this book if I had read it a few years ago. God has already done a lot of healing in my life in this area, and so a lot of what I found in this book was truth I had already discovered. Nonetheless, it's good for me to have the reminder.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me quite a while to make it entirely through this book but that was more due to my own life/reading distractions. I feel that the body image topics discussed in "Wanting to Be Her" are ones not commonly explored in school or other contextual outlets. The information and Biblical tie-ins were very helpful and specific. I originally found out about this book after hearing Michelle speak at a conference a couple years ago. But honestly, I think while being involved in the Intervarsity circuit, if I had seen this title at one of the book tables I most likely would have picked it up anyway. Again, vanity and self image are not topics commonly explored in general much less from a Christian perspective. It's a must-read for college-age girls or anyone struggling with body shame or self-esteem issues.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any woman that struggles with their self esteem, this is a great book. Michelle Graham needs an award for this. There are no beauty tricks, no ''how to lose 100 pounds in two days'' quick fixes. She talks to women honestly about how the world has influenced our opinions on what beauty should look like. The foundation for this book is Jesus Christ, and what he thinks of us, and how his opinion of what we look like should be the only thing that matters. She busted open every opinion we have of ourselves and what everyone is telling us we should look like.

I have personally been impacted from reading this!

[Yumharmony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect much going in to reading this book but it ended up becoming one of my favorites. The voice of the author is easy to connect with and she does a great job of being culturally mindful throughout. She looks at body image from the perspective of different ethnicities and not purely from a colorless or white-centric point of view. The book has great resources and questions that can be used for discussion and journaling and is not only good for individual reading but is great for group reading as well.

[Ashley Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I constantly find myself questioning my worth and wondering if I'd ever be as pretty, funny, and smart as the next girl. After reading this book I've rediscovered how to love me for me because I was created in God's image and that in fact is all that should and will ever matter. This book is a definite read for ALL women. We need to step away from Cosmo magazine and the constant ads telling us what is considered beauty and get back to the one book that holds that true meaning, the Bible.

[Peggy Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab. Read it.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an eye-opener for me and helped me a lot with my body image issues. Highly recommended!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! A must read for anyone who has a daughter! All about accepting our bodies we were given. Lots of practical advice!

[Tara Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great book club read for a group of your most intimate friends. The discussion questions ask you to be vulnerable with each other, so it's not for you if you're uncomfortable with sharing your life story with your friends. Some chapters were a little long and some questions were a little redundant. Overall, it was a quick read with eye-opening revelations. Definitely recommend reading this if you or a girlfriend are having issues with body image and society.