SZA Opens Up About Weight Loss: "The Standard Should Really Come From Within"

I have gained so much weight. I would be happy if my waist was just a little bit smaller. Damn! I just wish that my body was different.

If you're guilty of thinking or saying aloud any of the statements above, join the club sis. I thought all three of these thoughts at the same damn time just this morning. Negative self-talk will get the best of us if we let it. But according to the most recent self-help book I'm reading, the mind has more than 20,000 thoughts a day. It's up to you whether you want to use all of those beautiful possibilities on the negativity.

Every thought that you have will manifest itself at some point, so why is it that we choose to use our minds for self-sabotage every single day? Although we are often encouraged to follow our hearts, popular R&B singer/songwriter SZA says that real change begins with the power of our thoughts.

This weekend in Los Angeles. Dove linked up with Shonda Rhimes, SZA, and a slew of other amazing women to talk about the importance of having a positive self-image at the Girl Collective. According to Madame Noire, the summit included a number of workshops and masterclasses dedicated to helping more than 200 young girls build confidence and change their ideas and behaviors surrounding gender stereotypes and body image.

During the panel discussion, SZA discussed her own journey to a positive self-image and revealed the reason behind her weight loss. As a hardcore Solana fan, I know that only a few years ago, the young singer was thicker than a snicker. I thought she was beautiful nonetheless, and despite industry standards, so did she. She told the Girl Collective audience:

"It's all about where it starts in your mind,. I think there are a lot of standards that people told me about that I didn't see. I started, I was 190 pounds, I only wore my dad's big t-shirts and socks on stage, no shoes, and didn't even notice; never complained or tripped about my makeup."

It wasn't until she was pressured by critics in the entertainment industry that she realized that she did not fit the beauty criteria that was expected of a world famous artist.

"Honestly, my manager, Punch, never asked me to 'get dressed' once. People would come to him like, 'we need to clean her up,' and he would say, 'It's fine. She's fine.'"

Nevertheless, SZA said that it wasn't external pressure that caused her mindset to shift, but instead it was a personal decision to live a healthier lifestyle and define her own standards of beauty. Despite her comfortability with her body image, she found that she could only attain true personal satisfaction and self-acceptance when she pushed herself to be uncomfortable. SZA continued:

"It was just a matter of where I was in my mind, but I did also come out of that space where I was like, I feel like I want to change. I want to be different. I want to grow. I want to learn. I think it's one thing to be comfortable, but then it's one thing to not see your full potential and your full picture. The standard should really come [from] within."

We are given one life and one body, both unlike any other on this planet. It's up to us as women to define our own standards because if not, they will be defined for us. SZA is proof that self-love is important at all stages of life, no matter how much you weigh.

It's up to you to use your 50,000+ thoughts a day to celebrate yourself rather than tear yourself down.

Your body may be the vehicle and your heart serves as a kickass GPS system, but your mind is what gets the engine running.

Featured image by Getty Images