BeBraveYou'reBeautiful with Gianna
Gianna Westlund

Be Brave, You're Beautiful

My Story

I am Gianna Westlund. I am a delegate for Miss Missouri Teen. Body image is something that I have struggled with from a young age. Through my own research, I found out that body image is not a recognized or talked about as much as it could or should be. I began an eating disorder in 7th grade. I had a poor body image and I let this consume me. My feelings were that of despair and depression. I began to skip meals and I skipped meals until I simply no longer ate. I then began to dislike this version of myself as well. I had a well versed list of excuses that I used. "I am not hungry", " I already ate", "My stomach hurts", "I don't feel well". The scale became the most important object in my life second to not eating. As a Miss Missouri Teen delegate, I gained the confidence I needed to help myself and now in remission, I am here to help others gain self worth through inward reflection, to educate on inclusivity and diversity as well as to decrease bullying in classrooms. Eating disorders are not discrimatory and have the ability to lock a person into a cocoon. I am here to challenge you to become the beautiful butterfly that you were meant to be. You just have to Be BRAVE and take the first three steps!


  • Tell someone, anyone
  • Tell someone else
  • Ask for help
Challenges of the Week

New Monday, New goals

Write down 5 goals for this week. These can be personal goals, simple or complex. 

Write down 5 affirmations for this week.

Concentrate on one each work day. Take a self care day and a Mental Media break day 

Wow them Wednesday

Let your best self shine today

Write down 5 things that make you happy and make two of them happen today. Take time for self care and self love

Fabulous Friday

Do something to make youself and one other person feel fabulous, It could be as simple as complimenting each person that you see today! 

Weekend Warrior

Take the five goals and concentrate on them. What made you write them? Would you change them? Can you make them happen?

Make one weekend day a self care day and one weekend day and mental media break day.
My Grandmother once told me that if she ever came back, she would come back as a butterfly. I see all butterflies as my grandmother and have great respect for the enormous change that has to occur to help them become beautiful. My Grandfathers favorite colors were lilac and yellow. I chose those colors to represent my cause and to gain more attention to eating disorders as I mentor young girls through their own journey into finding their own beauty and self worth 

We all become Butterflies!