Excuse me as I give myself a pep talk about body image. Some of you may have the same problem as me and others may not, but I do have a problem. In the car on the way back from Memphis, I was reading the news and I found this clip of Jennifer Lawrence telling us to “screw those people” who want to make us into someone else. It was actually a refreshing moment to watch and made me love this woman so much more. How can you not love the psychotic girl from Silver Linings Playbook or Katniss Everdeen?
IF the video isn’t showing up for you, please watch the clip here!
What if that person is you? When I was larger, I didn’t care how I looked. I knew when people looked at me they saw a “fat” girl and I embraced it. When someone called me fat or pointed and giggled, I didn’t care. I just went on with my life and didn’t care. Things seem to change when I lost all the weight. I noticed I became self-conscious. As an overweight girl, people noticed me for all the wrong reasons and as a “normal” weight girl, I started to notice things about myself.
But why all of the sudden did I start paying attention to things that I didn’t care about before? Yesterday I asked if people had problems with body image on Facebook and I was glad to see people responded and there was even someone who felt exactly the same way I did.
From Facebook:
I struggle with body image and have for a long time. I try not to obsess with it. after I starting eating better and working out 6 years ago, I’ve noticed I am more self conscious about it. It’s weird. Before when I didn’t work out , I didn’t even really care and I was significantly heavier.
The world has created an image of what a person should be. “Perfection” by those standards will never be obtainable and why are we all searching for this idea? I don’t think I’m searching for that perfect body because I’m not. I guess I am searching to just be comfortable with myself. Before, I went on with my business not caring about the way I looked and all of the sudden I started to care about how I looked. I cared about being active and healthy and certain things just started to fall in line.
All of the sudden I was bothered by big thighs and loose skin and it really shouldn’t be that way. My body is a lot stronger and healthier than it was just 3 years ago and I should be happy with that. We should all learn to accept who we are and be proud of that. But why the mind tricks? Why is good enough never enough?
Everyone is made to be different and we should all embrace and LOVE that about ourselves. I hate to quote a Backstreet Boys song (but it’s one of my favs), but what makes you different, makes you beautiful. This is a philosophy we all need to start practicing today. We’re not all going to be a size 0, we’re not all going to be stick thin or wear that dress the same way as someone else, but we are all worthy of praise and happiness. We are our own worse critics and should stop with all the bad self talk.
I know if someone said the things I about me that I sometimes say or think, I would be upset and push back. It’s not ok to let those negative thoughts creep into my own head when there is so much negativity out there in the world. The one positive place in anyone life should be within themselves. Learning to love yourself for who you are is an important step in being happy in life!
Source: Fat 2 Flaca
As my dear friend Mel said: “I love myself, but I still notice all of my flaws.” She is dead on here but I would like to take it one step further by saying I notice my flaws and I LOVE them. Those flaws make us who we are and maybe those flaws aren’t flaws at all, just a foundation of who we are. Plus, can we really fight against our genetics?
All this is easier said than done, but it’s something I really need to work on! I hope this is the first step in moving in the right direction. I always said in the past I felt like my weight defined me and this is just another way of having weight rule my life. We are all so much more than the size pants we wear. It’s just a number. Why let that rule our world? Why should our body types be a negative force? And why do people even care? It’s really nothing in the grand scheme of life. Let’s all stop it now!
I should always remember that as long as I’m living my healthy life, I should be happy, proud and satisfied! Today I will start to love my imperfections because those are the things that make me who I am. Today, this is the promise I make myself. Will you do the same?
What is one thing you love about your body?
