All throughout the interwebs I see the skinny size 0 girls. I have a very curvy figure and while sometimes we don’t always see eye-to-eye, I do love the way my hips and boobs fill out clothes.
When I was younger I was a lot skinner, okay I was maybe a standard size 12, but I loved my thighs. They were so shapely. Then I was introduced to boys and cars and well, the walking kind of went out the window and in came the junk food. I miss those thighs and being completely honest, I don’t think I will get them back.
But..
I am okay with that. I still love my body.
I still look longingly through magazines, on the internet and in movies and see these stick figure girls, who when they turn side on I am fairly certain they would disappear. Wishing and hoping that society begins to change their perceptions, it wont happen, though have you seen this Dove ad? I am in love with the message that Dove is sending young girls, though women of all ages get the message of needing to be skinnier, tighter, enhanced, but it depends on our own self-esteem if we listen to these messages.
I am not talking about regular skinny girls, I am talking about the skinny girls who punish their bodies, who eat barely any food and stick to rigorous gym schedules. Lauren Conrad {sorry, massive Hills fan!} is skinny, but not unhealthy. She is a perfect example.
So, ladies and girls, I want you to love YOUR body!
At the start of July, this clip was posted on Mamamia:
Adam Hills I think hit the nail on the head.
WE know that this is happening in magazines, yet we still compare ourselves.
Tell me, what do YOU love about YOUR body?
ps. This was originally published as one of our first inspiring posts in July 2010 and felt it needed to be republished. <3
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Since having two children (my first a month after my 30th bday)my body has without a doubt changed and some days I struggle with that (but we all have bad days, right?).
However, in recent years I have also been more comfortable with my body than ever before. I’m not sure if this has come with age or pregnancies but I do know that it is this comfotable feeling that allows me to LOVE having a little cleavage (was sooo flat chested before my pregnancies!)I have also always loved the shape of my cheekbones, of all things!
Gotta love Adam Hills!
I was a lot bigger when I was around 18 – 19 and lost a lot of weight when I met my now-husband, but it was all done the healthy way, because he introduced me to the gym and the concept of a balanced diet (I used to eat a LOT of junk food) – I think that as long as you are comfortable in your own skin, that is the most important thing.
I am in the process of losing weight, but even with the extra weight, I love certain aspects of my body. I love my hair, my eyes, my mouth and my breasts.
Thanks for posting something positive!
I love these posts because body image is something I feel really passionate about. Most of the time, I’m totally fine with my body, because I exercise and eat (kinda) healthy. Of course, like all other women, I have fat days. Last night, for example, I inhaled 5 Tim Tams then almost cried because I felt so bad for not stopping at 1! But the only thing you can do is forget about it and move on.
You’re so right — we know the magazine thing is true, yet most women still “believe” that women in the ads look that way in real life. I’ve taught myself to look at a perfect picture and say to myself, “Whatever, that’s all airbrushing”, but I have a friend who will flip through a magazine and sigh at every cosmetic ad, saying “Ohh, I want to look like that”. Every time, I want to slap her and remind her, “YOU KNOW THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE THAT!!!!!!”
I’m glad that the magazine industry is starting to draw more attention to the digital altering that happens to most images. The AWW cover of Sarah Murdoch was a really big step in the right direction, but there’s a loooong way to go. There are so many girls out there, like my friend, who still believe that perfection IS possible. It ain’t. Sure, they’re probably naturally beautiful anyway, but perfect? Nuh-uh.
Great post. x
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