If I had a dollar for every time I heard a woman say “I need to work out” or “My stomach is too flabby” or “I hate my thighs” I would be a millionaire (this includes my own inner monologue of course). Society has bombarded us with a standard of beauty that says that a certain frame, body size and body fat ratio are the ideal. Television, music and movies reiterate the messaging that: Skinny is beautiful, Big is Bad. And what’s worse is that we have internalized this hogwash and let it dictate everything from the clothes we wear to how we feel about ourselves.
Well; the MADNESS has to stop! If there was one ideal body type, why wouldn’t we all be created as such? And if so, who said that it has to be a replica of Heidi Klum? The media perpetuates that tall, skinny and long hair is epitome of perfection and if you possess these traits, then life is a red carpet ride. Christina of Love Brown Sugar wrote a poignant post titled to Do Skinny Girls Have More Fun? In it she questioned whether being “plus-size” means you are miserable and if being “skinny” is really all we make it out to be.
Well…
Skinny Girls Get the Blues Too
For most of my teenage years, I was by all intents and purposes a skinny girl. I wore a size 2-4, ate what I wanted and didn’t worry about what I wore. However, I was not confident in my body and felt I needed to lose another 10 pounds and the “non existent” tire around my belly in order to be perfect. I endlessly rambled in my journals about my body and how it wasn’t good enough. Gosh the teenage angst of it all was ridiculous.
Fast forward many years and I couldn’t squeeze into a size 2 if my life depended on it and I couldn’t be happier. All of this is to say, that skinny does not equate happiness and insecurity has more to do with your head than your hips. Confidence and happiness come from within, no matter what the size on your clothing label says. Show me a woman who is confident in her skin and I’ll show you a woman who is an unstoppable force of beauty.
20 Ways to Love your Body TODAY
Loving ourselves and our bodies is a job best started within. When you believe on the inside that you are desirable, beautiful and whole, it doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside. Here are 20 Ways to start practicing self-love and body acceptance today! (not tomorrow, right NOW!)
More Love your Body Resources
How to Practice Major Mega Supreme Body Love -Gala Darling
9 Things Christina Hendricks taught me about Body Love & Confidence- Dramatis Personae
Why Don’t you Love Me? A Curvy Girl Ode to Outfit Posts- Love Brown Sugar
This post is dedicated to my little sister, who is an intelligent young woman, caring sister & kick ass animator!
I love this article! I am slowly embracing the body that I have NOW and not what I plan to have later and it changes everything for your self esteem. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the comment! So true that once you accept yourself as is, you begin to look at things in a whole new light!
I had a sort of similar experience to you. When I was younger, I simply wasn’t confident. I’ve always been a skinny girl, but it wasn’t until I truly accepted that I was pretty and intelligent and wonderful that I became happy. It had nothing to do with my weight because if I were 100lbs heavier and still felt this way about myself, I’d be happy.
Oh, and I think complimenting others is so important, even if it’s on something simple. Just making someone else happy totally gives you good karma!
So true Chelsea! Whether you’re 90 or 200 lbs confidence is a state of mind, not a number on the scale!
One of my faves, by far!!! Every woman needs to read, understand and embrace this article. Go Fajie!!!
Thanks JJ!
I’m glad to see that you focused on diet and exercise as a coordinated effort. It would also be beneficial to monitor RMR,BMI, and calories burned. Online calculators for these are available to make these calculations easy and are available at http://howtogainweight123.com/rmr-calculation-bmr/ Typically, just enter age, weight, height and activities you have done during the day. The calculator’s will do the rest and tell you how many calories you use for the whole day and when at rest. This could help you to know how to adjust your diet to either gain weight or lose weight.
you point out that skinny girls get the blues too but then go on to say at size 2 to 4 you thought you were fat, im really dissapointed yet again to find that it is not noted that for some this is not the case and as a size 4 adult im not thinking im fat and trying to get that perfeect figure ive spent all of my teenage year plus trying to gain weight and could proberbly out eat any large man, skinny girls want curves too !!!!!!!!
so id just like to say when you see someone out there underweight dont just presume there not eating right and trying to be skinnier than the next person there just as bullied as the bigger curvier lady !!
after years of hiding in baggy jumpers and jeans finally ive learnt that for everyone that doesnt like your size theres plenty that do and i now love to wear the short skirts and little clothes and im proud to be me ! im not spending my life worrying bout what others think life is short but not quite as short as my skirts …life is for living so go live it for who you are !!!!