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Due to my personal experiences, I have come to the conclusion that dieting and staying in shape are some of the hardest parts of life. In today’s society, the “perfect” woman is envisioned as being super thin, but not everyone can achieve that certain look. Over the years, I have accepted the fact that my body is the shape that God intended for it to be, and it is beautiful.
Growing up, I was always a bit bigger than my friends, and it bothered me pretty badly. I would attempt to diet as a way to get smaller, but nothing ever really worked for me. I tried my hardest to eat healthier foods every day, but I just couldn’t do it. I liked junk food way too much, and I still do. Junk food was just cheaper and more accessible to me, so it was always my go-to option. In my opinion, it tastes better, too.
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After a while, I decided maybe I could just exercise without dieting to shed a few pounds. Boy, was I wrong! I absolutely hated exercise. It was not easy, nor was it in any way fun to me. I got tired very quickly, and I was so sore every single day. People would tell me that the more I worked out, the more used to it my body would become and the less sore I would be, but to me, it felt as though it never got any easier.
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Eventually, I arrived at the conclusion that maybe I was just meant to be the size that I am. I learned that perhaps I could not have the body shape that some of my friends had. Over time I became very happy in my own skin. I realized that I was very comfortable with my body image. It no longer bothered me that I did not appear like the women I would see on television or in magazines. Becoming more confident with my own body image helped my self-esteem in a major way. I realized I did not need to be thin to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. I learned that my body shape is who I am, and who I am is perfect to me.