Loving yourself is something that is easier said than done. Looking at yourself in the mirror and being able to say damn! (without having skipped a meal) is something everyone should strive for.
The journey to having self-confidence has been a long and bumpy one for me. I’m 5’3 and I weigh around 145 pounds. If you can’t do the math, I’m a squatty weirdo. This has made shopping for clothes a nightmare since the age of thirteen. And I have to say, not being able to find clothes that fit is probably one of the worst tolls on self-admiration. I am happy to say that I have learned to shop for my body type, and this is something that has made it a lot easier to love myself. Finding that right pair of jeans is life changing, let me tell ya.
TBH, having really hot friends has made finding myself attractive pretty difficult. Hearing your friend who is, like, three dress sizes smaller than you say, “OMG, I am so fat,” is the actual worst. While I am neither ugly, nor overweight, compared to my friends, I definitely sometimes feel like the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend).
One thing you must remember is that everyone has different body types and everyone’s bodies work differently. For example, my best friend can basically eat whatever she wants, and it has no effect on her. I cannot eat whatever I want, or I will gain weight pretty quickly. While sometimes I feel like l got the short end of the stick when it comes to bodies, I just have to remember that it is okay to work a little harder and salads can sometimes taste good.
Loving yourself is not crossing a bridge and never looking back. There are good days and there are bad days. Some days, I am absolutely obsessed with myself and send 50 photos of myself to my 24 closest friends. Other days, I want to crawl into bed and never let my ugly body see the light of day. It’s okay to have those days. You just have to learn how to pick yourself back up, look in the mirror and say, “This is what I have to work with, and I am going to rock it.”
Some people believe that trying to eat healthier and working out correlates with hating your body and wanting to change it. This could not be more wrong. I count my calories and exercise because I love my body and I want to be healthy. You can love your body while still trying to improve.
Overall, staying body positive is not an easy task. It’s a long road with many obstacles, and sometimes you can get turned around.
Doing what makes you feel good is important. Splurge on some new jeans that actually fit. Go work out, even if it’s doing squats in front of your TV. Ask that photographer friend of yours to take some cute photos of you, so you have pictures that you actually like to post on your insta.
Do whatever it takes to have a positive relationship with your body. Life is too short to spend it hating the way you look.