There are many taboos in society – sex, drugs, swearing… The list goes on. But it appears there’s a new one in town, and it is this: Having a negative body image.
Have you noticed? It’s crept up on me, I’ll admit.
As a plus size person, I have pressures from all sides to lose weight (doctors, society… myself), but there is a new pressure now. To LOVE my body. There are blogs about it, Facebook groups about it, self-help books about it. You name it. I bet there’s a “love your body” version of it.
Gradually I have felt the pressure to love my curves growing consistently so that now it almost outweighs the pressure to lose the weight.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for telling society to shove it when it comes to making people feel bad about themselves, and if you are a plus size person who genuinely loves your own body and feels confident in your own skin then that’s great! I will happily cheer you on. But here’s my little secret… I am not one of those people.
That’s right. I dislike my body.
There. I said it. And you know what? I actually feel better for it!
Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that. Yes, I dislike my outer shell, but I quite like who I am as a person. Oh, sure, I have my foibles, faults and insecurities as much as anyone, but they are not all to do with my weight (some are, inevitably). Being overweight doesn’t stop me going out and pursuing my hobby, or from having a job, or anything of that nature. I’m limited physically, at times, but that’s more down to fitness than weight (I know, I know. There’s a link. But they are separate issues.).
There’s another angle too. I’ve always said I’m more bothered about my shape than my actual weight, and that still holds true. I’m all for being curvy and loving it. But I am not curvy. I am overweight. Fat, in fact. If I was taller, and/or more in proportion I dare say I’d be more on board about carrying the extra weight. But, yeah, I’m not curvy.
This woman is curvy.
I do not look like this woman.
And this image , showing a range of women who all weigh the Australian national average, proves that the ideal weight debate isn’t necessarily the way forward. It’s more about weight distribution, frame, height, etc. (Taken from http://www.infinitelifefitness.com/tag/same-weight-different-women/)
So come on! Who’s with me? Who else is willing to hold their hands up and say, loud and proud, “I am unhappy with how I look”?
It’s something of a relief, I’m telling you! 🙂
Elsie's Enclave 
Truly a breath of fresh air…..I love thick girls, even their insecurities are endearing…..when a girl is gorgeous because she’s an amazing person it shows through light a ray of sunshine and when she doesn’t know it….it shines even brighter because it’s a wild kind of beauty uncultivated and pure.
I too am unhappy how I look from face down to body. I am not fat, but because I would not listen you should exercise after having children and the E word fills me with dread I am very saggy or going south quicker than I would like and the saying, prevention better than cure, that is so true.. to even attempt to put my saggy bits right and my jelly belly would be very hard as it would need hours and hours of exercise.. but at the end of the day, it is hard to love or like ourselves but, no matter what one looks like, its also about who you are, your personality not just looks.
We have gone over the fresh-hold if you like, how we have to be thin, how we have to look like celebs. and look at them most of them dont have any personality at all..
Maybe its just trying to accept who we are, there are people that love and like us for who we are..
I’m fortunate in that I can say I have people who love me for who I am, and who don’t give a damn about my shape. It’s really more about my own feelings about myself. 🙂
I think I agree with you on this one. I love that my body still works even though the scale reads 300lbs. But, I don’t really love the way it looks. In fact, I kinda hate the way it looks as well. And, the only curve I really have is the one, continuous circle that my belly makes. Whenever I read that I am suppose to love my curves I just laugh and shake my head. You are right on Elsie!!!