Fat shaming, skinny shaming, booty shaming, boob shaming- are such common occurrences on social media. And if you take one thing from this blog, please, please, please let it be this- ‘your body is perfect’. Nature did not make a woopsy daisy when it made you. You are a fully functioning, beautiful human bean! Arm hair, leg hair, spots and periods- yup that makes you a woman.
Here is a picture of the worlds biggest sex icon. Her tummy isn’t tightly toned, her thighs touch, her arms aren’t skinny, she has stretch marks and her boobs aren’t perfect. She is known as one of the MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN HISTORY. Be you with confidence.
Make body decisions that are right for you.
You own that body, you do with it what you wish. I remember at school, I used to dread getting changed for PE. The silliest of things would worry me, including whether or not I shaved my legs the night before! Let’s be real, how many times have you clocked someone not shaving their legs and actually cared?
Oh and those wonderful things we call stretch marks. They’re such an odd thing for us to be self conscious about. I mean, they are literal marks to show we are women. They fade, the grow- and they can even disappear with certain products, like coconut oil! Our bodies are pure magic, they stretch, they grow, they even create new life- wear your stripes with pride.
Your weight.
This is one very close to my heart. I remember in school I used to compare myself to those around me constantly. I wasn’t big, but I have never been teeny tiny either. And that’s OK. Your weight is a number.
I, personally, really dislike scales. I have never hopped off the scales feeling anything but inadequate. This disappointment, personally, does not drive me to be healthier. It literally drives me to Krispy Kreme. I am 5 ft 3 and, according to BMI, I am overweight. I go to the gym 3 to 4 times a week, I have an active lifestyle and I eat healthily too. I certainly don’t look fat. One of my least favourite words ever.
So remember, weight is just a number.
Something ‘jiggling’ is normal.
Girls, and boys alike, have bellies. Bellies that jiggle. Some more than others. If you want to see a beautifully fit, but completely real woman- check out Chessie King‘s Instagram. She’s a total gym bunny and is great for boosting body confidence, she uploads a lot of Instagram vs Realities.
Make sure you focus on the things that you love about yourself, as well as the your insecurities.
Channel you inner Meghan Trainor:
Some people don’t have thigh gaps.
Thigh gaps are biological, it’s the width of you pelvis that determines whether or not you have one. Some things are never meant to be!
Some people do have thigh gaps.
We shouldn’t shame people that do, nor should we shame people that don’t. It’s normal to appreciate somebody elses’ features, or even envy them. But don’t forget you are unique, and that’s what makes each and one of us beautiful.
Your nose is perfectly proportioned in every way.
We use noses to smell- fact. Who on earth came up with the ‘ideal’ nose? Our bodies are perfectly proportioned, from the length of your legs, to the width of your hips. Your nose is too. It really bothers me that the size of shape of noses could be used as an insult. No matter what shape, or size- it’s perfect.
Your laugh is beautiful.
Happiness always shines through. Have you ever read the Twits? I read it when I was little, and it’s stayed with me since. Roald Dahl is spot on.
“If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.
A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
Beauty is imbedded in happiness. Laugh often. Hysterics are actually fantastic for your health. There is nothing better than the feeling of hysterical laughter, or making someone else laugh.
Your feet are not too big.
Again, it’s funny how we can see feet as something potentially ‘beautiful’. I mean, I think they’re pretty funny looking, on everyone. Don’t compare your feet to others. They will carry you through every adventure in life– so if they end up wrinkly, or blistered or I don’t know what- they’re there for a purpose!
It is so easy to automatically put yourself down, constantly. We all do it, ‘I feel fat in these jeans’ or ‘my skin looks terrible today’. Let’s stop shaming, in every variation, and embrace our bodies for what they are. Instead of ‘fat talk’, we should empower each other. Value your body, look after it- you deserve to feel healthy and beautiful as the person you truly are.
