My story isn’t unique. I grew up as the fat friend, I have always been plus-size, I’ve tried all the diets, done all the workout routines.
Do you need help silencing your inner critic? In a time of selfies and social media, maintaining a positive body image is crucial.
Just like you learned the ABCs, you can learn to love your body. Not the one you wish you had. This one. The one you are living in today.
Ariel King is a lady with a lot on her plate, but she is always welcoming others to the table.
No doubt you’ve been practicing social distancing, or maybe even lockdown, for at least a few days. We are all spending more time at home, more time walking past our mirrors, more time alone with our thoughts and insecurities.
There are some truly reprehensible people in the world. Sexual harassers. Irresponsible rabble-rousers. Brutal dictators. Loathsome celebrities. Mean people of all sorts. Some of them are overweight.
I talk to women about their bodies all day long. In the process, I hear a recurring comment: “He (or she) really loves my body.” OK, but do you really love your body? I get it. I’ve struggled with this too. I’m in a new relationship and sometimes I feel like he loves my curves more than I do. It’s a wake-up call that has reminded me of all of the times I’ve relied on a man’s opinion of my body as a substitute for my own confidence. The truth is, many of us fall into a mentality where we feel almost lucky that our partner finds us desirable. We feel as if we aren’t worthy of love because we’re not the size society deems acceptable. We feel flawed because we’re not the size 2 to 8 that mainstream media celebrates. That’s a very dangerous road to walk. Of course it’s human nature to seek out acceptance, but self-acceptance based on a partner’s opinion can be toxic. It’s temporary and not rooted in your own sense of self-worth. The power is completely in someone else’s hands. You deserve to take up space and feel sexy and confident about yourself. You
What’s wrong with me? Do I really look like this? Is my stomach really that big? Why are pants so tight. Uuggghhhh, I need to lose weight. I’m sure we’ve all said these things out of our mouths.
So you’ve finally figured out how to love your body, or at the very least be at peace with it. Now what?
When Marlee Dater and Lauren Baez briefly met at a New York audition, they had no idea that the brief meeting would change their lives … and the lives of other curvy artists around the country.