Overcoming Body Image Issues | Body Positivity + Self-Love Journey
Let’s talk about self-love and body positivity because “being at war with your body is so last season.” I want to discuss overcoming body image issues and where do they come from in the first place. Because being uncomfortable with your body is not just reserved for the “unfit.” So many of us suffer because we believe we are too skinny, too fat, too tall, or too short, and honestly, we have the media, celebrities, and even our families to thank for that. So let’s get into it!
I dragged my feet on writing this blog post because I’m not the most confident person when it comes to my body. I’m just gonna put it out there. My self-love journey is exactly that it’s a journey with its ups and downs. And I’m trying to get to that place where I’m 100% comfortable with my body.
I don’t wear bathing suits
Recently, we went to the beach, and I didn’t wear a bathing suit. Honestly, I don’t even have a bathing suit that currently fits me. I barely go to the beach, or LA pool parties because I don’t want to wear a bathing suit in public.
But on our recent SANTA MONICA DATE VLOG I wore some short shorts and a sports bra. And honestly, that day, I was feeling good about myself. It was just my husband and I playing volleyball, having a picnic, and taking pictures and videos.
After I watched back the videos and photos, I no longer felt good about myself. I felt exposed and self-conscious, and all I could see was the cellulite and love handles. I tried pushing past those thoughts, but they were there. The self-judgment was real.
So I wanted to explore this topic. Because I didn’t like the way, I was feeling.
How am I standing here having a great time, feeling good, and then the moment I see a photo of myself, I’m self-critical and unhappy with the way I look.
Society and body shammers
Recently, the body shammers came after Camilla Cabello. Apparently, she gained weight and was out for a run wearing a sports bra where her belly was popping out. And a lot of people went online and started body-shaming her. And she wasn’t having any of it. So she went on TikTok and said a few things but what really stood out to me was,
“hating your body is so last season.”
That really resonated with me and where I’m at in my self-love journey. And I know I’m not alone in my feelings. Many of us struggle with body image, body positivity, and being self-conscious because we don’t fit the typical beauty standards.
This is why we need to be having these types of conversations. So we can shed the shame around body image, heal and be able to move forward.
Where do all these self-image issues come from?
Unfortunately, it starts really young. I remember as a kid, being very self-conscious because I didn’t see anyone that looked like me in the media. And I grew up watching Spanish telenovelas and American shows like Dawson’s Creek and Friends. Even to this day, many of the celebrities that we see, including the Kardashians of the world, have unrealistic body standards.
Basically, celebrities have been dictating what’s acceptable and unacceptable as far as beauty standards in the world.
As a kid, I was the “chubby/ curvy” one. And I remember family members pointing out that I have a big butt.
And in the 80s, as a five-year-old kid, I was being compared to Iris Chacon. If you don’t know who she is, She is a Puerto Rican showgirl/sex symbol.
As a five-year-old, that made me self-conscious I didn’t understand what a sex symbol was, and I definitely didn’t like people talking about my body.
Even if it’s not ill-intentioned, it makes you start thinking about your body and why you don’t look like the people you see on tv or in magazines.
Fast forward to now, where “plus-size models” or “fiercely real” or “real bodies” had their moment or are still having their moment. This is amazing because I do believe diversity and representation are important.
But, I remember specifically Ashley Graham when she got her sports illustrated cover. I think that was when she really went mainstream, and everyone knew who she was.
And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love and adore Ashley Graham. But, I remember seeing her in magazines, and I was like, of course, she is confident she’s plus size, but she doesn’t have any cellulite or stretch marks or whatever, so of course, she’s confident.
And that really comes from insecurities, right?
You’re comparing yourself to this other person and saying, of course, they’re confident. Because regardless of their size her body is perfect.
Not realizing that those photos are highly edited and airbrushed and have the perfect lighting, and her body is positioned just right.
Then I remember seeing Ashley Graham’s unfiltered photos and videos. She was doing a shoot at the beach on a jet ski wearing a red bathing suit.
And that’s when I realized, “oh, she does have cellulite, and she’s still confident.” And it’s not her fault, it’s the industry as a whole who has fed us these flawless bodies as real for years.
But now I realize that you don’t need a perfect body confidence comes from within.
Airbrush technology in the palm of our hands
What’s scary nowadays is that we all have the technology to alter our bodies in the palm of our hands. I’m not saying that I’ve never done it. Because I’ve definitely have edited my photos in the past. And it wasn’t until recently that I found out that you can airbrush skin in a video. I thought it was only in pictures.
However recently, I posted a and, I was conscious of not editing out the cellulite because that’s real, and I don’t want to present this version of myself on social media that isn’t real.
The more we love ourselves the less presure we’ll feel to be perfect
I want to get to the point where that’s not something that’s hindering me because I want to love myself for exactly who I am, dimples and stretch marks.
I know this is a long post. But let me know in the comments if you resonate with anything I’ve said so far.
The point I want to make is that the more that we love and accept ourselves, the less pressure we will feel to be perfect. Because we are all beautiful in our own way.
It’s sad, but what is considered “acceptable” changes with the trends and the time, just like fashion. For example, big butts were not a thing back in the day, and now everyone wants butt implants because that’s the “acceptable body type.”
So whatever body you have, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
I know loving and accepting ourselves is a journey.
That’s why sometimes when I look in the mirror and have those negative thoughts like, ” oh my gosh, I wish I was a little taller, I wish my thighs weren’t so big blah blah blah.”
I catch myself, and the first thing I do is literally look into my eyes in the mirror and just smile. Smile at myself because I want to be kind to myself. I want to give myself grace, and then I let the positive thoughts come in.
For example “I love and accept my body exactly the way it is because my body does a lot for me.” My legs are super strong, and that correlates to the size of my thighs.
Everyone has their own journey of how to love and care for themselves, but I wanted to leave you with three things that you can do if you are struggling with body image issues and trying to overcome them.
3 Steps to overcoming body image issues
Because we’re on this journey together.
1. Positivie Affirmations
So the first thing is practicing positive affirmations in the mirror. Say it out loud “I am beautiful. I love and accept myself just the way I am.”
2. Healthier Not Skinner
I started adopting this “healthier not skinnier” mentality because I realized that even back when I was “skinnier,” like 20, 30 pounds lighter, I still thought I was heavier.
Ever since I was a kid doing 80s workout videos with my mom, I’ve been trying to lose weight my entire life. And skinny doesn’t always equate to happiness or health.
So now, at my current weight, I’m just trying to love myself, eat healthy, and work out for my health.
And have that positive mindset that when I’m happy, and my mental health is in a good state, I will feel good about myself. And that’s really all that matters.
3. Comparison is the thief of all joy
This last one is really important because when we compare ourselves, we are putting ourselves down.
When we say things like “I wish I was skinny like her, or I wish I was confident like her.” We don’t know if that person is comfortable with their weight. We also don’t know the self-work someone has done to be able to be confident.
So we need to respect and honor the journey that we are currently on and know that if we keep working on ourselves, we will get to that point where we are happy. And have unconditional love for ourselves.
Let me know in the comments where you are in your self-love + body positivity journey. Let’s connect and support one another.
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I appreciate you!
Sweet Blessings,
Yaritza
