Getting Unstuck About My Body
W
ith the warm weather on the way, off comes the transitional clothing some of us use to cover up what we perceive as our little flaws. And as the clothing comes off, the pressure to have that perfect body increases, and for many, the 15-days to a better body obsession begins. It's no wonder vying for the perfect body is responsible for a lot of low-self-esteem, depression and the tug of war dieting that plagues women everywhere. And while exercising and taking care of your body is essential to well being and feeling great, women need to stop obsessing about their looks and accepting their own uniqueness. And I am no different.
Although I have always loved my curves and felt sexy in my size 12 body, after a noticeable weight gain, I found myself wearing my husband's extra large shirts to hide my "extra love." Whenever I went into a store to buy clothes, I intentionally avoided anything with a number and refused to venture into that "plus size land" on the other side of the store. And when the salesperson placed a plus size magazine in with my purchases, I was less than impressed.
Flipping through the magazine, I saw confident, voluptuous women flaunting it all beautifully - in everything from swimsuits to lingerie. There was no size zero cloned model, but an array of body types in clothing that flattered their own unique porportions. I was amazed at how comfortable with themselves the women seemed to be. Bigger was beautiful.
For me, that was a liberating moment of clarity about my own body issues, which up until that point - I handled well as long as the number stayed around size 10 to 12. I was stuck and felt comfortable in that range, and I had allowed my "ideal number" to have too much power over me. By refusing to buy clothes to fit my new size, I was allowing that number to define me and, therefore, shopping for clothes was miserable.
It wasn't until I decided to follow suit with the women in the magazine and make peace with the woman in the mirror, I started buying clothes that fit my now curvier body. I had to relearn how to appreciate my changing body and let go of those confining ideals that I had clung to for so long. I had to become unstuck.
Making peace with your body isn't an overnight transformation, but a slow process of reformed thinking about what makes us beautiful. Something has to click about feeling beautiful from the inside and accepting our little flaws as part of our unique beauty. It's about celebrating the "beautiful me" in you. I think I'm starting to get it now.
Copyright 2008 © Dawn Prince. Not to be reprinted without expressed permission.
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