#1
#2
#3
We can respect our reflection without feeling joy for it.
We can respect our reflection while struggling with it.
Respect should come FIRST...
Respect it with kind words.
Respect it with rest.
Respect it with clothes that fit instead of squeezing it into clothes that don’t.
Respect it with movement.
Respect it with nourishing foods and water.
How are you respecting your body this week?
"The continuous promotion of these types of images can lead to an obsessiveness for perfection, and this in itself could be the underlying psychological disorder that leads to the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa," Albuquerque, the UKAT Group Head of Treatment explained how photo-edited pictures can affect us.
According to the expert, acceptance and a love for oneself "comes from within but is hugely influenced by environmental factors." That means that all of us, in part, are responsible for how welcome (or unwelcome) some people feel.
"As a society, we must work together to create a culture of self-love and support, and this means by ensuring the promotion of as many different body types, shapes, colors, and sizes as possible. If a young girl is brought up only seeing one type of woman in advertisements, on social media, in films and music videos, in her family and close friends circles, then seeing something different in herself could cause confusion. This confusion could then manifest itself into an unhealthy mental health state," he told Bored Panda.
#4
I often get asked how I became comfortable with my WEIGHT, with my BODY. How I stopped restricting. How I began eating. How I let myself slide into swimsuits and shorts and didn’t pick apart the cellulite, the stretchmarks, the soft folds that slunk over seams.
These questions are coming in more right now, as so many of us are home, slowing down, sliding into our thoughts.
Because those thoughts never entirely go away. They’re part of being human.
It’s about feeling what I feel, but knowing in the same breath that my BODY says nothing about my WORTH as a woman.
That no matter WHAT, I deserve to EAT.
That I can have fitness goals, but they should come from a place of LOVE, not of punishment or restriction.
So here’s a little reminder for any of you struggling right now with the urge to diet or shrink or minimize all that you are:
Know that incredible GOALS can have NOTHING TO DO with WEIGHT, and EVERYTHING to do with HEALTH.
Good luck out there girl.
You’ve got this.
#5
#6
It doesn’t.
Even though sometimes, for so many of us, we get confused.
We start to think it does.
That some silly number on a scale makes us GOOD or BAD.
It’s been on my mind a lot lately thanks to all these ’OH NO, ENDING QUARANTINE FAT!’ memes.
Dark humor is a way so many of us survive difficult times.
But this bodyphobic humor is dangerous. Because it whispers to us lies wrapped in fear: that if we gain weight, we will be failures, not worthy, worthless.
Only that’s WRONG. So wrong.
Because our worth? Our worth sits in SO. MUCH. MORE. Than some stupid number on a scale.
It’s in our ability to reach out with kindness even as the world rocks.
It’s in our brains. Our souls.
Our determination to fight for something better.
Our hope for the future.
Our love for each other.
Our WORTH is connected to all that makes us WONDERFUL and HUMAN.
And that?
That’s something weight could never change
Albuquerque stressed that the key to finding the balance between leading a healthy lifestyle and loving yourself as you are lies in moderation and avoiding obsession.
"We would never discourage someone from wanting to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle, especially in the current climate, it is so important to make the most of the outdoors and enjoy walking, not only does exercise have a positive result on your physical wellness but it provides huge benefits to your mental state."
He continued: "A healthy lifestyle means something different for everyone, and so regardless of a person's body shape or size, if the desire to be active is there then great. It's important to stress however, that for anyone of any size, being active, eating healthy and exercising can become an obsession for some people, and it then becomes unhealthy for that person's mental health. Everything in moderation is key." If you'd like some help with identifying eating disorders and for other insights and support, you can visit the UKAT website right here.
#7
#8
I’m often asked when this journey started for me. When I stopped tearing apart my body and moved toward acceptance.
It’s been a long process in the making, one that truly began on a therapist’s couch at 20 and is still ongoing. But sometimes there are single moments, tiny seconds when lightbulbs go off. Seeing @sarashakeel ‘s Glitter Stretchmarks series was exactly that.
Her work forced me to question what I had always been told was shameful.
Because there, reimagined through her lens, stretchmarks were striking. Stunning. Sparkly and strong and undeniably beautiful.
So today, if you’re struggling with your stretchmarks, know this: we have been conditioned to believe they are ugly. They are not. They are your wonderful marvellous body serving you and supporting you always. Always.
You’re poetry, babygirl.
You’re a work of art. .
Zazon started the hashtag as part of her fight against disordered eating and the mental illness problems that it walks hand-in-hand with. Or, as she put it, “Screw diet culture. Screw weight loss programs. Screw our healthcare system for basing our health by the number on the scale. My body was smarter than me all along. My body was normal all along.”
She aims to include every type of body in her movement: “As a cis woman, I’ve faced unique challenges in accepting my body. Within the #normalizenormalbodies movement no size, weight, gender, sex, color, and shape is excluded.”
#10
As with a lot of recent beauty trends, like the ‘Filter Drop’ challenge, the ‘Normalize Normal Bodies’ movement is about cutting through digital illusions and getting straight to the truth. What with how much the Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives and forced us to stay at home, it’s no wonder that more and more people don’t want to pretend anymore and continue to embrace who they are.
Embracing who you are is a powerful thing because you love yourself for who you are and your confidence rockets through the roof. And we’ve all felt how being confident improves our lives. Especially when we compare it to the times that we constantly barrage ourselves with criticism and ideas that we’re not good enough—we’re never good enough and that there must be something wrong with us.
#13
The ‘Normalize Normal Bodies’ movement is at the same time very individualistic and very unifying. I’ll explain. Every single one of us has a different understanding of what ‘normal’ means (and no surprise what with how different all of our bodies are), but at the same time, seeing others post under the #NormalizeNormalBodies hashtag creates a sense of unity and community.
#16
After having kids, we criticize our bodies so much. We look in the mirror and often don’t like what we see. We look at pictures online and compare our bodies to other women. We pinch, poke and prod at our flaws until we start to hate our reflection.
We do all this so often that we forget that our body looks different because IT LITERALLY GREW LIFE INSIDE IT!
Unfortunately, this is something that we have been taught from a young age. Society has made us think that our bodies are less worthy after doing one of the most amazing things that the human body can possibly do.
Why is that?
We deserve more credit. Our bodies deserve more credit. We deserve to look in the mirror and be reminded that our bodies have served a purpose. They have created someone that you will love forever.
Here’s what we don’t deserve-
We don’t deserve to feel pressure to look a certain way or two “snap back” after pregnancy. We don’t deserve to hear comments about what we should or should not look like. we don’t deserve to feel like we have to fit a certain societal standard to be accepted and feel beautiful.
We deserve better than that.
Our bodies may look different. Our boobs may seem different. Our weight may be different. But that’s what makes motherhood beautiful. And we sure as hell deserve a lot more credit for that than we get.
We are creators.
We are strong.
We are magical AF.
We are mothers.
We deserve some damn recognition
#17
#18
However, there is a flip side to this situation. Of course, everyone is beautiful as they are (and I’m the last person on Earth who’ll judge anyone for having a bit too much belly fat). And inner beauty is what really counts at the end of the day. But leading a healthy life isn’t something that we should shy away from if we’re not feeling that we’re meeting our own standards for ourselves.
In other words, if we feel absolutely fine, energetic, get plenty of movement and fresh air, walk around with a massive smile on our faces, maintain nutritious diets, and our doctors confirm that we’re doing great, then wonderful. More power to all of us!
#20
