Why You Should Love Your Body Right Now, Belly And All

Why You Should Love Your Body Right Now, Belly And All ©iStock/lechatnoir

Summer’s coming, and whether you’re trying to shed a few pounds or feeling like you wish your boobs or butt would grow exponentially overnight, swimsuit season can be daunting. Just standing in the dressing room with those suits staring at you can be intimidating, especially if you’re not happy with the way your body looks. Weight has definitely been an issue I struggled with in the past (and occasionally still in the present) but I can tell you for a fact that my happiest days have been the ones where the shape of my body didn’t even cross my mind. Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t wait until you’ve met your “ideal” weight or shape to love yourself.

  1. Being unhappy with your body isn’t going to change it right this minute. Even if you do want to change your appearance, it’s not going to happen overnight. And while I totally encourage you to meet your goals, constantly harping on how much you hate your current body isn’t going to help. Instead, try accepting what you have and then working towards what you ultimately want.
  2. Big or small, the people who truly love you will continue to love you no matter what you look like. If someone needs you to look a certain way before they can accept you, drop them. The people who truly matter will love you no matter how many stretch marks line your boobs.
  3. Appearances eventually fade. Looks are not forever, just like life. Let’s make the best of what we have right now.
  4. Traditional standards of beauty are meant to be tested. As Jes Baker says, “…we are taught as a society that IF we achieve the ideal body that we see in traditional media (and not before) we will then obtain love, worthiness, success and ultimately- happiness.” We should be taking charge of our bodies and changing the impossible standards Hollywood has set for us and creating our own happiness. YOU decide what’s best for you. Don’t let this idea of an “perfect body” trick you into feeling like you’re a lesser person because you don’t have it. Which leads me to number 5….
  5. Every body is a perfect body. Is your body alive? Is it allowing you to read this article? Yes? Then you have a perfectly fine body. There is no such thing as one version of a “perfect body.”
  6. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If there’s one thing being on the Internet a lot has taught me, it’s that there truly is something out there in the world for everyone. Think no one will find you sexy because you’re a size 24? Wrong. Think no one will ever find you butt cellulite attractive? Wrong again. Think there’s no way on earth that anyone anybody could find your itty bitty titties appealing? Uh-uh. There’s whole websites dedicated to all of those things (which I’m not gonna link  because they’re NSFW but you can do some googling on your own if you feel so inclined.) My point is that the definition of what’s beautiful/sexy/hot is different for everyone. Don’t hide yourself because your definition is different than someone else’s.
  7. Your confidence, sexuality, and happiness depend on it. When you love yourself, it shows – your confidence will radiate, your sex drive will increase, and you’ll be an all-around happier person. Life goes by really fast; don’t spend all of it being unhappy about what you look like.
  8. You’ll miss out on some of the best moments of your life. If you spend so much time obsessing over what swimsuit makes you look the best that you miss out on going to the beach, what’s the point? Don’t let your fear of what others think about your body dictate your life.
  9. You’re MORE than what you look like. When you die, no one will stand up to eulogize you and say, “Her thin thighs and perky tits will be forever missed.” They will talk about what kind of person you were – your kindness, your warmth, your generosity and tenacity. They will talk about your accomplishments and your drive and how they’ll miss your laugh. Remember that the next time you’re in the dressing room, staring at those swimsuits. You’re more than just a body.
Tiffany is a New Orleans-based boudoir photographer (lushboudoirla.com) and freelance writer. Follow her on instagram: @onesmallflower or view her boudoir photographs: @lushboudoir
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