“I needed to lose weight. I would have a ton of friends and finally be brave enough to go to the pool in a bikini. I would root for other people and tell them to eat abundantly, but would never do that myself without ‘getting rid of it’ afterward.”
‘I needed to relapse just ‘one more time’ so everyone would like me. The verbal abuse continued.’: Woman battles 7-year eating disorder, ‘I decided to put myself first’
‘Hey sister, wear the shorts. You see dimples, cellulite. I see a woman who deserves to feel beautiful in whatever she chooses.’: Woman urges ‘confidence looks beautiful on you’
“Confidence looks beautiful on you, sis. Wear it proudly.”
‘I watched more than a few of my friends commenting negatively on how they look now. Girl, stop glorifying your past self just for being skinnier.’: Woman reminds us ‘comparison is the thief of joy’
“Maybe your waistline grew this past decade (GUILTY, FRIEND), but so did your family. I fear for a time when my daughter would choose to comment only on her WEIGHT in her joyful photos. People preach about the importance of self-love and ignore the elephant in the room.”
‘He was 9 years older. I thought he was my everything. As soon as I hit the top of the stairs, my heart started racing. ‘I love you. Something is wrong.’: Woman with Tachycardia starts weight loss journey
“I started sweating and it didn’t stop. I should have called 911 but I called my husband. I told him I loved him and something was wrong. May 20th was the day my life changed forever. I never believed I was allowed to smile or be happy because no one was ever nice to me.”
‘This morning I got some horrible news: ‘Models who aren’t a size 0 are called plus size.’ My body isn’t risky or brave, it’s normal.’: Woman learns lesson on body positivity, ‘I realized it’ll take more than 30 days to do’
“Even skin conditions you have no control over will have people asking you questions about your ability to ‘keep yourself.’ I said I would make it my mission to spend 30 days working on body acceptance. When the 30 days were up, I got some horrible news. I realized, it’ll take more than 30 days to do.”
‘My 5-year-old turned to me, suddenly serious. ‘You shouldn’t eat too much, Mom. Or you get fat like Christy and Tammy.’ I felt tears tickling my eyes.’: Mom urges ‘all bodies are valid’
“We sat down to watch another episode of Scooby-Doo. My daughter laughed as Scooby and Shaggy devoured a pile of hamburgers. ‘They ate too much!’ she giggled. Then she got serious. I felt tears tickling my eyes. Christy and Tammy are two of my friends. This is the curse that has been placed on me, on so many of us.”
‘I got a message from someone with fat loss pills saying, ‘You could benefit from these.’: Woman with hyperthyroidism says ‘I’m perfectly imperfect, and that’s okay’
“Growing up in the ‘picture perfect’ era was mentally draining. I started to develop early and was wearing a training bra by third grade. I was called ‘a big ugly giant.’ It sent me even deeper into a downward spiral.”
‘The cashier said, ‘Do you think it’s safe to get high with your kids?’ It took me by surprise. Some people don’t smoke just to get high.’: Pro-marijuana mom says ‘these are the most stress-free days we’ve had’
“I remember the first time I wore this sweater out in public. I was at the mall, surrounded by tank tops that said ‘I’m a wine mom’ and ‘nothing gets done until my wine glass is empty.’ But my sweater was definitely one of the most looked at things, probably because I had my two young kids with me.”
‘Food was for ‘growing boys.’ I would take an empty lunch box to school so I looked like I fit in.’: Woman overcomes lifetime of eating disorders, ‘I love me for me’
“I was a talented singer, but because of my looks, I was never picked for the lead. I wasn’t the pretty leading lady in Mary Poppins – I was a chimney sweep. One year, I was asked to sing for the lead role but stand in the wings out of sight, while another person acted.”
‘Eeww, look at those gross bumps,’ you said to your friends as you filled your slushies. ‘She should really have a cover-up on.’: Mom of 4 embraces postpartum body after public shaming
“My kiddos and I were at the indoor water park this weekend for a family birthday celebration. As I stood in line to get some overpriced hotdogs, you and 3 of your friends were behind me. My boobs were saggy. My stomach, flabby. I felt embarrassed and uncomfortable.”
