“I cursed new and old stretch marks. ‘Only women who are a size 2 can truly be successful.’ My body image dictated how I spoke to myself, even while my daughter was listening.”
‘I would point women out, ‘Am I skinnier or fatter than her?’ Then I heard my daughter saying similar things. It was sick.’: Mom ‘changes the narrative’ for daughter after wake-up call
‘I don’t look like your stereotypical pregnant woman. I won’t have that little bump. This isn’t the body I envisioned myself carrying in, but it so worthy.’: Expecting mom ‘thankful’ for unplanned pregnancy, ‘My weight stopped me from happiness’
“I used to think I would allow myself to get pregnant once I had lost all this weight. I blackmailed myself against the one thing I truly wanted in life. All my life, I’ve written off happiness because I wasn’t the ‘correct’ size.”
‘Starved for love, I made disastrous decisions. Eventually, I turned to food. I weighed in at 391 pounds, my body just as unhealthy as my soul.’: Survivor details battle with demons, ‘I am a beautiful disaster’
“Frozen in fear, you lay in your bed with that twisted knot in your stomach. There is always the question: who protected the little girl with the big, brown eyes? The answer? A resounding no one. I was a little girl.”
‘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 used to avoid social gatherings because I was so scared to be seen in a swimsuit. I would sit outside the pool, fully clothed, as my kids begged me to have fun with them.’: Woman urges ‘you are more than what you look like in a swimsuit’
“I missed out on so much. I missed out on moments I can never get back. Finally, I realized enough is enough. My kids, my family, my (true) friends absolutely DO NOT care how I look in a swimsuit, and I will bet you my next paycheck yours don’t either.”
‘I was staring at my massive basket of pre-kids clothes I refuse to throw out. ‘My body size can change.’: Woman struggling with body positivity says ‘I don’t exist to fit clothes, they exist to fit me’
“My husband saw me staring at them. My heart skipped a beat. I’m not a size 4 anymore.”
‘The pizza guy treated me like a whole different person when I gained weight. I liked my body skinnier. Men wouldn’t brush me off.’: Woman struggling with body positivity says ‘it’s about you, screw the pizza guy!’
“My body wanted acceptance. I wanted acceptance.”
‘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.”
‘A friend gifted me ‘booty leggings.’ I was so excited to try them. When they arrived in the mail, they had no tag, no size, no number.’: Woman urges ‘I’m more than a number, and so are you’
“I wondered what size she sent me. When I saw them, I was caught off guard. Just a pair of leggings. No numbers. But maybe a message.”
‘Sexy is a 20-minute bath while Daddy watches the baby. Sexy is lifting up other women and never being too smart to learn something new.’: Woman challenges definition of ‘sexy’
“I’m tired of girls being led to believe they’ve got to pucker their lips, stick out their butt, flash some cleavage, and put seven filters on their face to feel cute. Sexy is working hard and understanding your strength. It’s understanding the world doesn’t revolve around you. It’s accepting your weaknesses and asking for help. Don’t limit yourself to six pack abs and booty bands.”
