‘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!’

“I liked being skinner because clothes fit me better.

I liked my body being skinnier because I felt people responded to me better.

I liked my body being skinnier because men wouldn’t brush me off, like the guy at the pizza shop who treated me like a whole different person when I gained weight.

I liked my body being skinnier because people told me how good I looked.

Everything I liked about my body back then, wasn’t actually about MY body.

It was about acceptance.

Which would explain why when my body was skinnier, I was still striving for more thinness, I was still wanting more, I was still unhappy. I was still full of pressure.

My body wanted acceptance. I wanted acceptance.

I’m not telling you to love your body – all or nothing, because giving us another reason to feel guilty when we don’t have a ‘perfect’ day is just not what anyone needs. I’m telling you to work on growing acceptance for it.

So, every time you feel tempted to hate yourself for a roll, or you feel tempted to google extreme diet measures to get the body you want, ask yourself am I doing this for me or for acceptance? Is acceptance what I need to find? Because all that matters in this life is the love you have for yourself.

It’s about you. Not anyone else. Screw the pizza guy! (Figuratively, or literally, I ain’t judging).”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Laura Mazza, where it originally appeared. Follow Laura on Instagram here. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

Read more stories from Laura here:

‘She’s not broken’: To the man whose wife or partner has anxiety

‘My card declined at the grocery store. I forgot to bring cash. I stood outside my car door, ready to jump in, when a car pulled up next to me.’: Mom drawn to faith by random acts of kindness, ‘I’ve been getting signs for a long time’

‘No one is cleaning their house every day. No one is having sex every day. We are ALL losing our crap.’: Mom insists ‘you’re amazing’ at motherhood even when it doesn’t feel like it, ‘To them, you are everything’

‘The day a woman stops asking for your affection is the day that means she doesn’t want to fight anymore. Put your phone down, look at her and listen.’: Woman advocates for healthy relationships

Provide beauty and strength for others. SHARE this story on Facebook with your friends and family.