“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.
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