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Who is happy with their bodies?

em

I am. Is anyone else?

If it is not being to vain to say, I do have a very nice figure. I am a size 4 or 6 but must have most of my clothes tailored because of course I am not a dummy, and clothes are made to fit a dressmaker's dummy.

But you know why I really like my body? Because it works. I can walk 10,000 steps and have no feet pain, no back pain, no shortness of breath. I can run and jump and skip with my godchildren (I am 40...don't tell anyone.) I can dance and garden and spin children around.

I do wish my body was more toned, but that is 100% my fault because here is the amount of time I spend working on it: 0.

So yes...I like my body. Does anyone else like theirs?

Body Type

48 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

Anonymous

For the most part, I'm happy with my body. I think that as a teen, it's even easier to be upset with your body and I've gone through that/ am going through that. Sometimes, I wish my thighs weren't so big, or that I didn't have scars on my stomach from surgeries, or that I could tan more evenly. But all in all, I have pretty good muscle from dance, I haven't broken anything, I'm tall, I'm pretty happy with my weight, and I have a nice smile. I could probably work harder on toning up or eating more vegetables but I do my best.
I think that if you love yourself, you will be beautiful. Truly beautiful. Not just on the outside but also on the inside.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Good job, em. This is not vanity or conceit - this is therapeutic positive thinking. And be proud of you age. You've earned it.

I am happy with my body. I turn 46 in a couple of weeks and I am celebrating my good health, high energy, and positive outlook on life. Live, love and laugh. Eat cake and be happy. Onward we go, and don't let anyone break your spirit.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I am a phenomenal woman.

Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,

Sara L.

Veteran

Great poem! I'm pretty happy with my body too. I will admit that I have it easy since I'm fairly thin which conforms to our society's current ideals. I gained some weight over the winter that I've been working on losing this summer. However, I wasn't unhappy with the way I looked, I was unhappy that my pants were getting tight and uncomfortable. I really don't want to buy a new wardrobe so I've been working on exercising and watching what I eat more carefully. It's taken a couple months to lose 5 pounds but that's ok - slow and steady win the race.

Also, I caught an awful stomach bug last week that I'm still recovering from. It's made me appreciate how healthy and energetic my body normally is.

viva

Veteran

Generally, I really do. But how I am treating it has a lot to do with how I am feeling about it. When I am active and eating well, I feel strong and healthy and like a "phenomenal woman." I don't really have hang ups about my shape and I can deal with my imperfections. But when I have been mistreating it - not getting enough sleep, not exercising, eating poorly, I don't feel phenomenal. I know there is an easy solution - do the right things - but sometimes it's hard to do the obvious. So, for me, this is both an easy and a difficult question to answer, I guess.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm happy that my body is healthy and able to do so many wonderful things at the age of almost 51. When I find myself complaining about the same things I've been complaining about since I was a teenager (cellulite, thighs, hips, skin that freckles rather than tans), I remind myself of what my body can DO, rather than how it looks. I look like a middle-aged woman. That's not the easiest thing in the world for me to accept, but there it is. But the more I focus on what that body does rather than how it looks, the happier I am, regardless of what size I'm wearing.

Marilyn

Veteran

I'm happy with my body.

Lovely poem, Ledonna!

Anonymous

I used to treat my body as an amusement park rather than the temple for my soul. Consequently, it suffered and that caused me to, not hate it, but be seriously annoyed and put out with it. When I started treating it better (quitting drinking, getting more sleep and regular exercise, improving my diet), I started loving it again. It's a day-to-day effort because of personal demons, but I am now in a good place and plan to stay there. Having my body healthy and humming along is something I truly delight in.

Greyscale

Veteran

I am. But yeah, I'm "playing on easy mode" meaning I got genes for a body shape and metabolism that align well with our culture.

My body was just never part of how I thought of myself as a kid and teen. I was so unpopular (in a benign way) that I somehow escaped the teen criticism and self-criticism. And I went to a nerd college where there really was acceptance of all sorts of bodies and attractiveness.

When I was 30 I met a guy whose over-the-top love of my body left me way more sensitive to any "negative" changes. It was a bad relationship and by the end, I was struggling with serious depression and lost a lot of weight - almost 20 lbs less than now, and definitely underweight, but suddenly all clothes fit me perfectly. I'm back to my college weight now. I do get a little sad about no longer being sample size, but it's ok. Still, it was scary to feel those cultural messages of insecurity creeping in. I escaped them through no virtue of my own and it's amazing how strong the messages are.

All of which is to say, solidarity to all struggling to love yourselves.

Style Fan

Veteran

Great poem Ledonna.
Yes I am happy with my body. I echo what Xtabay says about treating her body like a temple. I don't drink, I do Yoga almost daily, eat well, get enough sleep, use good products for skin care, etc. I also stop myself if I say anything negative about my body.

Marilyn

Veteran

Greyscale.......Your comments are so interesting. I know a person who lavishes me with positive attention about my appearance (I know he means well). But, I've actually told him that so much focus on my looks actually makes me feel very self conscious about myself. I suppose "I'm playing on easy mode" as well but getting caught up in it can be a negative for sure.

jenanded

Veteran

I will say yes even though I am quite overweight and also starting to get wrinkly, knobbly, wear glasses and all that. But I also laugh a lot, walk to and from work up a verysteep hill, travel a lot and generally buzz around doing what I want to do. I think that is much more interesting than people who spend their whole time saying they will do things when they get fit or whatever. What Janet said as well - my thighs and skin were more of an issue to me when I was 20 than now at 53... and I bet at 70 I would wish to have skin like now.

rachylou

Veteran

Sure, I'm happy with my body. The question is - is my body happy with me?

Hehe.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Not me.
But trying to appreciate what I can do.

Gigi

Veteran

I'm generally happy with my body, but I find that when I lose or gain weight, I start to get unhappy--and it's actually because clothes don't fit me right at those other weights. When I gain weight, although I may still be underweight, it all goes to my rear end and thighs, and then bottoms don't fit properly (gappy at the waist). When I lose enough weight on the bottom, I can't find much of anything to fit me at all, because I get sized out almost everywhere. It is unfortunate how much our self-image is bound up with whether clothes off the rack fit or not, regardless of the size. I think that it must be the frustration of having to get everything altered that makes a person feel like they're a freak.

anne

Veteran

I'm relatively happy with my body, but not so happy about the sore knees that have cut down my exercise this year, about feeling tired and falling asleep during the day at times, about finding it harder to hear people, especially in noisy social settings and a sore ankle!

But of course there's a lot left that I can do!

Staysfit

Veteran

Well, yes, especially the brainy part!

Anna

I like my body now because after losing the weight, I no longer have to shoot up insulin every day. And that makes me happy! O

Echo

Veteran

Bravo to Greyscale and Staysfit. I like the acknowledging when one is "playing on easy mode." It is not as easy for me as it once was, but it is far easier for me than for many others, and I must accept that gratefully and do my part.

But what Staysfit resonates most with me. I am not coordinated, nor am I athletic. Nor are my children. However, I've always said that college entrance exams have never included skipping or dancing. I am forever grateful to my mum and dad for the brain I was born with. Despite sometimes wishing I could more easily change my body, I would never change who I am or "the brainy part".

Anonymous

I do have hangups about my body but I would never cry about them or let them make me feel bad about myself as a person!

Thank Goodness I dont have real "body issues" because I have so many other issues to deal with!

Anonymous

Sorry, I should acknowledge that I am also playing on easy mode. It is easy for me to lose and gain weight.
I had Graves disease (hormone imbalance) for a while and was given
Meds that caused me to gain weight without any change in diet. I do know that hormones play a huge part in weight.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I am.
Wait, does that include the face? If so, my answer would be, I am, mostly. Ha haha!

Runcarla

Veteran

Yes, I am. Very.

Sally

Veteran

I have more body confidence now than I had in my 20s and 30s. Maybe I've grown into it. I have lost weight recently and do worry sometimes whether I can maintain it.

Astrid

Veteran

I am also happy with my body, even though there are downs sometimes... I've had various health issues over the years which made me sometimes not like my body very much, but it's the only one I have and I'd like to enjoy the time I have on this planet.

That's a thing that has always bugged me to be honest, the shift from looks to ability. It's all well and good to say love your body for what it can do, but what if it can't do many things you would really like to do?

I also have to agree on ill fitting clothes being a huge problem - I felt very uncomfortable at my highest weight, but more because I thought nothing looked good on me and nothing fit right. I was fine with my body when I was naked.

Sisi

Veteran

I am not.

I am too much of a perfectionist to be happy with anything that is less than perfect.

Staysfit

Veteran

Sisi, who are you letting define perfect?! To often we go by standards determined by men, or by skinny fashion models. What is your measuring stick of perfection? Mine is that I can wake up every day. I can go to work. Sometimes I cannot because I am ill enough to be hospitalized, but my body has a remarkable ability to heal and recover enough that I go home and function again and I find that miraculous. My body allows me to go for walks with my neighbor. I can meet friends for an evening out. I can enjoy my time with my family. Spend time with my children. I can still travel to see my parents. My body can still bend and move enough to do Pilates and yoga. I have great memories of running marathons and waterskiing, swimming and boating. I can hike and snow shoe. My body can wear nice clothes. My body houses my brain which reads great books, enjoys music, movies, plays, etc. My body loves the work I do, which is intellectual and also involves connecting with people. My body was fortunate and gave me my two wonderful children, but my brain which is part of my body helped me raise them into the awesome adults they are today, (because they both have autism.) My measuring stick has nothing to do with what I see in the mirror or how my clothing fits. It has to do with how my body functions and serves me. So, what is your measuring stick and why? Can you alter your measuring stick if it is doing you a disservice? Helping people, particularly children and adolescents has been my life mission. It makes me so sad to see so much about poor body image here on the forum lately. However, it's a testament to Angie that people feel so comfortable opening up about it. All I see is beauty and bravery here. Kudos and Love to all of you! XO

Style Fan

Veteran

I love what Staysfit just wrote. What is perfect? It also makes me sad to see the discussions about poor body image on the forum. But it is everywhere unfortunately.

Sisi

Veteran

Staysfit, you are so dear, thank
you so much for your comment!

It has been very helpful. It made me think.

I am aware of the fact that the darn perfectionism complicates my life in many fields.

You are right, my measuring stick definitely is doing me a disservice.

I will try to change it!

Much love,

S.

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