Question??

Is there anyone on this site that actually likes themselves and their bodies, even though it is not perfect? It is really irritating and, well, downright pathetic to see almost every post on here about some girl complaining that they are a size four and feel distgusting and fat. Is there anyone out there that is actually confident and proud of their less-than-perfect, but mostly good self? I am. I am definitely not the most beautiful person in the world, but I think I'm pretty darn attractive and really pay attention to the good features that I have. Yes, I'm technically overweight at 5'2" and 148lbs. However, I am very well proportioned concerning my torso and legs, my mother gave me a wonderful hourglass figure and womanly hips, I have graceful shoulders and neck, my entire life I have been told that I have the most beautiful smile anyone's ever seen and I have great hair. Yes, I'm on here to lose a little weight (18lbs to be exact), but that is because I want to be as healthy and happy as I can possibly be and eating healthy and tons of exercise does that for me. I would hate to think the media causes this alarming dislike of self, but I'm not sure where else to place the blame. Please tell me there is someone out there that loves themselves, the good and the bad. Can anyone relate? I'd like to see more self-love, rather than self-loathing on this site. :-D

Well I don't know about anyone else but, frankly, I'm gorgeous.    (5'6" and 154lbs on a good day if you're counting).  Yes, if I look long and hard in the mirror I could probably find some minor imperfection to feel bad about.   Freckles?  Wobbly stomach? Dimply bum? A few wrinkles?  Take your pick....  So I don't bother.  Besides which I'm as blind as a bat without my specs...  LOL!   

I don't give a rat's cahone about the media - never have.  As far as I'm concerned they are just fake images of sad people living in a goldfish bowl, terrified of getting older or losing popularity.    I'm a real person with a real life and, on balance, I think that's the most amazing thing in the world!!!! 

ahhh-yes!!

this site ive foubd both helpful and very very harmful at times.  it should come w/ a read at your own risk sign i sometimes think.

there are many many ppl posting here w/ either ED or plain old "disordered eating" and it becomes difficult + confusing i think to get a gauge on what the "normal" amount of excercise  is or waht "healthy balanced" eating is when the majority of ppl posting either live at the gym or eat only veggies or something.  to me atleast, thats not normal or wahtever "normal" is.  i want to create a lifestyle for myself thjat i can keep up w/ while maitnaining a busy+happy life, not one that requires obsessiveness. i am 1 of those recovering from an ED but im happy+proud of the weight ive gaiend thus far+want to gain to be in a healthy rasnge-not just "HEALTHY ENOUGH".

i love my personality and new found health and hope to increase and better each.  more important than weight is happiness-that is the goal!

Like Jane (and any other human being, I suppose), I know I could find some minor problems with myself if I looked hard enough. But for the first time in my life after years of bullying, put-downs, questioning myself and my appearance and the throes of an eating disorder I am happy with myself, imperfections and all. Because perfect is boring.

hmmm...I think there's a lot of self-loathing towards one's own body on this forum because many of them are recovering from an eating disorder.  (Myself included, actually).  As they become stronger & healthier, then the distorted perception they have on their bodies will change to a more positive one.  I know it's happening to me--I still have minor freakouts about it, but this is actually the second time in my life that I am at a heathy weight for my height & it feels pretty darn amazing.  I even have curves!!  So YES--it is definitely a much wiser decision to focus on one's health & happiness than the size of one's jeans.

i don't want to sound egotistical (but since it has taken me a long tiem to get here, i allow myself to be): i am a good, fair, honest, fun person.  i consider myself to be lucky to have all my limbs, my health, my family, and my friends.  i'm trying to lose weight because although i'm frikin awesome, but outside doesn't match my inside.  that's all i want really.  to look as good as i feel.  does that sound weird?  it's so easy to look for imprefections, but i focus on the things i like about myself (my hourglass figrue, my booty, my hair and my eyes) and i play those up.  i'm 5''4' and weigh about 145-150.  i know i'm on the border of overweight and i know i could be smaller, which is why i'm using this site to help me.  but do i think i'm gorgeous right now, without the weight loss.  yeah, i think so.  plus, i get checked out, so that means i'm not alone in thinking this.  

but i agree, people need to start lovin' and stop hatin'

I like my body.  Are there things I'd like to change?  Of course.  Could it be better?  Sure, but I think almost everyone would say the same -- everyone has something they would like to change about their body. 

I do the best I can to make it healthy and strong.  My husband thinks I'm gorgeous.  I'll paraphrase the serenity prayer -- change what I can, accept what I can't change, and have the wisdom to know the difference. 

I love my body! I just hate what I have done to it sometimes... =) which is why I'm here trying to get back to being healthy. I am doing a pretty good job if I may say so myself!

Not to toot my own horn, but I think my body and I are very nice, thank you ;) My weight can bum me out on occasion, but one year and counting at CC I know WHY I gain when I gain - I like food a whole bunch, and eat more than I need to if I'm not viligent. I'm not as heavy as when I started, and I can keep it that way if I don't scream "Yippee! I'm thin!" and then eat cake to celebrate. Which happens on occasion...

Am I the only one that feels irritated at this topic?  Loving your body is great, and I hope everyone can achieve what the OP has, but I think it's going too far to call people with body-image issues "downright pathetic."  Not all of us have gorgeous features or are complimented on our smiles often... and some of the girls and boys on here have terrible problems in their lives to deal with and their way of coping is through food.  It's not good, and I don't promote it at all, but honestly I don't think you should belittle the self-loathing and emotional pain a girl feels when she really does think she's disgusting at a size 4. We're all trying to help promote feeling beautiful and being healthy here, but don't go so far as to label those with problems "pathetic."

I know that was likely not your intent, though, so don't take that too harshly.  Your intentions were positive and there ARE a lot of beautiful, confident ladies on this site... it's just the vocal minority that you're getting overwhelmed by.

If you love your body and feel you look good..then all I have to say is "Who gives a sh** what anyone else thinks?!" You are your own person. Technically everyone is their own worst critic and if the hardest critic (you) is satisfied then I see no reason for a change. We should embrace ourselves and love ourselves for who we are. If someone can't accept you from the get go then personally they aren't worth knowing.

It's refreshing to find someone who is comfortable in their own skin. Live on and keep rockin what you got, sista! Haha. :)

Thats great that you're so happy with your body and in your own skin and I'm so happy to finally see people who are not complaining about being fat or wanting to go on a diet.

I go to an all girls school and everyday I am surrounded with comments like 'Oh I think I need to go ano' or "I'm so fat. I need to lose weight." and I am sick and tired of hearing girls say that. The way people throw around those words are quite hurtful, especially when they make comments at me like 'Wow you're like anorexic! How did you do it?'

School is such a toxic environment for recovery, and so is the media. Which is why I never watch TV anymore and haven't picked up a trash magazine in months. I'm trying my hardest to accept my body and love my image, but right now I think ED is just distorting my views on how I look. So I can't exactly post anything I love about myself at the moment =p But hopefully when I recover I can see the positive things about myself and be confident of myself.

You guys are such an inspiration ^^

After getting over a rape, I am re-learning the ways of self confidence... Of which I had not only 0, but negative reserves.

The way I see myself now? I might be overweight. I might have excess fat. But I carry it better than some, I have a nice waspy shape, plenty of muscle underneath and a large frame. I love my face, and my solid calf muscles.

I've found that because of my struggle in this regard, affirmations are good. Every week I put 7 sticky notes up in a place I will look every day or frequently. I write some little thing I like about myself every day on a sticky note, I guess in a way I've reprogrammed my brain.

For instance this week I've got something about how nice my skin actually is and how colorful my eyes are. The more I see and read them, the more confident I feel and I replace those old "Wow I'm so ugly" and "wow I'm so fat" with "wow, my eyes are bursting with color! and wow! My skin IS smooth!"

It works! really! :D

List me in the "happy with herself" column.

I've always seen my flaws as projects, not as evils. I also recognize that I lucked out genetically...assuming that I continue to elude cancer and diabetes.

i sooo agree with everyone here.

ive just recovered an ED and feel great something i've regained from it is my confidence back, but now it's a stronger sense of self than it ever has been! im 1 kilo over what my doc said i should aim for, that would usually freak me out but so what!

i love my body i used to be a stick, i'e started weights and noticed i have muscles, sexy legs (btw they're meant to be thick, ladies), BOOBS, curves, things that most grls loath,  now have a layer of fat im proud of!

perfect is a flaw in itself

Six months ago I would have said I hated the way I look.  Now that I've lost some weight I know that I'm looking good.  Not "hot", but really, really good.  So I'm happy.  There are a lot of posts about people whining about their shapes or sizes.  I usually just skip over that particular post because they bore me more than anything.  I've got better things to do than to read that nonsense.

I liked my body when I was a size 20...40 lbs. later and a size 14/16, I LOVE my body.  When I get to my first goal weight of 150 lbs, I'll still love my body.  I'm not conceited, but I have to say, I really don't think, even as a teenager in HS, that I let my weight affect me.  And...lol, I also feel like I have more than what's on the outside to offer, and if other's judge me from what I look like, they're missing out.

I love just about everything about my body and have for as long as I can remember. It wastes too much energy to hate oneself.