Body Image

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  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    I dislike the idea that we are supposed to care what "society" thinks about what we look like. I like what I look like and so does my husband. Other than that, I don't care what other people think. I'm happy with myself and love myself. You gotta learn to love you for you.
  • FreedomFitnessPal
    FreedomFitnessPal Posts: 1
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    Its only a body issue if you consider it one! if you feel as though your body is not what "society" likes... Your lost as an individual! Go find yourself... Its similar to not having money, being a man your taught a female doesn't want a "broke" man. A man that cares about it will work on getting the money to please a female but then what?! If you want a nice body You can create it believe me! I am a CPT I have molded clients into great shapes. Never try and be like everyone else become THE BEST YOU! of course you have to work on it! What in life you don't have to work for???? ... Ill wait!
  • greentart
    greentart Posts: 411 Member
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    My friend is in the same boat as you. She's part Mexican, part white. The Mexican culture tells her that she's too skinny, but the white tells her that she's not skinny enough.

    You're not alone.

    That being said, I have my own body image issues that all have to do with my head. I'm not comfortable in my own skin and have an unhealthy relationship with food. I've admitted this, but I have no idea how to actually change it. The relationship that I have with my body is troublesome and annoying and shouldn't exist in the first place. Yet, here I am anyways.

    I agree with the other posters. You're beautiful, and the first step of accepting and loving yourself is not giving a DAMN about what other people 'THINK' your body should look like.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Let’s calm it down people. I am not worried about what others think. Everyone strives towards what body they like or want to be like. To sit here and act like you are 100% loving yourself/body is a down right lie. If that was the case none of us would be here on this site counting calories.
  • funfang
    funfang Posts: 200 Member
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    I hear you, I came to the US when I was 19, 5'7 and 110 lbs, when I was in Taiwan, people would tell me I could lose more weight in order to be "more" beautiful. Somehow Asians ( well, most of them) think the skinnier the better. Growing up boys often made fun of me having a "big" butt. Then when I got here, my friends especially my Latino friends would joke with me and said" butt, what butt? you have NO butt" People would say I had no curve.

    I gained so much weight after I came to the US, in fact, I gained 30 lbs in 3 months, even everyone here said I looked fine, but I hated how I look. I tried almost every kind diet/weight lost program, I lost weight, then I gain weight then I lost weight, then I got sick... anyway, after 8 years, I finally lost most the weight by being more active and watched what I ate.

    Now, I want to lift weights and build muscles. My Asian friends start telling me women with muscles look scary...

    Well, everyone has his/her own opinion. I learned to ignored them most the time. I learned to like myself more. Yes I don't have that nice rounded J-Lo like butt, but I have a good height. I don't have a big chest ( in fact my is flat ;-P) but I have nice looking collar bones. I guess we all have body image issue to certain degree. I learned to like what I have and work on what I want. Also pick the right cloths help too :-P
  • gmdaniel
    gmdaniel Posts: 44 Member
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    Be proud of who you are. We are all uniquely and wonderfully made. I have never wanted to look like anyone else, why would I?

    When you are confident in who you are then you don't mull over or covet others.

    Stand tall and embrace you. You were born to be who you are....

    Embrace your own uniqueness....
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
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    Very well said by the poster above^^.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    Let’s calm it down people. I am not worried about what others think. Everyone strives towards what body they like or want to be like. To sit here and act like you are 100% loving yourself/body is a down right lie. If that was the case none of us would be here on this site counting calories.

    I only count calories because I have OCD.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
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    Us woman cannot win. Our body images are all over the place or at least mine is. I am mixed. I am Mexican and White. So in the Mexican culture I am too skinny/not enough meat and curves. Then on the white side I am on the thick/borderline chunky side. So I have nonstop body image issue’s. I think almost allllll woman do. I think the skinny girls are starting to feel a bit of out pain with this new pop culture trend of having a “fat A**” . When I heard/saw the video Anaconda I thought to myself “oh great something to add to my list”!!

    This makes me wonder – do others have my same issue? Are you a mixed race and notice a huge body image difference? Also, Men - do you have body image issues or are the woman alone in this matter? What is your body image issue?

    I'm mixed Mexican and white also and I have no problem with feeling like I don't fit in a certain body image stereotype.

    That's probably more an issue related to your personality than your race.
  • Kaelakcr
    Kaelakcr Posts: 505 Member
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    I think people are being pretty rude to you, when you were just looking for some similar experiences. A lot of people have body image issues. Many, many women (in particular, but men as well) have eating disorders because they hate their bodies. I've been there. I live there. It doesn't seem to matter if you have a pretty face or not; if you are disgusted or ashamed of your body, that feeling doesn't just "go away".

    Now, what do you do about it?

    Start an affirmations journal. Pick 3-5 statements that you WANT to be true. Things like "I love the way my body looks." or "I think my butt looks good as it is." You write each statement 10+ times, 5 times or so a day. Whenever the nasty thoughts start to come at you, just start writing your affirmations. They're really helpful. There's scientific basis behind the idea; your brain is programmable, and you can "re-wire" your feelings on a subject by hearing, writing, and seeing it enough times.

    Hope this helps, and you can always talk to me!
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
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    I think people are being pretty rude to you, when you were just looking for some similar experiences. A lot of people have body image issues. Many, many women (in particular, but men as well) have eating disorders because they hate their bodies. I've been there. I live there. It doesn't seem to matter if you have a pretty face or not; if you are disgusted or ashamed of your body, that feeling doesn't just "go away".

    Now, what do you do about it?

    Start an affirmations journal. Pick 3-5 statements that you WANT to be true. Things like "I love the way my body looks." or "I think my butt looks good as it is." You write each statement 10+ times, 5 times or so a day. Whenever the nasty thoughts start to come at you, just start writing your affirmations. They're really helpful. There's scientific basis behind the idea; your brain is programmable, and you can "re-wire" your feelings on a subject by hearing, writing, and seeing it enough times.

    Hope this helps, and you can always talk to me!

    Actually, the OP was wondering if her experience is typical. She said:
    Us woman cannot win. Our body images are all over the place or at least mine is....

    This makes me wonder – do others have my same issue?...

    Nothing in that suggests that she just wants similar stories.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Let’s calm it down people. I am not worried about what others think. Everyone strives towards what body they like or want to be like. To sit here and act like you are 100% loving yourself/body is a down right lie. If that was the case none of us would be here on this site counting calories.

    sorry, I am happy with myself and my body. I am on this site counting calories because I have trouble keeping weight on and need to make sure I take in enough calories to do that.
    Loving yourself as a person shouldn't have that much to do with your body. Of course I like to look good but who I am as a person has more to do with how I treat the people around me and how I act in general. When you get to the end of your life are you going to look back and say, "I wish I'd had more money" or "I wish I'd had a supermodel body"? Or are you going to think about the person you were and the family and friends that you had?
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Us woman cannot win. Our body images are all over the place or at least mine is. I am mixed. I am Mexican and White. So in the Mexican culture I am too skinny/not enough meat and curves. Then on the white side I am on the thick/borderline chunky side. So I have nonstop body image issue’s. I think almost allllll woman do. I think the skinny girls are starting to feel a bit of out pain with this new pop culture trend of having a “fat A**” . When I heard/saw the video Anaconda I thought to myself “oh great something to add to my list”!!

    This makes me wonder – do others have my same issue? Are you a mixed race and notice a huge body image difference? Also, Men - do you have body image issues or are the woman alone in this matter? What is your body image issue?

    I'm Mexican and white. I never had any issues with body image. Fat, I owned it. Fit, I owned that too.

    I've had very few comments made about my bodyshape at all stages (pregnancy excluded), and I think it largely has to do with how I present it. I dress well for my body type, and I walk tall and confident. Even the rare negative comments I've received have had nothing to do with with my ethnicity.

    The only problems I had with being mixed occurred in junior high, and it was more of a cultural issue than anything else.
  • stackhsc
    stackhsc Posts: 439 Member
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    Let’s calm it down people. I am not worried about what others think. Everyone strives towards what body they like or want to be like. To sit here and act like you are 100% loving yourself/body is a down right lie. If that was the case none of us would be here on this site counting calories.

    you got it. it really is all about how you perceive yourself. Confidence is what it comes down to IMO and as you get more and more near your personal goal your confidence will improve. It took me two years to adjust to and accept the new me, still sometimes the old insecurities sneak in.

    All that said, while i know what others say doesn't change your self perception easily, you look amazing
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Lol wut? :huh: :huh:

    Race has nothing to do with my goals, and I am a mixed woman.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    I just don't care enough... I am a Burly Mountain Woman (BMW) to the core... I will never be thin enough to please society... so as long as I'm strong and healthy idgaf.
  • fnappi424
    fnappi424 Posts: 1
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    I'm not mixed, but I'm 100% Italian and have a large bum (but a good one 'cuz I do my squats). I have always had body image issues coming from a culture that loves food and a family that is constantly comparing themselves, not being able to wear all the "trendy" clothes. Anyway, I struggle all day and every day because I am short, curvy, long legs, short waste... I can't wear all of these high wasted shorts/crop tops because it would be too promiscuous looking for my body type! I am focusing on loving my body on a daily basis by providing it with proper nutrition and strength training mixed with some cardio. I'm 5'2 and weight almost 150 lbs, but I'm only a size 8 jeans (bc of the booty) and a S/M top... not sure where I'm going with this. I guess my point is STRENGH training is where is it as because you get to EAT and accentuate your curves!! Strong is the new sexy... !
  • stackhsc
    stackhsc Posts: 439 Member
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    Lol wut? :huh: :huh:

    Race has nothing to do with my goals, and I am a mixed woman.

    id suggest shes saying that the different main stream body images projected by society and media are different depending on what side of her family/friends are talking to her. One side telling her shes too skinny, the other too fat.

    Just what i am reading between the lines
  • Kaelakcr
    Kaelakcr Posts: 505 Member
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    Lol wut? :huh: :huh:

    Race has nothing to do with my goals, and I am a mixed woman.

    id suggest shes saying that the different main stream body images projected by society and media are different depending on what side of her family/friends are talking to her. One side telling her shes too skinny, the other too fat.

    Just what i am reading between the lines

    ^^^^ This is what I'm getting, too.

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