Love The Skin You’re In Tag

I don’t often do tags and awards, except on certain occasions, this being one of them. Anything for body positivity gets a thumbs up from me! Big thanks to Ella for sharing her post and nominating anyone and everyone, so I’ll do the same.

Rules

• Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog in your post
• Be truthful when answering the questions and don’t judge what other people have answered in their posts.
• If you want to add any questions to this tag related to body positivity feel free to.
• Try to nominate as many people as you can, if not everyone.

–  Questions  –

One feature you love about yourself?  My wrists, an odd pick I know!

One feature you wish/wished you could change that you are trying to accept or have accepted?  I’d always wanted to change a lot; my ‘thunder thighs’, fat knees, my nose, my teeth, my tummy, small boobs, stretch marks and cellulite. Now, I don’t know that I really want to change all of these things. Scars and stretch marks tell a story, cellulite is normal, I wasn’t blessed with teeth from an Oral B advert, my thighs are strong, my boobs are somewhat in proportion after I lost weight, and my tummy has been through a lot and deserves more respect.

Have you ever thought of getting surgery to change you imperfections? No, though I like the idea of a quick fix as most people do. I just don’t think it’s genuine or worth putting yourself through, and while you may change one ‘imperfection’, others are likely to come up. Surgery doesn’t resolve your feelings about yourself, it merely changes outer appearances.

One of your main role models for body positivity?  I don’t have a specific role model, but I have gained courage and inspiration from some wonderful guys and gals who strut their stuff in their undies and swimwear with an ostomy bag. I also admire plus size models who have been pivotal in helping transform advertising and the modern view of ‘beauty’.

Has a family member or friend ever put you down about your physical appearance? If so what for?   I remember things like “you’d be so pretty if you just lost a couple of pounds, not much, just a couple” when I was much younger, and I had comments through high school from bullies and the like, but that’s just part of life; realising that some people are hurtful and idiotic.

Something you love about your fashion sense or style?  It doesn’t require much effort, I just wear what I like or feel comfortable in that’s within budget, and I’m nothing if not a bargain shopper.

Why is your body a great place to be?  It has a second chance to live, and I owe it more respect, more care and more thanks for keeping going after what it’s been through.

Admittedly, I get frustrated by it. I’ve hated it. I’ve hated how it looks. That it doesn’t work like it used to. That it hurts, that I have to sit down a lot, but then have to stand up and move, that I feel so old sometimes as a result. But it keeps going. It deserves more love and respect, regardless of how I feel about it or how it looks. It’s me. Your body is you. There isn’t another one like you.

Are you body positive?  It’s not easy to learn to accept yourself, your size, your weight, how you look, and I’d be a liar and a hypocrite if I said I’m happy with myself. It’s a tough road, as those who have struggled with self-esteem, eating disorders, confidence etc will know. But I’m working on it, bit by bit, and learning at the same time to accept living with a bag too. It certainly changes the focus a little, from how you look to who you are, from how flabby your tummy is to the practicalities of coping with a bag. Nothing changes quickly and coming to the point of acceptance and even love towards yourself is hard, and it’s something to manage on a daily basis, but it is possible. Once you can appreciate the wonderful things your body does for you, you can stop beating yourself up about how you look and save all of that wasted energy for actually living your life.

I Tag…  Everyone who would like to take part and keep the cycle of body positivity going!