Women become their biggest enemies when they stand in front of a mirror.
They might have been the kindest soul all throughout the day, but when they get back home and glance at their own reflection, looking into the little details of their body — the uneven shape of the shoulders, the unexpected bulge in the belly, the flat bum — they become judgmental, insensitive, and critical. Then they ask a series of self-loathing questions:
“Why am I so fat?”
“How can I be as thin as Angelina Jolie?”
“Should I stop eating chocolates to get slim?”
Worse is when they start hating themselves for not having the “perfect” body. Most of these women do this, thinking they are being “body positive.” They closely observe fashion models and celebrities, read magazines, and watch a ton of videos to stay updated about the kind of body that’s trending and change their lifestyle to fit into the new standard. Those who are fat, for instance, become guilty of their bodies and take intensive measures to reduce their weight.
Are these women being body positive?
Being body positive is not about your weight.
Many women think that being body positive is attaining a shape of body that society thinks is hot, fit and attractive. They think, for instance, that working out to attain the size zero figure is being “body positive.”
They think that giving up chocolates and french fries is being body positive. Women who tend to think like this do so because this is all they have been hearing from media. They have seen movies where fat girls don’t get guys. They have watched ads which depict only slim women in good light.
This is all they have been seeing and hearing in movies, ads and songs.
But let’s not get carried away by the noise and glamour of Bollywood, Hollywood, fashion industry or advertising gimmicks, because they only tend to make us feel worse about ourselves. They don’t always talk the truth.
Image Source: Fitnessmoto
Being body positive is about self-acceptance.
Oprah Winfrey was also once influenced by this flawed idea of being body positive. She adopted intense diet and workout regime to get rid of all her fat, which, much to her surprise, she did.
She was happy initially when she saw her thinner self in the mirror and thought about her success in getting slim. She was showered with praises, handshakes and pat-on-the backs, and what not, for winning the battle of weight loss.
But that happiness was short-lived. She soon felt disconnected with her own self. That’s when it hit her — she was doing all this to not for herself but for the society.
Image Source: Sort Life Out Buy Milk
Being body positive is not about burning those extra calories to attain the perfect figure. It’s about accepting yourself the way you are and not sacrificing something you truly love just because the society wants you to. It’s about loving your body for all it’s perfections as well as imperfections.
Unlike what media portrays, being fat doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unhealthy. Some people are fat because of their body type, which is drastically different than the thinner people. You don’t have to sacrifice your love of pancakes or pastries just because you think you’re fat. The truth is that there is more to you than your weight.
Being body positive is about finding, connecting and accepting that authentic part of you with an open heart.