Dear body image

Body image
Two little words but one huge issue in today’s society
We are sold the idea of body perfection via the soul crushing outlets of media.
Where ever you turn you see tiny size 0 models posing on billboards or even David Beckham in the infamous tightie whities.
This image isn’t a realistic portrait of healthy body image.

When we see these images it stirs something inside us.

Why don’t I look like that?
Why do my thighs touch?

What we don’t realise is that its not a change of image we need. Instead we need to change our attitudes towards our bodies.
Look in the mirror and say I am perfect how I am.

As a girl a suffered from anorexia.
At my lowest I weighed 4 stone.
But I didn’t have half as many pressures on me as there are today.
At the time there was no such things as pro ana websites.
Which are so scary, I can’t even tell you.

I just had my 3rd baby.
He is now 4 months old.
I am stressing that I haven’t lost my baby weight yet.
I am still wearing elastic waisted trousers.
But why am I stressing?
We are sold the illusion that because celebrities can lose the weights within a matter of weeks… That anyone can
Sure if you have the money, the personal trainer and nanny to watch your baby.
But in reality its not that simple
Its not so cut and dry.
And yet so many young mums are desperate to fit back in their pre pregnancy jeans by any means necessary.

I am under the thought that my kids come first.
I know a lot of women agree with me

But my brain is a funny thing
That voice in head telling me when I look in the mirror that I look fat is lurking its ugly head.
Telling me I need to lose weight…at least 2 stone it says
Look at your thighs touching..how gross
Look at you, you are a disgrace.

You can never fully erase something as powerful as anorexia
There is always a spot for it to live.
Waiting to catch you at a vulnerable moment.
Knowing that you will give in if it uses cruel jibes.

But we mustn’t let it creep its way back in.
It is a fast working disease.
Starting small.
Building bigger and consuming more of you as it goes.
Destroying not only you, but those around you.

What we need to do is not give in to the image of so called body perfection

Look at the above image
Powerful isn’t it.
Look at all the beautiful women.
Size doesn’t matter.
Every size is beautiful
You are how god made you.
If god loves us, then why can’t we love ourselves?

We need to look in the mirror and say ‘gosh I look great today’
Its hard
Boy do I know its hard
This is something I am writing because its a reminder to me also

I also want to instill a positive body in my girls.
If they see me stressing and picking over food and counting calories, don’t you think it will rub off on them?
Mummy doing this, so I should too?
I can’t imagine passing this down to my girls.
So I hope to boost my own love for my own body.
So one day I can look in the mirror and actually like the girl looking back at me.
Instead of feeling shame and contempt for her.

Let’s start a body revolution
Let’s love our bodies
See them as perfect as they are
Beautiful