black pencil skirt (Banana Republic via Clothes Mentor, $15)
print top (Ali & Kris via PayHalf, $15)
white tank (Worthington @ JCP, $7 after coupon)
pink pumps (Madden Girl "Sursey" via Plato's Closet, $12) similar
Today is Love Your Body Day 2011! I can't wait to read all the posts on this subject. Check 'em out over at Two Eyes in the Mirror.
Why do you love your body? I love my body because it can sing, dance, speak, write, love and much more.
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| Karaoke. Don't judge. |
I love my body because it's the only one I've got and I'd rather spend my life exploring and appreciating what it can do, then wasting time hating it and wishing it were different. Loving your body is a constant struggle for some, myself included. There are little things that I do, some on a daily basis, that help me in this process of self/body acceptance.
1. I try to avoid making disparaging comments about my body, out-loud at least.
2. I read. Some of my favorite books are The Fat Girls Guide to Life by Wendy Shanker, Appetites by Caroline Knapp (although I remember being frustrated by parts of this book), Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver, FAT!SO? by Marilyn Wann, and Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere by Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby.
3. When I look in the mirror and I have negative thoughts about my un-perfect body, I ask myself "why does my body need to be perfect, anyway?" I usually can't come up with an answer.
4. I dress my body in a way that makes me feel confident and proud.
5. I challenge my body. I take dance classes regularly, I try new machines and weights at the gym (like the bench press - I can lift the bar!), I did tae-bo for a good year and a half, I've taken yoga classes, my cousin even tried to teach me gymnastics when I was younger! (She was not successful.)
6. I don't weigh myself. Ever. The only reason I own a scale is because the BF wanted one. When I go to the Dr., I either request that they do not tell me the number or I refuse to be weighed. I've realized that once I put a number on my body, I will obsess about that number, in a negative way. And it's not important.
Sometimes I think that having an un-perfect body can be an advantage to me. I've learned to dress a body with lumps and bumps in a flattering way - I think that would serve me well in working with other women, if I get the chance to take a stab at the personal styling business.
And along these body-loving lines, stand up for your body and do not let anyone else treat it badly. Know the signs of domestic violence. Also, look out for warning signs that someone else is experiencing domestic abuse.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.1 in 3 families are affected by domestic violence. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors - physical, sexual, psychological, and economic coercion - used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. Batterers use of a range of tactics to frighten, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure, and sometimes kill a current or former intimate partner.
If you are in danger, please call 911, your local hotline, or (in the US) the National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 or TTY (800) 787-3224.
