Goodbye, Body Shaming. Hello, Body Positivity!
Okay, I’m being super vulnerable this week! Just gotta get that disclaimer out of the way.
Do you really truly love yourself? Every inch of your body? Even the acne scars? Even the pimples? Every curve? Your feet? Your hands? Your lips? Your chin? Your butt? Your stomach? ALLADAT!!!! I’m going to be real with y’all. Sometimes I DON’T! I go through really hard phases where I’m over it BUT I’m learning to love my body in all stages. This is why I’m writing to you today!
I often beat myself up about my weight and my face. I get on the scale every time I use the restroom. (I recently hid the scale from myself) Sometimes, I cry in my closet because I feel fat and hate the way I look in clothes. I go back and look at pictures of myself in high school when I THOUGHT I was fat. Whew, chile! Then I would look at 2016 pictures when I was at my goal size AND I WEEP. WHYYYYYY? Why do I do this to myself? I have no idea. I don’t know if the way the world is set up has allowed me to think I am supposed to look a certain way or what.
Backstory, in graduate school I was at my highest weight, EVER. On TOP of that I had a huge face breakout due to a bad makeup product; then made it WORSE by covering it up with more makeup. So I’ve been through it and I never want to relive that again. BUT here I am in the year of COVID 19 reliving it. I feel like I was doing so much better until this past month. It’s like after the wedding my body was like hold on let’s wild out real quick. SMH!!! I let the enemy win. BUT NOT NO MO’!
I’m tired of talking bad about myself. My husband tired of me talking bad about myself. My friends are tired of me talking bad about myself. SO if errrbody tired, then it’s time to change!
Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.
Proverbs 4:23 GNT
The truth is right now my body is surviving a pandemic. I’ve gained weight and my face has broken out ONCE AGAIN but I’m alive. Each day I am educating myself on how to nurture my body to be healthy and whole. We have to be gentle with ourselves. Sooo, I’ve started Whole 30 to give my body a reset and to learn what I can and cannot have. (Shoutout to Ashley, because she came right on time when she said she was doing Whole 30 for the month of August). I have given up a weight goal and decided to focus on having a healthy relationship with myself.
I want to get back to taking pictures and selfies as my body is now! Can you believe, I won’t take a picture now because I just hate the way I look. OR OR OR I will take the picture but point out all the flaws and reasons it doesn't need to be posted. That stops today!
Why are you dumping this on us, Ebony? I’m sharing this with you all because if you have had moments like me, I want you to give yourself some grace. Our bodies are the bodies God gave us. Our body is our temple and we must love it at all stages. I am going to start embracing my body. I am going to start loving my face. I got through acne and dark spots once before and I can do it again.
Remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God designed each of us to represent Him. We must learn to love and nurture our bodies properly so we can do the good works! You are not in this fight alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your loved ones to express how you’ve been feeling. Don’t be afraid to cry out to God. Don’t be afraid to look in the mirror and say “Girl, You are BOMB!” Starting today I want to encourage you all AND myself to focus on what your body can do, not what it cannot! ANDDD give yourself some freaking grace.
What are some things you do to stay positive about your body image? Drop them in the comments.
Love Y’all!
Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made!
If you are struggling with body shaming yourself like me here are some affirmations I decided to start speaking over myself.
I am beautiful, strong, and enough.
My weight does not define me.
My body deserves love and respect.
I love my body as it is today.
I am confident and secure.
Others' opinions of my body don’t matter.
I am God’s masterpiece.
Here are some helpful websites to help with learning to love your body!
Scriptures to meditate on
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
Psalm 139:13-17
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Book Recommendations
These are books that others have shared with me that helped them change their perspective on body image.
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