It is sexy to sound triumphant and flawless, so I wish I could say that I do not have insecurities. If I say "I never struggle with negative body image," then maybe you would think I am a cool, worth admiring, and a rare species immune to human flaws.

But then I also wish to tell you the truth: I have struggled plenty, and still struggle to this day. Although I have never suffered from an eating disorder like bulimia or anorexia, I have had moments when I find myself so overwhelmed and stressed that I only coped with eating lots of food. This included pastries and more pastries.

There is not a fashionable way of saying I got fat so here it is: In 18 months, I gained 95 pounds. I went from weighing 150 to 245 pounds (yeah, it seems like a lot, and it is a lot). I am in the process of losing weight and becoming healthier and, most importantly, loving myself by rocking my confidence in who I am and my looks.

Right at this moment, I am down to 225 (down 20 pounds). I feel great. I am starting to increase my stamina when I run, and I feel more energetic because of the better foods that I am eating now. My go-to snack is bananas now, instead of cake. I have replaced white rice with cauliflower rice. I am going full-steam ahead with healthy eating, and it feels great.

However, this wasn't always so shiny, and it took a lot of frustration and understanding to get to where I am today. Because of my rapid weight gain, there were times where I was unkind to myself. Sometimes I did not want to go into a store because I thought my stomach, arms or thighs were too big to be seen by other people that I thought were in better shape than I was. It was a terrible thing to think about myself.

But I got tired of paying attention to what people think of me and my weight. I noticed this unkindness and felt that I deserved better treatment from myself. I needed to put on my clothes, regardless of the size, go out the door and not care about how people saw me. "Screw it," I said. "I will embrace myself."

I still care. I have not stopped it entirely because as humans, we always compare ourselves. I am only human.

However, my dad passed away when I was six years old due to complications that come with obesity. I remind myself that I am on a journey to lose weight not because I want to have an easier time shopping in malls and their dressing rooms, but because I want to be here and I want to be able to run and do other exercises that require energy and make me feel alive.

So yeah, I am on the journey to a healthier, happier self, and I will inform you on how that progresses. But for now, I will share some things I have learned about unconditionally loving my body and rocking my flaws.

Here are five tips for a positive (or at least more favorable) body image.

1. If you exercise, do it because you want to be healthy, not because you want to lose weight

This goes back to what I mentioned about feeling the energy. It is a fantastic experience to sweat, being overtaken by adrenaline as your brain gets in this all-or-nothing mode, and feeling your blood flow. I try to work out because of this feeling. Working out because it will burn 100, 300, or 600 calories makes you want to hate the machines or the pavement you run on, or the weighs you lift. I run, and I measure my progress, not in calories burnt to lose weight, but in miles and time, to get better at running — not better at losing weight (which will probably come as a side effect of getting good at exercising, anyways.)

2. The best diet is a healthy dose of confidence

We always compare ourselves. When we do, we only highlight the "good" qualities of those who we want to be more like and highlight those qualities of us we like the least. Turn it around. Know that everyone struggles with insecurities. Insecurities are relative, so they are not innately good or bad. You are the one who has the power to assign meaning to what you see. Be proud of your whole body, and be extra happy about your "best" qualities. Confidence is sexy. People who wear confidence can "pull-off" so many things. What you may think is an ugly hairstyle can look amazing on a person if they believe it seems right and shows it as such. You go ahead and wear confidence, too.

3. You don't need the attention or approval of others to feel good about yourself

We know Justin Bieber is a person who has many followers and fans that like him. But not everyone will approve of Justin Bieber's looks, personality, music or lifestyle. That is okay. That does not get in the way of Justin Bieber being himself, for better or worse. Like Justin Bieber, we have people who admire us and others who only judge us, negatively. That should not get in the way of us being ourselves. We should, regardless of how others see us, do the things that make us happy and whole. Not everyone will like you and celebrate your accomplishments. Just keep going. Give those people hell. Be proud and lift your chin up. There are a lot of other things to remind you of how great you are. Haters are not it. Be your own cheerleader and be kind to yourself.

4. There is so much more to life than the way you look

The way we look is the tip of the iceberg. Each of us is a treasure of experiences that make us unique. If someone who we want to impress does not see the beauty of us, and inside of us, then they are a waste of time. Look at this Yoda dancing. He has no time to think about looks when he can have a good time busting moves.

5. Don't hide your insecurities. Speak your insecurities. Share with others and connect!

Confidence starts with being proud and unapologetic. Others don't get to tell you who you are. You do. Only you know what it takes to be you and live your life. So what if you have insecurities? That is okay. Own it. It is empowering.

I will leave you with a quote that is worth pondering:

How can I be expansive and free and still be loved? Am I going to be a lady or am I going to be fully human? Do I trust the unfolding and continue to grow, or do I shut all of this down so I fit? — Glennon Doyle