There are too many times while I've been in college when I have ripped apart a picture of myself. I would say things like: "Wow, my thighs look huge," "Could my arms get any flabbier?" or "Is my face really that chubby?"
I'm 4-foot-11 with the body type of a gymnast and let me tell you, it still hasn't gotten any easier finding jeans that fit right. But that doesn't mean I should bash on myself for the way I look. I should embrace it, but that's definitely easier said than done.
When you look at an image of someone who has a high metabolism you instantly envy them and call them cruel things. Don't act like you haven't, none of us are innocent. It's not their fault that they ended up one of the lucky ones. Wait, I just said they were the lucky ones. WE are all lucky ones.
Do you remember when a size 4–6 was "skinny"? Now the new skinny is size 0 or XXXXXS. I've caught myself thinking, "why can't we all be that small?" I mean you can be if you choose to eliminate everything your body needs to run.
We as women need to embrace how we were blessed with curves because let's be honest, we look GREAT in bikinis. And now you're probably checking yourself out in the mirror. It's okay, I did too.
Who here loves Melissa McCarthy? Movies wouldn't be the same without her. But the question that sticks out to me the most is, would she be famous if she didn't carry the weight she does? The answer in my mind is no. I look up to her because she does play a certain role in movies or TV shows that make her stand out from the rest but she does it so well. She is confident in herself and can literally make you laugh your butt off for hours.
According to the Huffington Post, Melissa McCarthy herself has thought about her weight and this is what she says about it:
"I've been every size in the world," she says. "Parts of my 20s, I was in great shape, but I didn't appreciate it. If I was a 6 or an 8, I thought, why aren't I a 2 or a 4?
"I bought into it; I should be taller, thinner, have better hair. But I think that's part of being young," the now 42-year-old star continues. "Now, especially with kids, you lose any sense of time or energy to worry about all the little stuff."
Let's take her success and think long and hard about what really matters in life. If you spend so much time dwelling that you aren't skinny enough, you're going to miss out on the fun stuff. Curves, my friend, are a great thing. I asked 10 people what they thought about a woman's body, whether they would rather have a stick or a girl with curves: 8 out of the 10 said CURVES. So rock it. Don't be discouraged with the way your body is, work out if you aren't satisfied.
But as women, we must be empowering. By being confident in ourselves that shows that we aren't ashamed. Take this little article and make something of yourself. Maybe make a to-do list every morning, but don't ever forget to embrace your curves.
