Body Confidence, or lack thereof
Body confidence, Self-esteem July 14th, 2007I don’t think I’ve ever been body confident. I could critique every part of my body to the moon and back without ever pausing for breath. I’d have a hard time identifying the second-most-critiqued body part, but number one would be my belly.
Among the maligned parts are my arms, which I have kept covered almost all my life. No strapless dresses - not for me, tank tops - nope. But this year I’ve gotten bolder, even though my arms are still the same. I wore a strapless gown for the big bash before our wedding, and my wedding dress was strapless as well. And while my arms are not svelte and toned, they don’t look all that bad in photos, so I assume they don’t look all that bad in reality.
Today on my walk I was wearing a sweater over a tank top. This is a fairly common outfit for me, with the tank or camisole peeking out in front but the arms carefully covered. But it was warmer out than I realized, and after 5 minutes of sweating I decided to take off the sweater despite my arms. It was more practical, more comfortable, and no one arrested me.
And my arms are good actually. They are capable of so much, allowing me to carry, draw, type, cook, create, garden, touch and feel.
July 14th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Im definately the same way! I dont like showing my arms at all. When I was about 200 lbs and below I didnt mind as much but now I opt for T’s in the summer. I like your view point.. our arms are good. Im glad to have them.
July 15th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Loved your comments - I boldly took off my sweater one day due to the heat and managed to actually not drop dead from embarrassment! Yes, body parts are a necessity - despite what you’d like them to look like…
Thanks for bringing it back to reality.
xo
July 15th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
This body confidence issue is maybe my #1 issue, more than my weight. I am trying hard to focus on the positive and change my inner talk, and to change my behavior. I have a long way to go, but I am taking baby steps. Ending the post on a positive - what my body is capable of is big progress for me, something I had to force - but something that made me feel so much better.
Thanks for your comments, it helps to know that I’m not alone, although it makes me sad to think that others suffer from the same negativity.