Every Body is Beautiful

Bodies come in all shapes, sizes, skin types and tones, and with different physical abilities. Every body truly is unique. Yet, our world—especially the media—tends to diminish this body diversity and instill in many of us a narrow definition of beauty, making it hard to develop a positive relationship with our bodies.

We interviewed a group of NOLA girls and women about their bodies. How do they feel about their bodies?

What do they love, what did they need to learn to love, what parts are they still struggling with?

Do they feel pressure to look a certain way? Lastly, we asked them for ideas and advice on how we can learn to accept and love our bodies.

Here is part one of their perspectives, reflections, stories, and tips! There’ll be more in the next issue of Geaux Girl!

“I definitely feel better about my body now that I understand how my body (and bodies in general) works compared to when I was a teenager. That was such a scary, confusing time and I didn’t understand any of it outside of what I read in Seventeen magazine.”

“I had to learn to love the chunky, curvy parts of myself. My boobs were a hard sell as well; they just make my back hurt sometimes. My stomach and I have always had a love-hate relationship, but I decided three years ago to make a lifestyle change to break that cycle. I started stretching, being active, eating better foods and drinking lots of water. I also improved the way I talked to myself and about myself. Changing my habits changed my mind!”

“I love my body in its natural state, especially when I first wake up in the morning. I try to pay more attention to how I feel inside.”

“I felt a lot of pressure from my family to look a certain way and from the outside world based on what I saw on TV or what the kids around me were saying. I was very chubby and I’ve always been super short so it was hard to not worry about my weight when my body type wasn’t the ‘norm’ around me at the time.”

“I love my collar bones because they have a natural highlight when I’m outdoors. I love my smile and my cheeks because they’re both super big and bright (my cheeks turn bright red when I blush). I love my legs and back the most because they’re super strong and muscular from dancing.”

Advice:

“Using affirmations daily—such as I am healthy, I feel amazing, I feed my body good things and great things happen, I love my rolls, my folds, my curves, my tummy, and my legs—is a game changer.”

“I used to feel pressure from myself to look emaciated or extremely thin. Sometimes I still feel pressure from the people at my school to look strong but thin.”

“I love how my body does everything it can to keep me alive and not get hurt. I love that despite anything I do to my body, it will always be there to keep me healthy. Some days I hate my body, but I still need to treat it with care.

Advice:

“I remind myself of the things my body does that I’m grateful for and try to feel really connected with my body, instead of focusing on what I think and want to change about myself. It takes time and patience. Some days you won’t like your body, and that’s okay. Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t always love the way you are.”

“My feelings towards my body change often depending on bloating and the clothes I wear. I would say that I feel more positive than negative about my body, but I’m struggling to love my body fully because there are things I would want to fix about every part of my body.”

 “Because of social media I feel like I should have a tiny waist, flat stomach, no hip dips, a defined face, thigh gap, bubble butt, and skinny arms. I had to learn to accept what I’ve been given and make the most of it.”

 “I love that my body is pear shaped.”

Advice:

“Pick the best part of your body and focus on it until you love it unconditionally, then move on to another part until your whole body is fully loved.”

“I feel happy and grateful to be journeying through life in my body. I love how my body moves and feels. I love that it grew and birthed my two children. I love how strong and resilient it is and how it heals. I love that it allows me to experience the countless miracles and adventures of my life.”

“I love and appreciate my body so much more now than I did when I was a teenage girl. When I was younger, I compared myself to everyone in movies and magazines and felt pretty awful that I didn’t look like the one or two body types the media showed at the time. I only loved my body when it looked closer to those images. As I got older, I started to love my body when it did what I wanted it to do, whether that was hiking to a mountaintop or lifting a heavy suitcase.”

 “Sometimes it can still be a struggle to love my body unconditionally, but in those moments I remind myself that my body is miraculous and deserving of my love as it is, in every moment, simply because it is my one, sacred body.”
“Yoga has really helped me be present with and accepting of my body. The only thing that matters in yoga is YOU; there’s no one to beat, no winners or losers, no one to compare yourself to. It’s just listening to and respecting where your body is in that moment.”

Advice:

“Throw out your fashion and celebrity magazines and stop looking at social media. Seriously. All those images you’re seeing are make-believe. Move your body and feel how good it feels to be in your body. Find something to celebrate about your body every day; it could be the way your heart beats or your lungs breathe every second of every day, the way your legs carry you, or the miracle (yes, miracle!) of your monthly menstrual cycle. Find something about your body to be in awe of—there are so many things! Never forget that you are a miracle, and surround yourself with people who appreciate how amazing you are.”

“I’m short, and because of it, people take me less seriously. I have gotten used to it though over time, and I am now more confident about the height that I am. I also sometimes feel insecure about my thick eyebrows and my crooked jack-o-lantern teeth, but those are things I can fix.”

 “I have become more confident in my body thanks to my supportive friends and family.”

 “I sometimes feel pressure to grow taller because people bring up my height all the time, but my height isn’t really that easy to change; it may be for people who produce more growth hormone. I’ve gotten over it for now.”

 “I love my freckles. Some people use makeup to draw on fake freckles, so I’m glad to have natural ones.”

 “This is my body that I was born with, and I’m not going to be plastic to change it.”

Advice:

“Accept who you are, everyone else is taken. Looks do not define you.”

“Learning to love yourself and your body is a life journey, so I am always discovering new ways to love it a bit more each day. My struggles are not tied to my own perception, but to me navigating a fatphobic society. It can be difficult, especially as a Black, queer woman, to remain confident when so much of your perceived ‘worth’ is oppressively linked to white supremacist beauty standards.”

 “As a teenage girl, I struggled with my body and my height. I was the tallest 13-year-old in my neighborhood at 5’10. I often made myself small in spaces because I felt I didn’t deserve to take up space. I even struggled with my femininity because my height and size were not what I saw as beautiful or graceful. These feelings were only strengthened by growing up without women who looked like me being shown to exist, not to mention celebrated. It wasn’t until college that I realized my grace and undeniable presence. When I walked into rooms, I did turn heads. So, I decided I would own every space I ever walked into, loving my entire 6’0 (6’4 with the fro) frame.”

“When I think of my body and the feelings I have about it, a quote by Upile Chisala always comes to mind: ‘I am dripping melanin and honey.’ I feel right in my body. It feels like warmth and healing.”

 “I love everything about my body! I love that my hair reaches up to my ancestors. I love my long legs, which pound the pavement as I explore new places and march for my community. I love my size and the love and warmth it gives when hugging my loved ones. I love my body because it keeps me healthy.”

Advice:

“I take the extra time to make sure I look good, and I love to adorn myself with probably not-needed clothing items! I practice yoga as a way to show my body love and care. My advice is to always shower yourself in adoration. Speak affirmations of love to yourself in the mirror. Write love notes to yourself and read them whenever you’re not feeling certain of yourself.”

“I usually don’t feel good about my body. I’m constantly comparing myself to others and feeling like it is never good enough. Sometimes I feel like I’m the worst looking person and there’s no way anybody could ever love me.”

 “I feel like the people I’m around all the time look so much better than me, that I don’t fit the ‘ideal’ body type. They’re so much skinnier and give off the hot girl summer vibes, something I feel like I could never accomplish.”

 “I like that my body is healthy and well taken care of. I make sure I eat properly and exercise.”

Advice:

“Giving yourself a self-confidence talk and discussing your issues with your friends can help. They are there as a support system. Finally, maybe just take a nice look in the mirror and realize how beautiful you are without thinking about others around you.”

“I feel fortunate to have the body I have! It has remained strong despite a long history of injuries and broken bones.”

“My view of my body changed dramatically when I was 15. From ages 13-15, I focused a lot on the ways I wished my body was different (I wanted to be taller, more well-developed and more muscular). At 15, I broke my femur and the injury changed my life. There were lots of complications, surgeries, and repeated hospitalizations. Because of an infection after one of the surgeries, I almost died. When I returned to high school after missing my entire junior year, I was way too skinny and my hair had thinned considerably. I was definitely self-conscious about how I looked. I was also super proud that I could walk and be with my friends. Feeling both of these things at the same time has taught me a lot.”

“I love that I have strong shoulders. They helped me become a good swimmer and achieve a big personal goal when I completed the Alcatraz open water
swim in my 30s.”

 “I used to be very embarrassed about the scars I have on my leg. Now I realize that those scars tell an important part of my story. They are also a reminder to be grateful for what my body can do.”

Advice:

“I think it is completely normal to feel critical of your own body at times. I will say that sitting in front of a mirror for too long never makes me feel better! I think of my mom’s advice—she had no patience for vanity—and allow myself only a little bit of time to have a pity party about something I don’t like. Then I get up and move on. Finding ways to use my body and to challenge myself is the best way I know to appreciate and love what I have.”

“I feel good about my body generally, but I feel pressure when I do not fit into a crowd and feel like I’m not meeting their standards.”

 “I love how my body shows my energy and style.”

 “I had to learn to love my hair, and I sometimes still struggle with it.”

Advice:

“You should love your body, from your shape to your face, you are beautiful.”