Bad Body Image. It's Not Worth It.

[FadedGrenade]

“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”
― Simone de Beauvoir

It wastes energy

Why are you insecure? Are you trying to push to attain a perfect state of being? Do you want to be faultless? People can never be this. When did having a flawless body and face become more important than learning to love the person you are inside?

You know the reason you're insecure? It's because you compare your worst moments to everyone else's best moments. You cannot compare your morning face with a photo taken by professional photographers of a model whose job is to look good that is face tuned and photoshopped. You cannot compare your normal person body to a Victoria's Secret Angel, who has been prodded and measured and picked out of thousands, who has dieted and worked out their entire life, who starves before the show and has a kilo of makeup on.

Don't compare your behind the scenes with others' highlights.

It's sad how insecurity can destroy a perfect relationship.

How beautiful would it be if we could just see souls instead of bodies? To see love and compassion instead of curves. Beauty shouldn’t be about changing yourself to achieve an ideal or be more socially acceptable. Real beauty is about honouring the beauty within you. It’s about knowing that someone else’s definition of pretty has no hold over you.

"Relationships fail because people take their own insecurities and try and twist them into their partner's flaws." -Taylor Barbee

Insecurity is loud. Very loud. It's an ugly thing. It makes you hate people for no good reason.

It causes one to put others down

An insecure person puts others down to bring themselves up. Wanting to be something different from what you are is hell. Being one way and wanting to be another, that's also called dying before you die. This negativity radiates to everyone around you.

It holds you back

It’s sad, how plastic and artificial life has become. It gets harder and harder to find something real. Real love, real friends, real body parts. Insecurity deforms and interprets other people's intentions to fit your own sad mind. Insecurities create lies in our mind that we believe, and it holds you back more than anything else. There is nothing more rare or beautiful, than a person being comfortable in their perfect imperfection. That is the true beauty.

Stop!

I think it is the saddest thing for a perfectly healthy person to be insecure with their body. The human body is the best work of art. A fit, healthy body is the best fashion statement.
You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. Stop feeling bad about your looks.
Stop feeding a society that makes so many people feel physically inadequate. Say goodbye to your inner critic and be kinder to yourself.

"The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the thoughts that say you're too fat or too skinny, too wrinkly or pale, your eyes are too small or your nose too big. Just look into the mirror and see your face. And when the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you." -J.C. Scott

(This is somewhat a collection of quotes and rambles)

By the way there should be another G@G topic called Philosophy or Deep Thoughts or Intense or Deep or somethin like that

[SweedyPie]

I <3 this take! Good... Great... no... AWESOME JOB!

I think the source of most insecurities is society and the media, which for years have purported a certain perception of what a "good" body or a "good" person looks like. As such we have created a culture of judging ourselves extremely harshly instead of appreciating ourselves as we are. Thankfully, time seems to be proving valuable in changing the old perceptions, and hopefully in the future it will be the norm to love yourself and work on being a better person versus not loving yourself and trying to be a better looking person.

Nothing wrong with wanting to be fit and be healthy but hating yourself for traits you were born with is the part that's unacceptable.

[bellybuttonlint]

I think personally for me, insecurities are absolutely the cause of holding me back in whatever I do.

I'm insecure about my appearance, insecure about my job ability (sometimes), and insecure about how I interact with people and what they'll think about me.

Fighting insecurities is probably the most difficult thing to do in life.

[JimRSmith]

I suspect, for a lot of girls, in particular, getting past body insecurities is easier said than done, unfortunately...

[Goodwifie]

My mum and my brother used to tease me about my figure until I'd had enough one day and said to my brother at least I'm not fat like you.
Not my proudest moment but it shut him up for good.

[JimRSmith]

@Goodwifie Excellent response. And glad it shut him up.

I don't think some people understand the damage they can do.

[Goodwifie]

It did my head in to the point where I considered getting breast enlargement done.

[readywriter]

You know as a whole I think your thoughts are good. But as a previous fat guy some doesn't ring true Lets get the person who for some medically can not loose weight. Those really are very few people. A little bit off of a perfect thyroid does not mean you have to be fat. My sister-in-law has been telling me that for 40 years, just after she eats 3 servings and two cokes. Practice speaking in complete thoughts without using 'ya know" or 'like' makes anyone seem more welcoming and attrctive in the non visual ways.
Men don't really expect all women to look like your Victoria Secret

Your self image is more often poor when you know you can loose weight but always make excuses to yourself. You never excerise because it hurts or you just won't throw away those nasty jeans and shop for something that actually improves your appearance. bringing your hair to a style that looks like a stylist women of their age rather than long hair of no style except hangs their.
Men don't really expect Victoria Secrets Angels as you remark about. Its the girls desire to look that way and not doing their best to copy it. Some bodies never will. But that is no excuse to try to improve. Not just become comfortable with what you have. You won;t feel good about yourself for long, those old insecurities will creep back.
My weight lose, which weknow is one of the biggest body image problems, opened up doors for me. And right or wrong doesn't matter one bit. Blaming people for not wanting to be in a movie seat next to me maybe politically wrong but comfort correct. I am absolutly no better looking but I feel better looking so my self image is better.
Love your body as it is and your beautiful are good to say. But it better be after you really tired to lose weight, dress better, smile more, see a surgeon for these moles and use the acne cream faithfully. Then you can feel good because it is really about you knowing this is the actual best you can be. personally I like plump women. The curves and shapes please me but the smiles and bright eyes are what get my interest first. I don't think that working to keep your figure, weight off and medically healthy is a bad thing. people over do everything but you should try to be well and pretty if you can, if it is for self imagine.

[sjoes006]

I had weight issues in my early twenties, partly due to stress but also body image and as @jacquesvol points out, a fun house interpretation of what I looked like in the mirror.

It was honestly an issue of control and discipline that got out of hand. I ran 6 days a week, swam 3 days and took yoga barely leaving time for anything other than that and academics.

I went from hanging out at the bar a couple of nights a week with friends to a friend having to come collect me from the gym a 10:30 to ensure I gave myself a break and then that I ate after and didn’t drink too much because body couldn’t handle alcohol.

Once I realized I had a real problem I had to stop calorie counting and cut down on everything if not all together. No more food scale.

It’s all bout what is motivating you. If weightloss is your only motivation things tend to go sideways.

I workout now more than ever. But my
Motivation is different and I don’t flinch when the scale varies by s couple of pounds.

I have a strong core, not perfect tummy with no fat. I want to be able to run at a good pace With good breathing. I don’t tie exercise directly to food anymore. I don’t feel the need to burn off my sin when having a splurge day. I plan ahead a little maybe but don’t punish myself.

Thanks for posting. I get my self eval on how I’m doing with muscle mass supporting my bones and being able to do simple tasks.

Ex: lifting a carrying on into the overhead on a full plane and you are the last to arrive.

Sometimes men step up to help you and sometimes they just don’t care thinking you should check it because it won’t fit or whatever.

I had a very nice young man find me a spot for a suitcase. But the best part was seeing his and everyone elses’ Reaction when I used my leg to get the suitcase high enough to then use my upper body to chuck the case in.

I want to stand strong core to limbs.

[MlleCake]

I've gone through some ups and downs in body image. I think I have faired pretty well. There are days I feel crummy, and I have to remember, even the most gorgeous people I can think of have something they don't like about themselves too. None of us is perfect, and we all have our times of being dissatisfied with how we look.

But I really started to blossom in my 20s, had learned how to dress very well for my body type by my 30s.

I'll tell you the thing that really got me over my body woes though. I went to Black's Beach, a nude beach down near San Diego, and I was coming out of the water up to the sand and a young, very gay black man stopped in his tracks to watch me and said "Oh. You ARE a Goddess." No make-up, no clothes, hair all wet and stringy (but still brilliantly red) - just no pretense at all, this is my bod, take-it or leave-it kind of moment, and his comment was exactly what I needed to hear.

I've never had an ungorgeous moment since that day. I only have to be beautiful for myself. No one else. Dress up or down as I please. Very liberating.

[Anonymous]

Easy to say one needs to get past body insecurities. A lot harder to actually do.

When I was 14 my insecurities became more obvious. In school boys would comment on my boobs or ass, they would grab too, resulting in a negative self image. Sounds ironic, doesn't it? As a teenager I got more male attention than I do now as an adult and I assume it's because I became less attractive. I'm afraid to wear dresses, skirts, or short-shorts because my thighs grew too quickly and formed stretch marks.

Currently in a relationship now with a guy that has boosted my self-confidence an enormous amount and gives me a reason to want to dress up in dresses and cute rompers, but I still have a nagging in my head telling me that people are going to laugh at my flaws either behind my back or in front of my face. Girls are worse than guys about it too and it's terrible when women should be supporting each other on these things.

[loveslongnails]

Here's the thing... you DO have control over the shape of your body, to an extent. You can change and alter it, you can do lots of things to it. There's nothing wrong with that in my mind. What would be wrong is if you get trapped into thinking that whatever you do isn't enough because it's not "perfect". News flash... you will never be perfect, but you can shape yourself to a point that you feel good about. Leave it at that. And if you don't want to put forth the EFFORT to DO that, shut up and don't piss and moan about your body shape !!

[Hidden_P]

Oh do you? I’ll just pop and tell my amputee dad he can grow back. I’ll let you know when it happens

[loveslongnails]

@Hidden_P Obviously, that's not what we're talking about here so your snarky comment is ill-advised.

[Plumy]

It is true, it is not easy to overcome though...
It would be nice to have a topic like "philosophy" where to go and read other similar interesting points of life, I like yours, thanks for writing them ✌

[candycanehearts]

I dont think you should be insecure about things like height and facial things and stuff but to me being fat or unhealthy matters because being unhealthy (which often leads to obesity) makes you feel really bad anyways so i think even though you dont have to have no fat, having too much isn't good either

[Goodwifie]

During my first ulcerative colitis attack I lost a lot of weight, I went from 47kgs down to 37kgs.
As I got better health wise I still struggled with putting the weight back on mentally. I had gotten used to seeing myself so skinny that I felt fat once I gained all of my weight back.

[clouded_out]

It kills me because i know id be happier if i just forgot about it and didn't give a shit, and just rocked with the people who also dont give a shit (which is already a lot of my current friends) but self loathing for my body is so overwhelming i dont know who i'd be if i was happy with it. I truly have no idea how to ignore it. It'd be like trying to forget about a phobia.

[Apope16]

Body image can be a positive thing. What other motivator can you have to not die of cardiac arrest and to look healthy? In natural selection, if there is no sexual competition... what motivation would the human race have to look sexually appealing and procreate?

[themetalhead]

great take! when I hit 13 I hated my body image. but I eventually forced myself to love who I am instead, since that is more important. I think its sad when people put themselves down all because of what they look like. true beauty lies within.

[That2kKid21]

Sometimes you have to admit that you don't like the way you look though... That's how I see things. I've gained tons of muscle in the past 8 months since I started working out because I saw myself as too skinny. I couldn't be happier that I admitted that to myself.

[jacquesvol]

Bad eyesight is the problem (unless you have a bad mirror):

www.thewhirlingwind.com/.../...irror-1-282x300.jpg

[dothejohnwall97]

He mirror reflection is mad sexy she thick omg

[dothejohnwall97]

The*

[Anonymous]

Ok so its important to take care of your health and its bad when women exercise to achieve a certain look! (You are beautiful no matter what)
So I recommend this. Design a health preserving exercise regiment around practicality.
So. In this world being able to run is an important useful thing. So practice running. Ideally sprinting mixed with HIIT So you can escape if someone attacks.
Next its important to be able to manipulate your own body weight. So do push ups, pull ups, rope climbing etc. Body weight strength training. You never know when you're gonna have to climb on something.
And lastly Yoga yoga yoga. many many yoga videos on youtube. Yoga helps to keep your body in the correct proper alignment and helps to ensure your joints are moving good and with full range of motion

With this you see the focus is not on looking good or being sexy but on being able to execute certain physical feats that will help you survive in this world. I hope this helps

[Deathraider]

Full acceptance of your condition is just as bad. I mean people should strive to be fit by changing their diet and exercising. A person with the risk of a heart attack shouldn't just be accepting. We should not shame, nor should we be accept the condition of it. We should encourage everyone to strive to be healthy.

[RationalMale]

Bad body image is bad. You know what else is bad? How your odds of cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes skyrockets if you're obese. And if you are legit underweight and malnourished, that comes with a host of problems too that can also have an unpleasant impact on your lifespan.

[peterpsak]

let natural selection do it's thing if people know the condition they're in and don't do anything about it

[RationalMale]

@peterpsak yeeeaah but problem is we literally are all paying the $$ to treat them while natural selection slowly works

[BaronVonLongwype]

Hpw are you paging anyone else's health insurance and medocal bills? I am really curioua how "rational" men like you are aware of extra bills going out to people other than the policy guarantors

[RationalMale]

@BaronVonLongwype simple. Health insurance. See health insurance companies have to make a profit and they cannot deny for pre existing conditions. So when obese people rack up massive bills, the companies have to raise premiums on people who rack up small bills, or the company ends up losing a fortune. Often they end up losing a lot because they can't charge the healthy people enough--Aetna lost 700 million dollars from 2014 to 2016 for example.

[RationalMale]

The very sick, such as obese people with copious health problems, can't pay their huge bills on their own. So either the doctors eat the bill, government programs finance it with taxpayer money, or insurance companies have to pay it themselves or raise prices on the healthy people who use less medical care than they pay for.

[BaronVonLongwype]

So your stance is health insirance companies and doctors are in danger. What fucking planet do you live on? The insirance companies, hospitals, and doctors have destroyed this country's health. You are one of those idiots who thinks doctors and being dragged through the mud in spite of iatrogenic death (when you are so irresponsible you poison or leave and instrument in a patient) reached over half a million a year like 7 years ago and God knows how many are murdered by refusal to treat, failure to diagnose, etc. Am I wrong or are you actually blaming patients for existing in country with one of the worst health records in the world?

People know about the dangers. Doctor's also are very lazy. Here is a shocker... I am obese. I was prednisone for over 2 years. Before that I was nearly killed on over a dozen occasions at hospitals. I have yet to meet a doctor who has said more than a few sentences in thr vaguest advice. You think they suggest medicines, theraies, etc. to help?

[BaronVonLongwype]

Try going to a doctor witha sick elderly relative and see how many of them behave like paychopaths. It is BAD out there... most of it will never show up in videos, texts, or any available media. The system is full of really baad people and getting. There is little recourse other than videoing them, but thats not always possible.

[Waffles731]

the thing is I know I'm not healthy and I need to lose a bunch of weight, I'm going to the gym soon.
I used to be dangerously underweight when I was perscribed ritalin.
" Philosophy or Deep Thoughts or Intense or Deep or somethin like that"
Also that's an 'other' I have a shitload of mytakes in that category myself but if its not, society and culture, or Religion and spirituality, its other.

[YOUTOOSHOULDJUDGE]

Women just need to stick to members of their fan club and quit obsessing over shit. Fat? Date men that get off on fat women and be happy. Skinny? Date men that are turned on by skinny women. Regardless of your body type, you are someone's reason to want to stare at your naked body.

[HansHoth]

You should take care of your body, though. You see, weak people declare that you should be able to let yourself go and demand respect. That won't do. Take care of your body, invest time and energy in maintaining its health and appearance. If you don't do that, you deserve no respect. It's not the results, but the effort that counts. Make an effort, it will do. Nobody is perfect anyway.

[dothejohnwall97]

True , but if it’s in their genes to be fat or they have other medical problems that lead to being out of shape, I can respect it. But being a fat lazy fuck by choice? Nah hit the gym