I’m fat. I always have been, and, honestly, I probably always will be. My jeans make a very specific “swishy” sound when my thighs rub together, and there are parts of me that resemble cottage cheese. Before you jump to conclusions, let me expand a little more. I’m fairly healthy, I have no chronic illnesses, […]
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Needless to say, as you grow older, your body changes. And with those changes comes a lot of insecurity. My sister and I were always the skinny kids, the ones the aunts and grandmothers would remark about: “Oh, they must eat nothing at all!” “Why look at you, you’re like sticks!” “Are you sure you […]
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The first time that you ignored my “no,” I have a distinct memory of my stomach churning and twisting and curling and contourting into a bow. Like the ones you rip off of your presents during Christmas. Except this was not a gift. I should have known by the shape of your pocket-knife fingertips that […]
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To be frank, it deeply saddens me to see how few people have truly accepted themselves. As an advocate of positivity, natural-body positivity is a part of that. I believe it is extremely important (especially as a woman) to take the time to learn to accept the skin you’re in. As women in today’s society, we […]
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Hi, I’m Gabby. I am 5’7″ (even though I always lie and say I’m 5’8″), and I weigh approximately 155 pounds. I’m not the skinniest person, and I avoid scales and bikinis at all costs. At least, I used to. When I go out in public, I look at other girls to compare myself to […]
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In the seventh grade, my friends accused me of being anorexic. It was supposed to be a joke. I didn’t know if I should have taken that as a compliment or been offended but, when people complimented me on how naturally skinny I am, it always gave me a sense of pride. It made me feel […]
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They used to fling their words at me, mama, Reckless, harsh and cruel, And I used to suck in my stomach, I didn’t let them burrow into the folds of my flesh. They used to laugh at me, mama, Sounds so sharp, they wounded my spine, I tried to disappear, mama, But their arrows lodged […]
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Say I’m out of touch if you will, but I had never heard “Who You Are” by Jessie J before: “I stare at my reflection in the mirror: ‘Why am I doing this to myself?’ Losing my mind on a tiny error, I nearly left the real me on the shelf.” That intro, though. Right?! […]
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I first read about mindfulness in a book called Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives, by Thich Nhat Hanh. In the book, he talks about incorporating mindfulness through meditation in our daily activities in order to alleviate much of the unhappiness that we experience. Mindfulness means possessing an awareness of the […]
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