I was quoted on glamour.com for the article 16 Ways I Learned To Love My Body. I am very excited about this because I am all about body positivity and love the message of the article:
Stop hating your body for its tiny imperfections. Change the way you think with inspiration from these body-image and weight-loss bloggers who learn how to love the body they’re in.
My quote included is something that I’ve obviously been thinking about a lot lately – negative comparison. Here is what I said for the slide: Dare to not compare your body.
“If I compare myself with other women, I can create a million reasons why I should hate my body. Comparing myself with others always leaves me feeling inadequate and unhappy about my body, so I choose not to do it. My body might not be perfect compared with a model or even my neighbor, but it is the only body I will ever have. I would rather accept this fact and love my body the way it is than waste my time hating any part of it.”
Its a great slideshow with 15 other awesome ways women have learned to love their bodies. Check it out here and really listen to the advice. We should love our bodies how they are now, even as we strive to make them better and healthier.
Thanks so much for the comment! I just read a few postings on your blog, and cant wait to catch up on previous posts.
Congrats on the quote in Glamour Magazine. I mean seriously, that is so blasted awesome.
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Congratulations on being quoted in the article. That is pretty awesome. It is a great quote too.
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Loved the quotes! Congrats on being included in an awesome group!
(I would’ve loved the slide show more if all of the images hadn’t been of women who are smaller. If we’re going to celebrate bodies, let’s celebrate some curvy ones too. *G*)
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I agree, it would have been nice to see bodies of all sizes in the pictures.
COOL article and fantastic about being quoted.
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Great quote! :-) So true, too. We have to be the best we can be – and stop worrying so much about everybody else. We weren’t meant to all be the same.
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Great quote. Love your attitude. stay positive. :)
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Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I love to follow you because you keep it real and don’t “fake it till ya make it”.
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I read that article too and thought it was great. I loved the pictures as well. I definitely need to take some of that advice!
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I like that, “dare to not compare”! This is wonderful advice.
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I loved your quote! Excellent advice.
I also loved your comment on my blog about anger, I’m going to try your technique for a few of the stubborn anger stains in my life. Thanks!
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Congrats on being featured in the magazine. You are in terrific company – I see ScaleJunkie is in the article too. Way to go! That just proves how important you are to the rest of us.
:)
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Mary congratulations for the shout out in Glamour. You deserve the pub – your blog is an inspiration! The message is powerful and needs to be reinforced, especially for younger women who are made to feel they have no self-worth if their bodies don’t meet society’s ideal. Great job!
I fully agree with this article! I’ve only learned how to start loving myself and my body after reading Linda Bacon’s latest book Health at Every Size.
She goes into great detail about how she’s changed her self as well as her friend Kelly. You hear all about Kelly’s weight issues that are much like mine and perhaps yours. It’s so nice to finally be in touch with my inner beauty and for the first time in ages I actually like what I see in the mirror and how my clothes fit. I now wear what I want rather then what makes me look thin.
Bravo, Mary! I celebrate with you. I love how you used your opportunity at Glamour to positively impact women’s lives.
A wise woman once told me, “Comparisons are cruel.” Comparisons turn us into objects. When we turn each other into objects, we create war and conflict.
We put ourselves at war with others – feeling envious, competitive, and jealous towards other women (especially those who are thinner or prettier than ourselves.) We hate those skinny b****es and hate those women who never struggle with food and who can eat whatever they want. We create a competition, where we even dislike women who lose weight, change their lives, and find newfound health! (Um, yes,I am speaking from personal experience here….gulp….)
Comparisons also put us at war with ourselves. This is when we turn our dislike of our bodies inwards, criticizing ourselves mercilessly because we fall short of some internal standard we are holding for ourselves. We compare ourselves with ourselves. I used to do this all the time – for example, I would compare my body to how it was at the same time the previous year. After having a baby, I’d compare myself to how I looked postpartum after the birth of one of my older children; I’d try on my clothes to see if I was getting “thinner” or “fatter.”
Underneath a comparison is always a “should,” a hidden belief or expectation, about how our bodies should look (or how other women’s bodies should look.)
When we stop comparing, what we are doing is escaping from the prison of our minds (the seat of those pesky shoulds) and living in reality, where we love, honor and care for the body we have in this present moment. This doesn’t mean that you can’t work towards making your body healthier or fitter or losing weight if you feel inspired to do so. But you take those steps from a different place, with a different motivation. You do it from love.
You get to a place where you can accept your body when it’s at its best, its worst, and every day in between. You also allow other women to care for their bodies as *they* see fit – and you are able to withhold judgment even if you think they “should” (there’s that word again!) be caring for their bodies differently.
That is the opposite of war – that is peace.
Warmly, Karly
.-= Karly Randolph Pitman´s last blog ..The 3 stages of healing from sugar addiction =-.