Think before you speak - Weight

Weight was never really an issue for me until I left high school. I used to do a lot of sport, ate what I wanted and never weighed myself (mainly because the scales were broken). But after leaving high school, I started to lose weight and I didn't really notice either. My clothes were getting looser and baggier on me, but I put it down to them being old and the elastic being worn out, and that I was just way overdue a decent shopping spree. I hadn't changed any of my eating habits, if anything, I was lazier and ate more crap than before. I was perfectly happy with myself size wise I didn't think I'd changed much at all. It wasn't until poeple that were close to me started making comments... "You're too skinny", "Are you eating?", "You used to have boobs and an arse, you're flat now", "There's nothing to you!". And I won't lie, these comments hurt. A lot.

I didn't understand what was wrong with me, did I not look okay? I started to stand in front of the mirror for ages and scrutinise every part of my body. I started weighing myself at every opportunity too. I was 7 and a half stone. I'd lost a stone and not realised... How? So I tried to put on weight, but it would all go straight into my stomach and I hated it (I was used to having a flat tummy and I didn't like it not being super flat), so I'd eat less and stop snacking and drink nothing but water for a few days and my flat tummy would be back... But then I'd get the 'you're too skinny' comments again, so I'd try and bump my weight back up... And a stupidly viscous cycle started. And I've been stuck on this silly round-a-bout for a few years now.  

Now, I've managed to pass the 8 stone mark, and I'm relatively happy with myself. Ive learned to accept the fact that tummies are not naturally meant to be super flat. All my clothes still fit me and if anything, I've got some curves (I'm a million miles away from having an hour glass figure, but still) so my tight dresses look a little better on me than before.

BUT NOW, there's the whole gym and fitness hype. Instagram is full of healthy food recipes and exercise routines and girls showing of their new Nikes, toned bodies and flat tummies. So now I feel pressure to look like them. Eurgh. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being active and eating well (it's a good thing!), but there are girls that are out there trying to achieve the 'perfect body' when I'd kill to have the figure they've got now! Sigh. 

There are far too many pressures out there for my liking... 'Be skinny', 'curves are best' 'strong is better than skinny', 'only dogs want a bone'... SHUT UP! While you're out there trying to glorify one body shape and make yourself feel better and encourage like minded people, you're making another person feel shit about themselves. Just think before you speak and comment on someone's body. It can have such damaging effects even if you didn't mean it to. 

I've come to my own conclusion that I'll do exercise for the health benefits (if I'm not feeling too lazy) and not to achieve a 'perfect body'. If I have the option to have something healthy to eat, I will choose that, but if it's takeaway for tea, I'm not gonna turn it down! If there's something about myself that I'm not particularly happy with, then I will do whatever I need to in order to achieve it and make myself happy and not to satisfy anyone else!

More often than not, people point out your 'flaws' because they have their own insecurities and want to make themselves feel better. Remember that.