Hellobee Boards

What an interesting essay. I never thought about how negative self-talk about body image would be perceived by a young child. Definitely something I want to be cognizant of in the future if I'm blessed with little girls (boys too but to a lesser extent).

I read this a few weeks ago and loved it.
I've been trying really hard not to call myself fat and ugly in front of my DD (even though I know she doesn't understand yet). This extra weight is killing me though!

I grew up with a mom who never counted calories and never dieted. I thought and still think she's the most beautiful woman in the world.

So well-written & such an important message! My mom didn't talk about her body in a negative way & I am so thankful for that.

@Mrs. Blue: Totally agree about how it affects little boys too!

I read this article a few weeks ago and I've thought about it many many times since. My family was exactly like this. My mom and my sisters and I say stuff like this all the time and I never thought about how it started and how it cycles. I've been very conscious lately about even acknowledging the negative self thoughts that I have and I've been trying very hard not to make self deprecating comments. I shared the essay with my sister and it hit her really hard too. We talked about it and we're helping each other stop. It makes it so much more important to stop when I think about how it could potentially affect my children.

My mum used to ask me if I was ashamed of her when she picked me up from school, because she was "fat". It does stay with you and affects the way you perceive yourself. Great article.

I've read this before, but i needed to hear it again. I've been really hard on myself since having the baby and am vocalizing it more than I should (maybe to help keep myself accountable by acknowledging i have weight that needs to go?...I don't know). But it's really something i need to stop doing because it's not a message I want passing on to my kids.

This really resonated with me because my mom had and still has a horrible body image, and I really think that's a big part of why I do too. I really don't want to pass this on to my daughter, it's definitely something my husband and I have talked about. It's so hard to break the cycle though!!!

This is a beautiful article!

This part especially really resonated with me: " Every moment we spend worrying about our physical ‘‘flaws’’ is a moment wasted, a precious slice of life that we will never get back. Let us honor and respect our bodies for what they do instead of despising them for how they appear. Focus on living healthy and active lives, let our weight fall where it may, and consign our body hatred in the past where it belongs. "

I think about the amount of time and energy I spend worrying and criticizing my body every day and it makes me sad...why do I spend so much time on it? Why can't I just be happy to be in a healthy body, that might not be 'perfect' by society's standards, but has fared me well over the past 28 years?

Last week, at 31 weeks pregnant, I had a crying spree in my husband's arms. I felt fat, swollen, ugly and disgusted by the stretch marks. He was so sweet, telling me my body was doing its job, making a human, and that I looked great. I really don't want this little baby to get a negative self-image from me...but here I am before he or she is even born and I'm worrying about my body gaining weight - which is what it's SUPPOSED to be doing!

Anyway. This long post to say that since that hormone-filled night, I have been making a conscious effort to feel good about myself, my body, and embrace the miracle that my body is going through right now rather than stress about the number on the scale. This article helped me see that I'm on the right path!

@Mrs. Jacks: Thank you for sharing this! I really worry about this. Not so much my comments, because I've committed to working very hard to never say that kind of stuff in front of her, but I really worry about DH. He would definitely say the kinds of things the husband in that story would say. In fact, he's said exactly those things before. I should probably send this to him.