Self image
I would never call anyone else "fat" - in fact I don't even use the word "fat" to label people in my thoughts - so why am I so afraid of gaining weight? Why can't I stop thinking of myself as fat?
What are some ways you guys deal with these intrusive thoughts and change the way you view yourself?
How can I let go of this fear, because I know it's irrational, and stop staring at my thighs that now touch (they didnt used to before I started recovery) when I look in the mirror?
This is a great question and not an easy one to answer. I remember in University i was asked what's beautiful and how do you define beautiful. This raised a great debate within my class and it was soon realized that everyone's perspective was different.
I was of the opinion that beauty is defined by society. Subconsciously we see a "certain" type of people on TV who are usually slim, attractive, muscles etc etc.. Through seeing these types of people we see that as being aesthetically beautiful and those who were not like this to be less attractive. Conditioning through media is quite common and that's why constant images of slim woman play a role in making women self-conscious and men.
I always want to live a healthy life and try my best with my appearance but i won't bow down to the social pressure of fake "beauty".
@exsamaritan80 thanks for the reply :) that's a really great point. I want to work on changing my image of beauty - and maybe through that change in myself I can help other people too 🤗
I've been thinking, maybe I need to find new people to look up to. Linked instead of idolizing Kiera Nightly I could look up to people like Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling - women who represent confidence and whose merits rest on more than fitting the "Hollywood ideal".