Body Image Mismatches

“Even the models we see in magazines wish they could look like their own images.” ~ Cheri K. Erdman

I always amazes me how great men think they look and how ugly women think they look. Beautiful women will starve themselves into oblivion, living a life of deprivation and hunger, chasing that mythical *perfect body* as defined by the media. I am not talking about the morbidly obese women who suffer with bad backs, knees, and poor health. I am talking about the big boned women with lovely big hips, and normal curves.

“Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have…undressed in front of a gentleman has he ever asked you to leave? Has he ever walked out and left? No? It’s because he doesn’t care!

He’s in a room with a naked girl, he just won the lottery. I am so tired of saying no, waking up in the morning and recalling every single thing I ate the day before, counting every calorie I consumed so I know just how much self loathing to take into the shower.

I’m going for it. I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through with the guilt. So this is what I’m going to do, I’m going to finish this pizza, and then we are going to go watch the soccer game, and tomorrow we are going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

So here’s a gift to my women friends who can’t move beyond the madness: 14 Reflections on Body Image from the Confronting Love blog. I know it won’t help all women, but it can’t hurt.

I’ll leave with this quote from Kate Winslet, “I have a crumble baby belly, boobs are worse for wear after two kids… I’m doing all right. I’m 33. I don’t look in the mirror and go, ‘Oh, I look fantastic!’ Of course I don’t. Nobody is perfect. I just don’t believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying, ‘This is who I am and look at me not being perfect!’ I’m proud of that.”

Throw away that tape measure, eat food you love, drink heartily, surround yourself with people you respect, and try to enjoy life.