Weight - ProudMe

Talking about weight can be hard for some of us. It’s a topic we don’t like speaking about, because we are not feeling that well in our own bodies, like we could. Very often we have negative thoughts that affect our confidence and make it difficult to accomplish our goals in life. We can’t control comments of others – and it can hurt – badly. We are all aware of society’s negative reactions to obesity but still many are still hurting others with words.

Perspective

We all look different – if we all ate the same we’d still all have different bodies. Some of us want to look thinner, some are desperately trying to gain more weight. Often we focus on things we can’t have or can’t control. Yes, there is a healthy weight for everyone, but that doesn’t mean that we all have to look the same. That’s simply impossible. Keep in mind: You are the only one who has to make choices about your appearence. We need to take more time realizing what our bodies do for us than comparing ourselves to beauty standards.

Weight gain + weight loss

Weight gain: Coping with weight gain can be challenging, but pretending that it’s not challenging can make it even harder. You might wish that you were handling your weight gain better. However, accepting how you feel about it (even if what you feel is that you wish it didn’t happen!) is, ironically, the first step to feeling better. ³

Weight loss: Weight loss can be intentional, such as from dieting and exercise, or unintentional and be a manifestation of illness. Weight loss can result from a decrease in body fluid, muscle mass, or fat. A decrease in body fluid can come from medications, fluid loss, lack of fluid intake, or illnesses such as diabetes. A decrease in body fat can be intentionally caused by exercise and dieting. ⁴

Genetics

Genetics play a role in determining your weight. But that’s not the whole story. Environment, lifestyle and healthy choices still contribute a great deal to how much you weigh. And your genes also make a difference in the type of weight-loss strategies that may work best for you. When deciding how to move forward with achieving weight loss, all of these factors must be considered. ⁵

Belly Pooch

The belly pooch is a small pad of fat that sits below the belly button and above the pelvic bowl. It is meant to be protective to a woman’s reproductive organs such as her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Overall, healthy women have belly pouches – and yes, some women naturally have bodies without the belly fat and can still be perfectly healthy. But keep in mind: Not all women are biologically built for a flat belly. And that is completely normal and okay. 6

Body Dismorphia

The condition is known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia. People with BDD also engage in compulsive actions, such as excessively using mirrors to check their appearance or over-exercising to cope with the stress they feel about their physical image.

The severity of body dysmorphia differs from individual to individual, as well as, on a day to day basis. In many cases, it can lead to reduced self-esteem, feelings of anxiety and depression, and negative impact on social relationships. ⁷

Social Media + Fact Check

In times of social media we are comparing our own features more than ever before. We tend to think that all these pictures and bodies are the way we are supposed to look like. In fact we come in so many different shapes and sizes that comparison is going to make us unhappy most days.

Keep in mind what you see on social media is not always reflecting reality and bodies can be photoshopped and retouched pretty easily. A completely different body is just one simple touch away.