In you words (or in pictures) tell your body image story. Get in and be a part of the dialogue!!
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We Don’t Just Need A Body Image Revolution, We Need an ‘Aging Image’ One!

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Meet Jessica from head to toe

This is Maddy’s story – from head to toe!

First off, I think your website is a fantastic idea! Body image has got so screwed up because of the media and you are taking a big stab at helping to set it right again. I was reading the two comments in you “In Your Words” section and realized that I would quite like to share my story (and give a male viewpoint too). I’m not a dancer (yet – I’m starting Ballet classes in a couple of weeks) and don’t know if your blog is only for dancers body image stories but if not here is my story. Feel free to edit it down a little if it is too long.

So, to start, as a guy I feel under a great deal of pressure to maintain a ‘perfect’ body – or whatever that is according to the media. Whereas women have the pressure to be tall and thin, as a guy I feel more pressure to have washboard abs and a perfectly toned body, something I do not have, have never had, and possibly won’t have in the near future. Although I realize this I still feel ashamed that I haven’t reached this “perfection”, even though I am a very healthy weight and an active person.

Growing up (in the UK) I was never an active child (I avoided sports like the plague) and by the time I was 17 I weighed a reasonably hefty 270lbs. At this point I decided I didn’t want to continue that path and so gave up what I classified as “crap”: chocolate, candy, potato chips, non-diet sodas, cakes etc. This was a pretty drastic move for me but it worked and 6 months down the line I had lost around 35lbs. At college I decided to take up Crew and this helped me lose some more weight and I eventually settled at around 200-210lbs. Yes there was a decent amount of muscle, but there were still “moobs” (man-boobs), and a couple of spare tires around my waist I didn’t particularly like.

After finishing college I moved to the States for Grad School and decided to make another change and aimed to drop from 216lbs to 180lbs. There wasn’t a particular reason for this weight other than it seemed to be an appropriate weight for me (I’m 6’1″). This turned out to be much harder than my initial weight loss – I still wasn’t eating “crap” (it’s now been nearly 6 years) and so I had to just be a lot more aware of my diet and exercise habits.

I have since reached 180lbs and have now plateaued around the 185lb mark – a weight I feel quite comfortable. But what about my body image? Well, I still don’t have those washboard abs or rock hard pecs, still far from it! However, I feel I am more accepting of my body now. I still have a couple of major issues though:

First, I still find it hard to accept my new body image. I believe this is quite common with people who have lost a large amount of weight (around 90lbs in my case) and I still find it hard to look at myself in the mirror. There are days when I wake up and look in the mirror and see a trim 185lb guy (and feel pretty happy about myself), whereas other days (more than half) I look in the mirror and I still see the 270lb teenager I used to be (and feel down because of it). I still refuse to take my shirt off at the beach (the thought actually scares me quite a bit) and I find it hard to believe that some recent pictures of me at 180lbs are actually me and not some impostor. It sounds quite ridiculous when I write it down, but that doesn’t change things. I have recently decided to take Ballet (something I would never have even considered a couple of years ago) and although my main reason for taking Ballet class is to learn this wonderful art form, I hope that I will also learn more about my body in the process and hopefully start to shut that 270lb me away and see the 180lb me a little more. If you, or any readers, have any tips about accepting a new body image I would love to hear them!

My other issue is I now associate certain foods with me in either state. I have a lot of friends who offer me a slice of cake or a piece of chocolate with the statement “One small piece won’t hurt”. however in my mind I can’t disassociate that one bite with weighing 270lbs. I feel that by having that one chunk of chocolate I will spiral out of control. The rational side of me realizes this isn’t likely, but I can’t shake the irrational side of me. This isn’t a huge issue at the moment, after all I’m only missing out on things that are generally unhealthy, but I do sometimes worry that it might get worse in the future and result in me being too strict in my diet.

So that is my story. I try to help my personal body image by realizing that I have already improved my body image and so I should be proud rather than unsatisfied. That being said, it is constantly a struggle for me to accept my body although hopefully this will improve in the future.

David

Thank you for your words and images. You are a beautiful woman inside and out and honestly, if a woman who is as lovely and strong and obviously talented and fit as you are can have body issues – then we truly are all on equal ground as women. I have struggled with my body and my feelings about it for as long as I can remember. I have been overweight, slender, had three babies and changed shape over time in many ways. Since tweenhood I have always had that negative voice in my head that tears me down and compares constantly. What were your methods for giving up that voice? How did you go about it. Let us all know so we can do the same.

Thank you for proving an outlet for those who struggle with similar issues! Your voice will be heard and will make a difference!

I’ll give a short (but likely long) synopsis of my story and hope someone might read it and choose to not listen to negative influences in their life.

I grew up in an amazing family. I had a wonderful childhood, well I have a wonderful life altogether. I was always taught to love myself and cherish the things about me that are different. I would succeed at doing this until my early 20’s.

I grew up dancing. There was plenty of opportunity for me to fall into the “weight issues” column. I was incredibly lucky in my dance environment to have a teacher who accepted different body types and worked with each student depending on their individual body needs. That said, there are always outside influences that come along and attempt to change how you see yourself. Deciding I loved danced enough to pursue it as a career, I went to a college with a great arts/dance program and received a BFA in dance performance. I was ecstatic to have an opportunity to make a career out of what I loved so much.

Throughout college, I was always pressured to keep track of me weight and go that extra mile to lose anything extra, but luckily, I was dancing so much this was not a problem. After graduating, I began teaching and decided that I really wanted to dance. On a whim, I decided to try out to be an NBA cheerleader. I made the team and thought this would be a fun way to integrate my love of dance with my love of sports. This year changed my life forever and I’m still dealing with body images today (although I’m aware of them and working hard to change them).

The second the team was announced, we were told (as a whole – which is ludicrous) that we needed to lose weight for a swim suit calendar we would be shooting in 3 weeks. I weighed 120 pounds and I am 5’7’’ (so, if you ask me, I looked great). Weeks past and I continued to lose weight. I got down to about 110 and felt sick, constantly hungry, and always tired. At this point we were having about 15 hours a week of practice, I was working full time, teaching dance 10 hours a week, working 1-3 games per week AND working out in my “free time”. Long story short, I became obsessed with my body weight, image, and overall appearance. I didn’t realize the tumble I was taking until nearly 2 years later when I looked back at my life and realized I had never questioned the way I looked until that defining year. I still (albeit much less often) think I look fat in certain clothes, dress much more conservatively to hide any flaws, and over-obsess about what I eat.

All-in-all it’s ridiculous. Why shouldn’t I have the same, healthy body image I had until I was 23? Why should one person/group be able to impact my life so much? I’m working to love everything about me and feel comfortable in my own skin no matter what I wear or do. It’s working thus far, but will always be a challenge because of this one year in my life.

I’m currently in the process of opening my own dance studio and can’t wait to add nothing but positivity to young dancer’s lives.