When girls realized ‘food is too damn good’ and learned to love their bodies

Everyone has been there: you’re on your newsfeed when you scroll past a perfect bikini picture or a picture of that girl you want to be in a great LBD. Immediately, the negative thoughts start to stream in: “I wish my body looked like that. No matter what I do, I will always look like a walking trashcan.”

In a world of Donald Trumps and photoshopped Gigi Hadids with nine-foot-long legs, learning to love your body can be an uphill battle.

So we asked women how they learned to love their body in any shape or size.

Monique, 24

“For me, it was when I began to feel strong. When I could lift significant weights using my teeny arms and legs, I realized that my body isn’t just ‘aesthetic’ but also powerful.”

Gail, 20

“I learned to love my body once I learned I could twerk! But really, I honestly learned to love my body when I realized I’m never going to be a model and food is too damn good to not eat!”

Brittany, 21

“I lost a lot of weight while I was in an abusive relationship because I didn’t eat or sleep from constant nervousness. When I got out of the relationship and put that weight back on, I was very self-conscious about my body. When I started to celebrate the healthiness of my body and mind, rather than celebrating how thin and ‘beautiful’ I was before, I learned to love myself.”

Elena, 19

“I learned how to love my body after taking my physical fitness and health seriously. I got into the habit of regularly working out. I started watching what I ate and learned how to cook healthy meals that actually tasted great. But I really fell in love with my body when I started to see results. My hard work had paid off and it was the greatest feeling. I made my lifestyle a healthy one and am happily reaping the benefits!”

Sarah, 19

“Even though my body has been at both ends, Veganism has opened my eyes. With Veganism, I always find comfort in my body with what I eat. After suffering really badly from anorexia, nothing I did except change my diet convinced me to eat. It took months of being able to eat freely and understanding that my body wasn’t as bad as I ever thought. I feel my body is as healthy as my mind and it’s been treating me incredibly well lately.”

Delaney, 20

“I learned to love my body when I started to send nudes!