Beautiful & Plus Size

Plus Size is Strong & Beautiful Too

Believe it or not, I’ve had body image issues most of my life. Being in the dance world since I was young meant being constantly reminded of what I looked like and that “skinny” was pretty and necessary to book the gig. Fortunately, the world has made giant strides against this statistic and rudely inaccurate idea. However, it’s in the back of many of our mind’s, isn’t it? SO many people believe that “Plus-Size” is unhealthy. They aren’t considered beautiful in many eyes and don’t belong in certain industries. I for one had a very unhealthy view towards my own body… Oddly enough, I don’t think I’ve ever really had this idea towards others, but definitely my own body. I had to reach this “skinny” state. And the scary thing is that even when I reached my lowest body weight and was reaching an “unhealthy” BMI (Body Mass Index) measurement, in my mind I still saw so many imperfections and imagined rolls of fat on myself. It was my insecurities. I have had quite the journey and such a long ways to go.

A quick shout out to my cousin, Amy, aka SelfLoveMama. This Twin Mom is AH-mazing! She does incredibly fun Vlogs on YouTube all about Body Confidence Collided with Fashion. She is such an inspiration to me. If you haven’t already, follow and check out her gorgeous looks at https://instagram.com/theselflovemama. I absolutely love this lady! Truly beautiful from the inside out and I’m so grateful for her letting me include her photos!

After having children, it’s an even crazier ride! No matter how hard I worked, my body seemed to be lost. It became a vessel for a beautiful blessing! Why couldn’t I let myself relax a bit about it!? Afterwards, I couldn’t “get it back”. It took my daughter’s words to really snap me out of it. As she touched her hand gently to my face she said, “Mommy, you’re so pretty.” At first, hearing these words, I was taken aback and wanted to correct her. However, in her eyes I could see such honesty and love looking back at me. Awe, the eyes of a child, so pure, so clear, untainted. I don’t want her to ever have the body image issues I have. It always seems to help having my babies as reminders… If I want them to be healthy, I need to set the example… If I want them to feel good about themselves, I really need to get out of my way and set the example. I have such a long journey ahead of me to be more accepting of myself. With that said, I know in my heart, this “Plus-Size” body so many people shake their heads at is truly beautiful. It doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. It doesn’t mean that you’re weak. Trust me, ‘ya don’t want to meet me in a dark alley. Ha!

Plus-Size in most cases is actually much healthier in comparison to those that starve themselves. Don’t mistakenly link body size with health. There are so many other things to consider. I personally love promoting health. When I eat healthy, drink water, am active, I feel good. I have so much more energy. With that said, all of those things don’t determine my weight or size. With my particular body, I have to go to an extreme to lose weight. That is my body. And especially while I’m a nursing mom, that extreme is incredibly unhealthy. I’m slowly learning to accept this. I’m learning to accept that I’m beautiful no matter my size. I’m strong. I’m healthy. Beauty truly comes from within, shines from the inside out. Do I have personal health goals? Yes, absolutely! With that said, I want to love myself throughout the entire journey, not just the end result.

For everyone out there who has ever beaten themselves because of the way they look or don’t fit into clothes the way they want, I see you. For everyone out there who has gotten that sideways glance when you actually treat yourself a little bit and buy that cupcake. I get it. You’re not alone. It’s so incredibly frustrating going to the store and feeling like nothing fits your body the way you want it to. Plus-Size clothing is on the rise! Finally! There are more and more popping up. My husband and I very recently opened our online shop Classy Bear Boutique and are definitely on a mission to include clothing for all sizes! Visit us at ClassyBearBoutique.com. Everyone should be able to feel beautiful! Everyone should be able to find things that feel good and make them feel good. It’s about Self-Love. And then, it’s more than that. It’s seeing beauty in everyone. Everyone is different. All bodies are different. And you! You, the one who is fighting with yourself, trying to see where the beauty lies. You are beautiful. Don’t forget to tell yourself that every single day. It’s such a journey. Keep in mind you’re not at it alone. . . You are beautiful.