"If there's enough skin to pinch then your fat." "You only get stretch marks from being pregnant..." "Are you sure you want to eat that?" "That shirt is too tight... That dress is too short..."
These are just some of the phrases that I grew up hearing. Since I was five years old I was off the chart in terms of height, which also affected my weight. I don't remember a time where I accepted myself. I remember standing in front of the mirror holding the handfuls of skin I wanted to remove with tears in my eyes.
Recently I have been thinking about the balance of accepting yourself and wanting to lose weight to be healthy. I struggle with this idea as I feel like the only way I can accept myself is if I'm my "ideal size."
The myth of the "ideal size" has affected so many people. Some believe they are too big, others too small, others seem to have it all together, but in reality, it's all a mask they wear for others.
I wanted to share this shoot because of how raw and vulnerable it turned out to be. Through sharing my struggles in the past I have been able to find healing, understanding. My hope is ultimately to find acceptance of myself.
