Want me to let you in on a little secret? I’m not as skinny as I used to be. Whoa. Groundbreaking information. I know.
THE LOOK | bodycon dress (love this one), leather jacket, blocked heels, bag c/o, celine sunglasses
I’m part of a huge community that is all about how you look (a.k.a the blogging community). There are SO many types of bodies out there: skinny, petite, curvy, pear, athletic, hourglass, etc. Somewhere along the lines, we (I) start to think about my own body and then about my body confidence.
Let’s backtrack to the end of high school. I ran every single day for 4 years and ate whatever the heck I wanted. And I was only about 90 pounds. Then, I went to college and stopped running like I used to…and still ate whatever the heck I wanted. Naturally, weight gain happened. I’ll admit: I’m happy I initially gained weight, because I feel like I was too thin in high school.
Fast-forward to the present and I pretty much fluctuate between being 30-40 pounds heavier than I was in high school. Am I totally happy with my body? No, not at all. But am I working towards being happy with my body? Absolutely.
The pressure to be skinny is so real. Whether it’s an industry pressure or self-pressure, it’s a real thing. Let’s face it: I’m not 6 feet tall and don’t have legs for days. I’m, in fact, quite the opposite. I’m 5’2, my hips are very much a thing, and have legs that resemble tree stumps. My stomach is mushy and I don’t have a thigh gap. But at the end of the day, I need to learn to love my body.
Body confidence is tough. I know we’ve all been there.
I run a blog that focuses on sharing outfits so that others can purchase items. It’s not just so I can make money because you clicked a link. It’s also so I can inspire you to feel good in what you wear.
So that’s why I put on this black bodycon dress and tested my body confidence.
It took me a few minutes to get used to seeing myself in a very tight dress. A dress that shows every single curve, lump, dimple, etc. But after a while, I just embraced it. I ran with it. I took photos in a dress that I thought I wouldn’t feel comfortable in.
Pink Champagne Problems is meant to be a positive space, and that obviously starts with me being positive not only for myself but also for all of you. So today, I wanted to share a few tips on how to gain some body confidence!
Stop with the shaming. Seriously. I tell myself at least once a day that I’m not skinny enough. Or where I want to be. Instead of being negative, I need to spin it and think about what I can be doing to get to where I want to be! Do I want my stomach to be less mushy? Then I need to tell myself that I need to do some more cardio work in the gym to get a stronger core.
Wear clothes that make you feel sexy. This dress did that for me. Although at first I was not comfortable, I learned that it’s 100% okay to want to show off my curves. By the end of the shoot, I was wearing this dress proudly. I love that it’s different than what I normally wear.
Be nice to yourself. Why are we so hard on ourselves? We spend our time being so nice to others (I hope), and we should be equally as nice to ourselves! Give yourself some love! Identify a body part that you love and go with it! Flaunt it. Do whatever it takes to make you give yourself that extra lovin’!
Actions matter. This really goes hand-in-hand with the shaming. Instead of getting down on myself for not looking the way I want, I need to do something about it! Whether it’s an extra day at the gym or one less cookie during the week, actions will speak louder than words.
Be proud of the work you ARE putting in. I know that if I get to the gym 3-4 times a week or eat super healthy, I’m going to be proud of myself. It takes a lot of work to love yourself and you DESERVE to be proud of that. It’s okay to have some slip ups or to treat yourself every once in a while.
So there you have it: just a few tips on body confidence and how I plan on remaining positive about my body image. What are YOUR tips on gaining confidence in your body? I want to know!
SHOP THE POST:
LOVED this post lady! Body confidence is so important and loving yourself. I always tell myself that I can never compare my body to others, it never works. Just remember, you’re beautiful the way you are!
xo elle // https://splashofpreppy.com
Thank you so much, Elle! Definitely need to stop playing the comparison game.
Xx
Love this post dana!! Seriously, you’re killing it! Also major props to you kicking butt at the gym all the time
xo
allie
pretaprovost.com
Thank you!!! I appreciate that, my friend! Maybe once we stop eating Chipotle and Shake Shack, I’ll really be kicking butt 😉
Thank you for this! I really hate wearing clothing that’s too tight on the bottom. I’m very insecure about my thighs and butt. I didn’t always have curves! There’s so much pressure to feel or look or certain way, and more often than not, that pressure comes from ourselves more than anyone else. Thanks, Dana!
Ellen | A Pop of Pink
Thanks for your comment, Ellen! I’m the same way – they seemed to just appear out of nowhere, right?! The pressure will most likely never stop, so our actions really need to be positive ones! Xx
Love this post!! I shared something similar on Friday and my tip is when you say something negative about your body you then have to say something positive about it. Like if I say I hate my legs, they’re chunky. I say NO my legs are strong, they allow me to walk, run, and workout. It’s super helpful! P.S. You look FAB here!
xo Laura Leigh
http://www.louellareese.com
Thank you, my girl! I’m trying to get better about this – stronger > skinnier – that’s what I’m going for! Xx
You’re amazing! Love this!
Thank you, Jenn! Xx
Yes yes yes to this post! You look amazing and on top of feeling confident about ourselves we need to build each other up.
xx Caroline
http://www.whenwear.com
Thank you, Caroline! I totally agree with you! Xx
You look amazing girl! It is not realistic to be the same size as we were in high school in our society… I would love to be smaller but gravity catches up at some point. You totally rock this dress! 🙂
Brittany 🙂
http://www.kingdomofsequins.com
Ugh I know, just tough to wake up and have hips one day and not to know what to do with them 😉 But thank you so much! Xx
Dana you look amazing, and I love the message behind this post. xoxo
Thank you so much, Grace! You’ve definitely inspired me to open up more around here! Xx
Dana, I love this post! You are absolutely beautiful on the outside, but even more gorgeous on the inside (where it really counts!) Thanks for opening up and reminding us all to be confident in who we are! XOXO
Thank you so much, my friend! Your comment actually made me tear up – the world needs more people like you 😀 Xx
I love this post! think we could all use a body confidence boost these days!!
Thank you, lady! Totally agree – everyone gets down on themselves every once in while!
Really loved this post!! I gained weight in high school and just never lost it, so this is something that’s always on my mind, too! And I have to admit – before wearing a bodycon dress you think it’ll look terrible on you, but the few times I’ve tried them I think it forces you to embrace your body and makes you feel much more confident! You look amazing, BTW!
Lauren
http://oliverstwistblog.com
So glad you liked this post, Lauren! I forced myself to embrace my body and I actually feel 10x better about it! Xx Thank you so much for stopping by!
great all black look on you !
http://www.pardonmyobsession.com/
Thanks!
Dana I feel like you read my mind in this post! I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I love that you wrote about it! You look amazing… beautiful inside and out! xo Bryn http://www.waketonroad.com
Aww, thank you Bryn! You always know how to make my day! Xx
Dana, I love this post and you read my mind! More recently, I’ve been struggling with my weight because it is one of my unfortunate side effects. I’m starting to love my body again and appreciate what my body can do and wear clothes with confidence.
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Rach! I hope you know that so many people admire your strength and courage through your journey. You look absolutely beautiful and are such an inspiration! It’s so great to see you smiling all the time, and even talking about the not-so-great times on your blog. Xx
This is such a great post, and an eye-opener for sure. I always thought you were super confident in yourself (and your body) – didn’t realize that wasn’t necessarily the case. I went to a pool party this weekend and felt so insecure in myself. BUT now, instead of feeling down, I want to focus on the positives and what I CAN change. But most importantly, I want to work on changing my mindset to one of self-love/body-love, loving my body for what it is, and what it can do – and NOT what it looks like! Such a challenge, but it’s so nice to have a community of support 🙂
Lisa
http://www.theeverydayelevated.com
OMG, Lisa! Your comment made my day. While I wouldn’t say I’m not confident, there’s always that little voice in my head saying something negative if a piece doesn’t fit me a certain way. But I agree, it’s all about focusing on what you CAN change and just loving yourself more! Always here if you need someone to talk to about it 😀 Xx