Body positivity has been with us for over a decade showcasing big bodies with lumps and bumps and has tried to make them acceptable. However, it has failed to stop the wrong relationship some people have with their bodies. It promotes the idea of accepting yourself as you are, but it skips the fact that this process is difficult and needs to be revealed and shared as a way to help others to be at peace with your body.

Body Positivity movement has been accused of promoting obesity. Well, maybe portraying it in pictures could have been a way to make it more acceptable but pointing that you have to love your body without any change does not mean you have to be obese all your life and wear whatever you feel like.

I accepted my body – fat, chubby and round – long time ago but it took me ages. I started the process by understanding that my body is my house and I need to care about it. If it is round and fat is OK. Every person is unique, so diversity is welcome.

We need to love our bodies as part of self- acceptance and self-esteem. Once I believed deeply in this, I began to care about the way I treated myself. Appearance was important, so looking for the most flattering clothes was the next step in my journey. Lots of trials and failures were made; even with a low budget at the beginning in a country which did not care about plus size fashion it was difficult to find nice and decent clothes. But insisting, I always found them. Next step was adding trends that fitted my body type and being young and understanding this sometimes is difficult. Nevertheless, my mum showed me the way. Later was realizing that fitting was really important, then undergarments played an important role in this. And it took time to understand so. Summers in Madrid are hot and wearing jeans was not the solution. But rubbing was worse. And for sure,  shaping briefs solved the problem.

Finding cute lingerie was another difficulty specially when you are young and are dating although travelling to London and shopping by catalogue – before the internet era- were excellent options.

And last but not least, taking good care of my body with enough hydration, healthy food and a bit of exercise.

All of these steps completed my journey of body acceptance and self – esteem.

Once internet and Body Positive movement became popular, I had completed my journey. But both have contributed to open other people´s eyes, to give  more options and, in some way, make plus sized men and women more visible and acceptable.

Of course, there is plenty of room for those who reveal against body stereotypes and for those who accept their bodies, and try to balance overweight with self-esteem without blaming themselves for being fat – although want to stay fit and healthy. For sure I am on the second band.

Are  you a Body Positivity fan? Has Body Positivity Movement had a positive impact in the plus size community? Blessings and hugs.