The journey towards self-love.

I’ve always been one of the “bigger” girls in my friendship groups, classes and sports teams. I was never bullied about my body shape or weight growing up, but I would be lying if I said that it didn’t bother me or shake my self-confidence. Let’s face it- the women that you see in magazines, on television and on Instagram don’t make it any easier. Society has a cruel way of making you believe that you have to look a certain way to be beautiful. 

I think it was only in my first year of university in 2011 that I started loving myself and the body that I was in. It wasn’t an instant self-love, it was a very gradual process and to be honest, it’s still something that I have to remind myself of because it doesn’t always come naturally. 

One of the major contributors towards my self-love has to be my faith. God made me unique and beautiful in His image, how can I not love myself? Is that not an insult to God’s creation? I believe that every woman on this earth is beautiful in her own way and nobody should ever make her feel otherwise. Another contributor is definitely the women in my family and friendship groups- ladies, there is nothing more beautiful than a group of women that love, encourage and support one another. Lastly, my husband. I am so grateful for a man that tells me everyday that I am beautiful, but still encourages me towards a healthier lifestyle.

I think that the aspect of self-love will also help me in my Dietetics career as I am pursuing a career that encourages individuals to be healthy. For me, loving myself is what makes me want to adopt a healthier lifestyle and loving my body makes me want to look after and treasure it. I want to encourage women to practice self-love, because in order to care for and look after something, you need to love it first- right? Loving yourself is the first step towards being the best version of YOU, and I encourage you to start today because I wish it was something that I had done from a younger age rather than focusing on what I believed everyone else thought of me.

“When we love something we tend to its needs with respect and compassion. Loving your body is the same.”