Stefanie London gets serious about body positivity

Usually I try to keep these blogs posts (and my social media, in general) fairly light. I think a lot of other people do that too—keep it positive, keep it light. But that can lead to the presentation of a false image. People might look at my social media I post and think everything is sunshine and rainbows all of the time.

It’s not.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very happy person. Most days I’m extremely satisfied with my life, my career, and my relationships. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have moments of self-doubt. One of the biggest thing I’ve battled with over the years is body image. It’s really only been in the last few years that I’ve actually had success in creating a more positive space in my head for how I view my body.

#teamlace

I know this a little different to what you’re used to seeing on this blog, but it’s something I feel is important and that people might be able to relate to. Today, I want to share some of the things that I’ve done to get closer being comfortable in my own skin.

I buy myself nice lingerie

For a long time I skipped out on buying pretty, lacy under things.  I’d think ‘I’ll do that when I lost weight’ (that statement has plagued me my whole teenage and adult life) and of course I’m a normal person, my weight has gone up and down. I went years without buying anything but functional underwear, despite really wanting the frilly versions. 

It was a form of punishment really, because I felt like my body didn’t deserve pretty things. Now I treat myself, because goddammit I like lacy things.

I surround myself with diverse, positive images

I have definitely have fallen prey to the recalibration of “what’s normal” (for lack of a better word) by reading too many fashion magazines. These day we have more control of the images we consume because we can choose what profiles we follow. So I’ve filled my Instagram and Facebook feeds with more body positive accounts. That way I’m seeing bodies of all types rather than just the ‘ideal’. I Heart My Body on Facebook is just one example.

I threw out my ‘skinny’ clothes

I had almost a suitcase full of stuff that doesn’t fit. Some of it was really old. But I brought that crap to Canada with me and it’s been this horrible ghost haunting my wardrobe ever since. Every time I had to go into the suitcase to pack for a holiday I felt bad about myself. I felt like a failure. So I ditched it I figure, if I do lose weight in the future I’ll treat my 

One of my veggie-filled dinners

self to new clothes then. But if I don’t, that’s cool too.

I focus on what to eat instead of what not to eat

For a long time, I focused on restriction and what to avoid. Guess what, that only makes you crave a bunch of stuff that’s supposedly off-limits. Now I try to focus on what’s good for me and trying to incorporate as much of that as possible. I think about how to eat as many different types of veggies as possible, I think about which fruit I’m going to have with my afternoon tea. I focus on nutrients instead of restriction.

I’d love to hear what you do to love yourself? Do you take bubbles baths, go for walks or indulge in nice body products? Let’s get some self-love happening in the comments.