body acceptance

Why Is It So Hard To Imagine Our Lives After Dieting?

Dieting isn’t just a practice; it’s a way of life. What do we do when we don’t have any more calories to count and we have to deal with the wide-open space left in their wake?

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One of the most important realizations I’ve made recently that has positively affected my mental health is the power of saying something out loud. Image: Matt Joseph Diaz.

5 Ways To Actually Become Body Positive

When we write articles about body image, we often speak in the abstract about big ideas and how we approach social interaction — but how exactly does one become body positive? What are the nuts and bolts that’ll lead you to a more positive sense of self, both physically and emotionally?

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Mondays With Matt

Mondays With Matt: Dealing With Folks Staring At Your Body In Public

Matt talks about how to deal with being stared at. 

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I felt super cute in a dress that exposed every inch of my big, wobbly arms, and that felt like a total triumph. But it reminded me of the limitations of cuteness as a measure of freedom. Image: Virgie Tovar/Instagram.

Talking About My Activism In Front Of The Elders Who Made It Possible

A historian told me once to always be suspicious of anyone who used the word "progress" to describe the unfolding of events from past to present and from present to future. History is full of instances of change, she said, but it’s important to remember that change isn’t the same as progress.

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I wasn’t just wearing a swimsuit; I was moving in one. Image: Thinkstock.

How I Overcame My Swimsuit Phobia And Learned To Appreciate My Body

My swimsuit phobia started in middle school — that breeding ground of body shame and fear. One minute I’m a kid excitedly putting on my pink two-piece and running into the ocean, the next, I’m avoiding any place where people are known to live in their swimsuits and I might be forced to wear one.

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If I don't start embracing the body I am in, my daughter loses, too. Image: Dahiana Candelo/Unsplash.

My Post-Pregnancy Body Doesn't Feel Like It's Mine Anymore

I understand that feeling good is far more important than looking good. But it's hard to not get caught up in the frenzy to lose all the baby weight when that's the only thing everyone seems to comment on post-delivery.

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I loved the pool with the all-consuming fervor I reserved for so many of summer’s pleasures. Image: alondav/Pixabay.

The Plus Side Of Being A Plus-Size Lifeguard

From my earliest memories of splashing my siblings at the community swimming pool, I had an idea of what lifeguards looked like — young, tall, and lithe, with tanned limbs and form-fitting swimsuits meant to accentuate the athleticism of their bodies.

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I'm more intrigued (and somewhat amused) by the signs of aging that seem to have suddenly hit like a ton of bricks than I am bummed out about them. Image: Thinkstock

8 Ways Aging Has Crept Up On Me That I'm Weirdly OK With

I'm proud to be where I'm at in life, even if it means spending more time buying bunion-cushioning shoe inserts and various vitamin supplements than it does staying out late with friends getting sushi and drinks. What is somewhat bizarre to me, however, is how the signs of getting older have crept up on me. Big time.

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