I have never been the petite girl, or the girl that has long Barbie legs, or the girl with thighs that “never touched”. I am the girl that has a booty, the girl that has athletic and muscular legs, and the girl that has some curves.
![67028_597491959730_56904538_34305671_4289605_n[1]](http://www.myfoodnfitnessdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/67028_597491959730_56904538_34305671_4289605_n1.jpg "67028_597491959730_56904538_34305671_4289605_n[1]")
In today’s society, chicken legs and being super skinny is sought after and supposedly “attractive”. Needless to say, it hasn’t always been easy being the girl with some curves. There’s time and time again where I tell myself that “I should just lose 5-10 pounds” so I can have thinner thighs. But in reality, even at my lowest weight several years ago (during a very unhealthy time), I still had my curves.
Lately I feel as though I’ve been caught up in trying to “shrink” my thighs and butt again, and I finally woke up this morning realizing that I needed to snap out of it. I’m sick and tired of trying to transform my body into something it’s not. I need to embrace my curves! I’m never going to be the girl that has long and skinny legs with huge boobs. That’s just not how my body is made.
I am going to have a new attitude. An attitude that is thankful for what I do have. Maybe I don’t have super long and skinny legs, but at least I do have strong and muscular legs to help me run and play sports with my husband. Maybe I do have a booty, but at least I have some shape to my rear!
![33402_1539184486189_1432221279_31394613_2763477_n[1]](http://www.myfoodnfitnessdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/33402_1539184486189_1432221279_31394613_2763477_n1.jpg "33402_1539184486189_1432221279_31394613_2763477_n[1]")
I encourage you to have the same attitude: be thankful for what you do have! It’s easy to want what you don’t have, but that makes life so unpleasant. Embrace your body for what it is and don’t beat yourself up by trying to be something you’re not.
Questions:
- Are you ever self conscious of your body or specific parts of your body?
- How do YOU embrace your attributes and qualities?
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE this post! I am in the EXACT same boat. I’ve always been tall, big boned, muscular. Only very recently have I started trying to see that I am LUCKY to have what I have. As long as you treat what you’ve been given in a healthy, positive way, you will be a healthy, happy, beautiful person. It seems like you have such a good, positive attitude towards your body
I think it’s one that should be emulated.
Have a great day!
thank you kaitlyn! my attitude is a work in progress.
This was a great post!!! Especially as woman I think we are all too hard on ourselves, I know I have been MANY times. It’s so true, we need to embrace and be thankful for the bodies we have, love ourselves for who we are. There are many people out there that would LOVE to have your body and you need to remember that when you get too down on yourself!
Thanks for sharing this post, it was a great reminder!!!
Girl, I love you! This post is something that I especially needed to hear because I’m in a very similar boat at the moment. I’ve definitely got more “curvage” to me and am not naturally thin by any means, but that just means that we’ve got more lovin’ going on!
Keep up that attitude! You are gorgeous
i love you too gorgeous girl!
As someone who has the skinny legs and small butt, I am jealous of people like you. I would love to have more curves down there … seriously. But no matter how much I eat, I wouldn’t gain weight down there … the weight would only go to my upper body. For me, the issue is always the midsection. No matter what I do, I have a little bit of a belly pooch. But overall, I know I’m healthy and I’ve learned to be very happy with my body … pooch and all!
that’s awesome girl, and you LOOK awesome! xoxo
Love this post! I am a new reader (from Scottsdale – shout out for AZ people!) and I have always been athletic with a booty! (Or, as my friends and I call a white girls booty a “Wooty”
) Only recently did I realize how many GIRLS are actually jealous of us athletic ones with curves! Seriously! Sometimes you think the grass is greener on the other side, but I’ve known girls with big boobs who said they would give them up for a booty. Embrace those curves – God made you the way you are for a reason! 
welcome liz! thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
woohoo for arizonians!! hehe.
love you sis! <3
right back at-chya sister!
Love this post & I’m totally with you!
I am totally self conscious, but i try all the time not to be. I just have to remember, I’ll never be a stick figure (w/ big boobs).
Awesome post! And you are gorgeous, Ashley!
My mom and husband always tell me that I have a warped sense of reality when I look in the mirror. They see something totally different than I do, and it is the same way with my friends. I see their beauty even if they can’t. I am here to tell you that you are gorgeous Ashley! Seriously, be proud of your body! You work hard, feed it right, and it shows! You are not only healthy on the inside, but on the outside as well! The body part I always have a hard time with is my stomach area. I literally don’t have a waist, my hip bones almost touch my ribs, so it always makes me feel self conscious that I look wide. It is definitly something I struggle with every day, but I am working on it!
thank you jana! you’re too sweet. xoxo
This is such a beautiful and inspirational post! You are absolutely gorgeous.
I actually envy your curves. I have the flat butt, skinny legs thing going on…but, I’m working on strength training to improve that. And I’m learning to embrace my body for what it is. It’s so funny how we always want what we can’t have! <3
I feel the same as you, I wish I could shrink parts of my body. BUT, they help me run half marathons in a half decent time! Go us!
I LOVE this post! Such a positive way of thinking! I totally needed to read this today!
“It’s easy to want what you don’t have, but that makes life so unpleasant. ” You are SO right and this is exactly what I needed to hear today. I’m very self conscious, sometimes ridiculously so – and I have been for as long as I can remember. I’m tall and curvy, and I know it is silly, but sometimes I just feel so much bigger than everyone else. My mom, husband and friends have told me that I’m crazy, but I just don’t see what they see.
they are definitely a factor.
I learned awhile ago to embrace the booty, but I am still not a big fan of my thighs. I blame genetics
I’ve actually been thinking about this “stuff” for the last few days though and I think I’m finally done *trying* to embrace what I am – I’m ready to just do it already.
you go girl!! we can do this!
you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Great idea… I was just thinking today how sad it is that people (myself included) waste so much time worrying about their figures. And its true- the grass is always greener!! Everyone is different so I agree with the embrace and rock what you have idea
amen! i’ve always had a booty and i’ve always loved it! (and guys do too! haha)
I feel the same way as you. I always feel like losing a few pounds will make my thighs smaller, stomach tighter … but when I was underweight, my thighs still touched, my stomach still wasn’t completely flat …. so like you, I’m trying to accept my shape. It definitely helps when there’s a guy around who appreciates the body you have, most guys prefer the curves
Good job for the positive message, and you’re beautiful so remember that!
I totally agree—strength training is just that, it makes you STRONGER. I think physically feeling stronger has made me that way emotionally as well, and that all makes embracing a little bit sweeter
I’m the exact same way! I will ALWAYS have wide hips & larger thighs. It’s something I’ve just come to accept. I think since putting more of an emphasis on eating healthy & working out, I’ve definitely toned that area, but the way my body is built will never change.
Great post Ashley!
I’m sure your hubby loves them.
AMEN!!! You look great, Ash!
So true that once we start to embrace what we’ve got, life gets just a tad sweeter! Besides, living life super small was NOT awesome for me at.all. It plain sucked. I was not happy, and no clothes fit right. Ever. Now, I can wear clothes that look good on my body, not just hanging off, ya know?
OK I just found your blog and I already feel like we are kindred spirits! First of all, I feel the EXACT same way about my body, so just know you are not alone. I am constantly clicking on ‘best butt firmer moves’ and ’10 ways to get leaner thighs’ but deep down I know that my body is unique and I should embrace it, but yea, it is hard to do! Also, I think we wore the exact same wedding dress!! I loved it and you looked beautiful in it too…definitely a good dress to show off a figure with a few curves
yay! welcome leah! thanks for stopping by.
i love that we we wore the same/similar wedding dress! i loved it!
Amen, girlfriend
I’m a curvy one, too! I am thankful I am fortunate enough to have access to healthy foods and exercise facilities that allow me to take of the precious body God gave me. I believe we all worry about our body image, big or small, but lately I’ve learned to overcome all of that nonsense and be thankful I have two legs that allow me to move. Great post!
exactly!! well said!
LOVE this post – I totally hear you! I spent so long trying to get rid of my thighs and my wide hips, but it’s part of me and it’s obviously how my body was made. No shame!
Ok, I don’t know if you know, but I am an emotional girl and you totally made me cry! WAY TO GO GIRL! hahahaha no but seriously two things:
- think about this A LOT. I am short. And I ALWAYS will be! I can’t change it! I also have some other characteristic about my body that I tend to analyze, but they are me and I just need to love them
Because I love me 
- second thing: you quickly became one of my favourite bloggers. I seriously just read a few of your posts over the past few days, added you on my google reader, and now I can’t get enough of you <3
lots of love!
aww i’m sorry i made you cry! your words are so sweet though – thanks for always giving me a smile!
Just found your blog. Love it. I think this is a great post and something women, of all ages, can get caught up with so easily. I appreciate your perspective. I am definitely embracing my pregnancy curves these days!!
woot!! welcome brittnie! thanks for stopping by.
and congrats on your pregnancy – how exciting!
Love this (and I’m loving the new blog look!) – I definitely can be self-concious about my body sometimes, but I’m happy to say that it doesn’t happen all that often anymore. I also have a bigger booty and larger thighs, but that’s because they’re strong
Well, my thighs are strong. I can’t say the same about my booty – but I am just thankful that it fills out my jeans!
Great post! I totally agree with you, we each have to just love ourselves and not let society affect our attitude about how we perceive our body image. I’m a girl with muscular thighs and a booty as well and though it’s hard not to be jealous of stick skinny models, I do enjoy looking up to celebrities and other women who EMBRACE their curves!
YOU ARE GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! I had time to read this before I leave for Illinois and I just want to say thank you for being an amazing blog friend! And seriously girl, you are so pretty and I’m glad that you are striving to embrace the way you look. I can often get caught up in the things I want to change and it’s not worth it. Seriously, we would be amazing friends. We need to meet!!
aw linds, you’re too sweet, thank you for your kind words and encouragement! i agree – i know we’re friends that were made for each other!
we’ll meet someday…i’m sure of it!
yep, i am in the muscle girl’s club! it’s sometimes hard to accept and i wish i had long, slim legs.. but i have learned to embrace my body type over the years!
This is SUCH a great post and I can totally relate!! I have a butt, strong, muscular legs and some curves. And like you, I’ve never been that girl with the “thighs that never touch” but I’ve always envied girls that had those skinny legs. My boyfriend always tells me that guys actually find strong, athletic legs the most attractive on women, but it’s hard to convince myself of that when everything that our culture tells us is that we need to be skinny.
Thanks so much for the reminder to be THANKFUL for our strength and beauty. I needed to hear this today!
This is a great post! And so true. You go girl, you are fabulous, beautiful and strong! You rock!
I love this post! I’m built similarly, it is very easy for me to gain muscle in my butt and thighs and even when I’ve been underweight, my body still maintains some shape. Even though I struggle with body image issues about my “runners legs”, I try to remind myself that they’re strong because I’ve worked hard and trained hard. I should be lucky to have legs that have carried me through marathons.
Thanks for posting this, I love the self-love
!
This is such a great post! I have always had to tell myself that I will never be the girl that has the long skinny legs. I am who I am and that is enough.
Everyone’s journey is different. Do I have to be reminded of that sometimes? Yes. Is it still a struggle not comparing myself to other women? Yes. But then I read things like this and it’s power to the hips! 
YES!
absolutely love everything you said!
Gosh I loved this post Ashley and something I really NEED to read today! I am also tried of trying to change my body into something it’s not… incredibly exhausted by it! Thank you for this today and the reminder to love and appreciate ourselves
i’m so glad it helped! it felt good to just write it too.
Great post, Ashley! Sound words that I know we can ALL benefit from hearing – certainly the average person does NOT look like what society says should be average and I’m with you in the muscular department – no long, thin lines here.
Some days I wish it was different, most days I love it…learning more and more to value exactly who I am. Thanks for this reminder!
Omg your posts make me sick. You obsess over working out or splurging on a cookie and then just say I am embracing my curves. Good for you if you do and can make that change but seriously obsessing over what you eat and when you will work out every single day is not healthy and I do not believe you are being honest with yourself. I am a recovering bulimic and find it hard to read your blog without feeling self conscious. If you really think you have some curves as in extra dough…you are crazy. I wish I could read a blog where the obsession wasn’t weight exercise food to the extreme. It’s just frustrating.
i’m sorry you feel that way. if so, there’s plenty of other blogs out there for you to read! i try to be open and honest on my blog, and i primarily focus on food & fitness because that’s what this blog is about! as for you saying that i’m “obsessive” about working out – i rarely ever workout for more than an hour each day and always take at least one rest day per week. that is NOT obsessive. i’ve never claimed to be “perfect”, and i’ve definitely had my own struggles.
I still struggle with this intermittently, and I hate that I do….I have this awful habit of looking back at pictures of myself when I was younger and wishing I still looked like that, and wishing my legs fit into pants better….I have really muscular thigh and butt muscles from years of competitive figure skating that I get frustrated about, even though I shouldn’t. During one of my confident and proud -of-my-skater-booty moments, I wrote this post about “skinny legs” and embracing my musculature: http://wp.me/pVLR9-FA
i can relate to also having very muscular thighs and glutes from playing volleyball for years! just read your post – loved it! keep embracing those curves girlfriend!
Great post! I have such a flat chest and am always like meh…but my strong legs let me do what I want and my lack of chestage means that I don’t have to wear a bra if I don’t want to. There’s always an upside!
OMG just came across this post – love it girl!!!! I too naturally gain weight in my lower body and have a serious booty. The hubby loves it and I’m trying to embrace it just as much
I too always tried to get my weight down to have super thin thighs, hips, and butt but that is just not by body type…even at my lowest weight I still had hips! No matter what I do no weight goes to my upper body or face – super annoying but I guess we should be so happy to have a nice booty – most girls would kill for that! And those curves you may have seen in my chest area, yeah those were paid for 
So you and I really really are similar girl….let’s embrace our healthy bodies to make babies!!!!! xoxo