Fat experiences

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

People who have learned to like (or even just not hate) being fat, how have you done it? What do you love about your body, and why?

I'm in eating disorder treatment right now for atypical anorexia, and even though I'm eating again, I really struggle to accept my body. I'm not looking for medical advice. I just want to know how others experience their bodies in a positive way, especially if they didn't at first. I'm trying to find things to like about mine.
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

Firstly, I wish you the very best as you recover.
I used to have some very bad habits which I’m glad to say are no more.
The mind is so powerful, but when that power is working against you it can feel overwhelming which won’t make anyone feel their best.
You may not feel it now, but that doesn’t mean you never will, hold on to hope.
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

John Smith:
If you don't feel comfortable with your body, then lose some weight. Plain simple.

Heavier woman can still choose to done cosmetic surgery or waist-training, but what's the relevance about a male gainer to shed his fat belly? If you don't like it, then get rid of it.

gainerboi:
I understand that they didn't want medical advice - which none of us can give - but that doesn't justify this response...

John Smith:
He either asked for an advice or more delusional encouragement to his own self-pitying fat-shaming. I'm not a fan of useless lies.

If that person doesn't feel well about its own appareance, therefore we have to talk about the solution/s.


Your reading comprehension sucks, and you're entirely unqualified to be making suggestions of any kind. Go show off your ignorance somewhere else.
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

becomingoverweight:
Do you like the soft squishiness of your belly at all?
Sometimes!
oinkxoink:
I’m the same way! I love other fat people, but I can’t seem to love myself. Here’s what helps me sometimes though. As cheesy as it sounds, it is a gift to even have a functioning body in the first place. Start by just thanking your body for working properly. Your body is perfect just because it exists.
Definitely food for thought, thank you.
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

PhoenixChimera:
Firstly, I wish you the very best as you recover.
I used to have some very bad habits which I’m glad to say are no more.
The mind is so powerful, but when that power is working against you it can feel overwhelming which won’t make anyone feel their best.
You may not feel it now, but that doesn’t mean you never will, hold on to hope.

Thank you. I'm hopeful I'll get there someday, even if it feels like an alien concept right now.
tongueoncheek:
i'm kinda in the same boat as you OP, recovering from an ED and years of hsting my body.

what helped me was not thinking that much about how i look, and not insulting myself. i've worked on accepting and loving myself, it does take work (you're changing some deep-set pathways in ur brain!). an example would be to just shut down, hush, disregard or counter-attack negative self talk.
other thing is to know that everyone is beautiful in some way and to someone. yeah, sounds like old, overused crab, but it's true. you see those "ugly" couples, holding hands? they're beautiful to each other, in love and happy. you're beautiful enough, good enough and so much more than sinply your body.

though there's also a kind of stigma around fat, things like "fat people are lazy and have no self control". replace "fat people" with "i" and you have what i told myself in the past after gaining 200 grams.
this kinda thinking serves no purpose, it just makes people miserable. enjoying food isn't a moral failing! it's actually the other purpose of food, the first being nutrition, obviously.

sorry this is long and probably rambly, i'm just passionate about this. in short, learn not to think mean things about yourself and learn not to care about what strangers think of you
(easier said than done smiley)

Don't apologize, you've given me a lot to think about! Thanks for your response!
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

Honesty I think the biggest part of anyone accepting themselves as they are is to NOT worry how society sees you.There is too much talk in the world that fat is ugly & being skinny is beautiful.Only you can decide how you feel about yourself.Try an experiment.Set a small gaining goal & work on reaching it.during that time examine & feel the changes in your body.Unless someone is an athlete or works at a job where a lot of strength & endurance is needed,I don't see the sense of denying the pleasures of food & a soft bodyJust my 2 cents....LOL smiley
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

I came here to start a similar thread--I'm really glad to see this here.

I have a friend who is really struggling with their body image right now, and I'm hoping to find more good advice here about changing perceptions of one's own body.

Thank you to those who have offered wisdom so far--I look forward to reading more replies.
4 years

I love bellies...except for my own. how do i change that?

Hi, I’m a lot older than most posters here, so at a different place in my journey. But I started figuring this out...slooooowly...in my late 20s and early 30s. Here are some suggestions:
1. Eat nutritiously, and congratulate yourself on the positive changes you’re making.
2. Stand naked in front of a mirror, and really spend time looking at the things you like, even if that’s just nails and chin.
3. Do a gratitude practice of some kind nightly.
4. Make lists of things you like about yourself. List everything, from kindness to animals, to being a good speller. EVERYTHING. Then make a few copies and post it around your house,
5. Give yourself a full on spa treatment: bath, exfoliation, lotion, and then spend time with the lotion, feeling how nice your soft round parts are.
6. Read some of the stories. Figure out which ones (if any) work for you, and imagine yourself as the heroine.
7. When you’re feeling a little more solid, post some pics here . It’s VERY nice to get lots of positive feedback, even if you have to bat back a few creeps.
Good luck in your recovery process, and well done for reaching out! ✨💐✨
4 years