A Compliment?

Originally a Facebook post.

Apparently I’ve lost some weight recently. Please stop complimenting me on this, because it really isn’t a compliment to me. Feel free to tell me you think I’m attractive, just don’t say it’s because of some change in my body.

Because when you “compliment” me, all I hear is that I used to be less attractive, and that part of me that changed was bad the way it was before. And that leads to thinking about how how I could/should/need-to loose more weight.

I had a rude awakening to body shame in grade 7. I spent a number of years in high school ignoring my body. I spent a number of years after that not liking it, thinking it should be different. Then I started working to accept my body, and realized that I actually really do like it.

Some of this was pretty easy. I have great eyes and curly hair. For the most part I’ve always been cool with how much body hair I have.

Some of this took a lot of work. In a single thought I could appreciate a big belly on another guy and simultaneously wish that mine would magically disappear.

I have stretch marks; I used to hate them. Now I call them my tiger stripes ’cause they kinda look like claw marks and I like them because they’re part of what makes my body mine.

I love my belly. I love my thighs. No, I don’t have a hydrodynamic swimmer’s body. I also have no need of one on a regular basis. My body is optimized for cuddling, for hugs, and my body hair is perfect to be augmented by glitter. Sounds like a pretty good body to me.

Our bodies are so amazing. Let’s celebrate them together, ‘kay?