Okay so I tried this whole “love my chubby body more” thing last month. Honestly? Felt kinda impossible at first. My brain kept yelling about stretch marks and that soft tummy pouch. But hey, seven ways? I decided to just dive in and document the mess.
The Awkward Beginnings
Day one involved standing butt naked in front of my bathroom mirror. Felt super awkward. The instructions said “acknowledge your body without judgment.” Yeah, right. My brain immediately started listing flaws: “Too soft here, dimpled there…” Took deep breaths. Just stared. Forced myself to say, out loud: “This body got me through today. Thanks.” Felt stupid, but slightly… calmer?
Ditching the Scale (Sorta)
This was harder than I thought. My stupid scale lives right next to the shower. That morning, my toes practically itched to step on it out of habit. I physically picked it up and shoved it into the linen closet under stacks of towels. Out of sight, sorta out of mind. The urge to dig it out was crazy for the first few days. Felt weirdly freeing after a week, not having that number define my morning mood.
The Closet Purge Disaster
Ugh, the clothes. Pulled out jeans I hadn’t worn comfortably in years, tops clinging too tight. Felt like crap just looking at them. The guide said: “Remove anything that makes you feel bad RIGHT NOW.” Not “might fit later.” So I grabbed a huge garbage bag. Shoved in two pairs of “goal” jeans, that one scratchy sequinned top, and that cursed tight pencil skirt. Bag went straight to the charity bin. The extra space in my closet felt like relief.
Actually Finding Something Fun to Wear
Now came the tricky part: finding clothes I felt awesome in today. Not hiding, not pretending. I dragged my best friend shopping. Told her my mission: find things that fit now and made me smile. Tried on a flowy dress with giant sunflowers – way bolder than my usual. She cheered. Tried high-waisted leggings and a bright hoodie that felt cozy, not constricting. Found a soft knit jumpsuit that felt like pajamas but looked decent. Bought those three things. Wore the hoodie and leggings the next day. Felt… cute?
Moving This Body (Sans Punishment)
Exercise usually meant dread. This time I tried something radical: doing stuff that actually feels good. Ditched the punishing treadmill sessions for… dance videos in my living room. Turned off the lights so I couldn’t see my reflection jiggling. Just felt the beat, jumped around like an idiot. Also tried gentle yoga – mostly focusing on stretching, breathing. Zero concern about calories burned. More giggles, less gasping. My knees? Forget it.
Nixing the Negative Self-Talk Police
My brain is a jerk. Caught it constantly: “Ugh, so fat,” “Why did you eat that?” The practice involved interrupting those thoughts IMMEDIATELY. Seriously, like flicking off a mental light switch. When “Ugh, tummy” popped up walking by a mirror, I literally said aloud: “Nope. Body carried groceries. Thanks.” Started replacing with simple factuals: “Legs work. Arms function.” Slowly, the nasty voice quieted down a notch. Still there, just… shushed.
Finding My People
Scrolled through social media accounts of folks who actually looked like me. Real bodies, living real lives. Found a couple bloggers who wore cute outfits without trying to look smaller. Followed photographers who showcased diversity. Unfollowed anyone triggering those awful “not good enough” pangs. Seeing beauty in similar shapes felt… validating? Less alone.
The “Thanks” Thing Stuck
Ended each day listing one thing my body did well that day. Didn’t have to look good doing it. Just: “Got me up that big hill without my knee screaming.” Or “Made me laugh so hard my belly shook.” Or “Let me taste that amazing chocolate.” Simple. Concrete. Focusing on action, not appearance, felt radically different.
Results? Still chubby. Still got rolls. But the panic looking in the mirror? Way less. Putting on clothes isn’t a battle anymore. That nagging “hate” voice? Still murmurs, but it’s lost its megaphone. It’s not magic, more like changing the radio station one annoying frequency at a time. Kinda proud I actually stuck with the messy experiment.
