Sometimes it gets away from me. I’d like to be able to not have to worry so much about every single thing I put in my mouth or whether I’ve worked out 37 hours this week or feel judged every time I eat a potato chip. And there are plenty of skinny people who are judgmental and rude and awful. But by the same token, there are plenty of people who aren’t skinny who unfairly judge those who have what they think they want.

I think the key is to find a way to be comfortable in your own skin. No matter what size or shape you are. But none of us is perfect. We all struggle with something.

I hate that I’m fat. I hate that I’m short. I hate that I was bullied and teased in high school. I hate that strangers still make fun of me.

Most of all I hate that I can’t seem to change myself.

Thank you for writing this.

Melimsah: I have to buy kids’ shoes too, because I wear a size 5 and no adult shoe store (at least none of them here) stocks shoes that small. It sucks that someone would shout that out of a car at you. People can be such assholes!

Victoria: It kind of opens your eyes to how we talk to and treat kids, doesn’t it?

Vallie: If half the internet collapsed in on itself I like to think that would mean that the level of conversation would improve (I wouldn’t mind it so much if the anonymous haters suddenly got bored and moved on) I have no words of wisdom on working out–I suck at it too.

Natalie: in high school people used to tease me about having an eating disorder because I could never finish a whole plate of food. Today my FIL teases me about having a tapeworm because I don’t sit down and eat huge meals but I am constantly hungry and snack on things all day long. Oh! And the pregnancy thing! I have given myself permission to let that be the ONE time I am allowed to unload on someone and get in their face about being so judgmental. I am very much looking forward to it.

Meg: Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just like each other instead of comparing how we all measure up first? But then, like others have said, half the internet would implode

I remember being somewhere with my two-year-old son and his newborn sister and someone thinking that they were my baby siblings — and I was 27 at the time.

I have friends that get angry when I complain about needing to lose weight or being unsatisfied with my body because I am not morbidly obese.

And because I don’t stuff my gullet with everything in sight when I go somewhere, my family always urges me to eat! eat! is that all you’re eating?? I don’t have an eating disorder, but I am a vegetarian whose is heart-conscious and fat-conscious of my diet, so there isn’t always a huge selection and I know that I don’t have to eat an entire plateful to be “full.”

I am constantly being criticized about what and how I eat by my co-workers and family, and then I get to hear them complain about how they are fat. Well, maybe you should be poking less fun and taking more notes.

And yes, the clothes that fit my height don’t always fit my body size. And it is a pain and I hate shopping. I feel you.

This was a very brave post to write. I hope that people will start to see that if you are a woman living in the United States, you probably have body issues. It doesn’t matter what kind they are — we should all be allowed to express them. And maybe one day, body issues will be a thing of the past and we can all learn to accept what we’ve been given to work with and not made to feel like a freakshow because we don’t look like those airbrushed, siliconed, liposucked “role models” in the media.

In the interest of sharing pain, I’ve been dealing with weight issues since puberty as well as issues of rock bottom self esteem. I’m overweight, and not just a little bit. I could lose 100 lbs and still be considered overweight. Beyond a factor of self image, I know it’s horribly unhealthy for me to be the size I am. However, I have horrible back pain issues. The last time I seriously tried working out on a regular basis, I wound up in pain that would bring me to tears on a nightly basis. While I strive to eat healthier, I like cheeseburgers and ice cream. Not together, mind you, ew. As you stated, while I’m totally ok with who I am on the inside, there’s still a lot of work to be done on coming to terms with my outward appearance. I know the first assumption would be this is something I could easily change, but really, if it really were that easy, would anyone be overweight? Luckily, my husband really likes bigger girls so he’s constantly telling me how wonderful and beautiful I am as I am. Bless his soul.

When I looked at your picture above, and gave it that close serious look, the thought that came to mind was “This is Erin”. It was acceptance of a face to go with a conversation. I have no urge to force feed you cookies. However, I have some double stuff oreos and if you want, I’m willing to share. I’m not a pusher, I’m an enabler.

When I look at other people, I try very hard not to displace my insecurities onto them. When I see a person who is more conventionally attractive than I, I don’t react so much with anger, but more with envy. Sure, I’d like to look different. Who wouldn’t? But even if my appearance were to somehow change, I’d still have issues. Who doesn’t? Nothing is perfect, and the grass is always greener.

In the end, we all just have to work as individuals towards having the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change what we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Maybe in the process, society as a whole can come to an agreement to help build each other up, instead of tearing each other apart, but then half of the internet would just collapse in on itself, and then where would we be?

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Banana Cave, snarke. snarke said: @femmewrites dont know if you saw my last tweet, http://snarke.net/2010/07/05/i-eat-plenty-no-i-dont-want-to-use-my-mothers-discount-card/ [...]

It really is amazing how it does go the other way. Skinny girls who “are part of the status quo” by societies standards are often, or many times even more, self-conscious and hating of their body as the status quo demands fat people to be — and vice versa, I know some REALLY hefty women who are SO PROUD of their bodies that when someone at the gym even insinuates that they’re there to lose weight, they glare at them and are like “Who says I’m here to lose weight? I’m here to build muscle and stamina, just like you, skinny.”

I wish we could live in a world where we can just be happy with ourselves, and not have to compare with one another, but I guess that’s how we’ve always been. And it makes me feel bad, cuz I’m one of those people who are like “Guh, you have NO RIGHT complaining of that skinny butt!” Although to be fair, I’ve had someone shout out their car door (car DOOR, open, while it’s moving) that I need to “Eat a salad, bitch.” -_- I’d trade you. I like kid meals. XD Okay, sorry.

Basically, in the end, it all comes down to what we feel is “ideal” branded by the fashion industry and our society, and what we know about our bodies, cuz seriously, even the supermodels will look at themselves and find many many faults. And it’s not our fault — our ideals are based off of photoshopped pictures and outdated standards (average woman shoe size in 1940′s – 6. Now? – 9. WOULD YOU GET THAT THROUGH YOUR BRAINS SHOE STORES?!?! XD)

Sorry, I’m just rambling. But…. I liked your post. I like that you were so honest and put us in our place. I have a hard time going places because I’m worried about being judged and ridiculed – I often forget that I do alot of that myself… we all do… it’s good to be reminded of that, and, you know, try our best not to be dicks.