Lady in Red



Hello, darlings!

 

I can't believe it's already Wednesday...this week is flying by! Today, I am styling another gorgeous dress from Chicwish and introducing my second topic for the Real Talk series....body positivity. Body positivity is something we all struggle with, myself included, so I thought it would be a great topic to cover. :-)

Outfit Details:

 

Dress: Chicwish c/o | Shoes: Shein (old - love these!) | Bag: Kate Spade (old - similar here)| Necklace | Cuff

 

 

When I saw this dress, I immediately thought... princess! It is so regal and beautiful and although, I'm not the hugest fan of wearing red, I thought I could make an exception for this beauty. The lace design is absolutely divine and the quality is amazing. I am definitely the girl that is always over-dressed (obviously) so I know a good special occasion dress when I see one ;-) Of course, this would be a great wedding guest outfit! I wanted to add an element of fun so I styled it with these adorable bow heels. One bow is never enough so I accessorized with an ivory bow crossbody bag. I went a bit conservative on my jewelry by finishing off the look with a small sparkly necklace, dainty pearl cuff and dainty gold ring. Love!

 

---------------------------------

 

 

Okay...real talk time. This might surprise you, but the subject of positive body image is very hard for me to talk about when concerning my own body. I think that I have always been self-conscious of my looks and that stems back to when I was really young. I still remember a lot of things that have been said to me during the years....ignorant people asking if I was plus-size, people always buying clothing at least four times my normal size for gifts, and of course, the ever popular "fat and ugly" comments. Of course, none of these things are true but it does take a toll on a person psychologically when it happens for years on end.

I was never super thin. I've always been a bit more on the curvy side....and having curves can be frustrating sometimes when it comes to fashion. I am very pear shaped with wider hips that I have never fully loved, which is part of the reason that I love wearing dresses (the other reason being that dresses are just awesome!). In additional, being under five foot accentuates those curves even more. Now there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with having curves...or not having curves. I just think that sometimes it's human nature to desire what we don't have.

When it comes to being active, I have always made this a part of my life. I played soccer and cheered all through high school and after I graduated, I discovered that I loved hiking and yoga. I gained a few extra pounds after high school as most people do and lost it before I got married. I was in the best shape of my life and for once, I was actually proud of my body. Over the last few years, a combination of bad eating habits and lack of time for the gym have contributed to weight gain once again. It has been even more frustrating this time around as the weight just seems to stay no matter what I do. My self esteem was lower than it's ever been and as crazy as it sounds, I would turn down opportunities because I wasn't happy with the way I looked. I didn't like what I saw in the mirror and I would feel so down when I tried on my favorite dresses that no longer fit.

 

This issue has been weighing so heavily on me. I let myself go because I got too busy taking care of other things that I thought were a priority at the time. It's so funny....I'm crazy obsessive when it comes to taking care of my skin...organizing and color coordinating my closet...caring for my shoes and handbags....but when it comes to my body, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I am SO bad with eating. Seriously, I must be the pickiest eater. I don't eat a ton of fast food, but I don't eat super great either. Vegetables are my arch nemesis. As much as I want to like them, I just can't seem to get over the texture and taste. And as for the gym, I feel like I have lost all motivation. I haven't been to my yoga class in over 9 months and I used to up to 5 times a week! And now that I have a little bit of extra time, I am still not motivated to go.

 

I have been thinking so hard about this and realized that I need to stop making excuses for myself. There are many people out there just as busy as I am that make time to work out. I don't like the way I look or the way that I have been feeling so I'm going to do something about it. As a perfectionist, this is SO difficult for me and I have not had a ton of support in this area, but I do know that I need to be healthy.  I have already started the process of clean eating and getting back into the gym groove and I am already feeling better. Body positivity is definitely a mindset. I know that I am not the only that has or will feel this way, but negative thoughts can consume a person and create unnecessary stress.

 

I feel like body issues are so common now-a-days, especially on social media. It is huge deal! I feel like it is so important to support one another in our journeys, no matter what that entails. I also feel like it is important to stick up for others when they are being beaten down for the way they look or for doing something they love. I am so glad that I have such a strong and supportive community of women around me to get through this (surprisingly, this is probably my biggest struggle). After beating myself up for the longest time, I have finally come to terms with my body type. I am not going to look a certain way and that is totally fine. I am just so happy and excited about making the healthy lifestyle change that I have been so desperately needing.

 

With that being said, if you have any great recipes, exercises or eating/workout tips, let me know! I definitely appreciate the help :-)

 

Thank you so much for your support!

 

xo