Alden

What places on your body do you hope to see differently?

Definitely my lower tummy and my back rolls. Also my bum/thighs.

How do you feel about them currently?

I often think they are too large and take up too much space. There have been times when I just wished they would shrink or flatten. There are also times (not so much about my belly, but more my butt/thighs) where I am so grateful and amazed by how strong and supple they are!

How do you react, what happens, when you see these parts of your body negatively?

When I feel negative about my body (especially my stomach), I don’t like looking at pictures of myself because literally, all I will see is my lower belly bulge (even when I was a size 00 I *noticed* this). There have been times where I have locked myself in my bedroom and cried over how much I disliked this part of my body. It caused me to really beat myself up emotionally over not feeling like enough.

Who would you be if you loved your body?

It would definitely save me a lot of time and worry. I am working on loving my body more and more each day. I would say. She has gone from being a hated enemy and cage, to an acquaintance I have affection and admiration for, but who still sometimes bothers me. I am really hoping to get to the point where I can unconditionally love and accept her, and find joy in her each day—gushy parts and all. There are DEFINITELY moments where I find this, especially as I start to appreciate the beauty that is the female form and all the different, gorgeous, confident ways in which I see it manifest in my friends and loved ones.

What hopes do you have that would arise when other people see these images? When you see these images?

I hope that it inspires other people to see their bodies in a more positive light. I also want people to see bodies like theirs represented. We get so inundated with Hollywood-Esque and Photoshopped images, with bodies that look like Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner, that we think there is only one way to be beautiful—and we have to sacrifice all else to look that way. I hope that people, myself included, will start to realize ALL bodies are beautiful. I also hope this continues a movement that normalizes authentic bodies that aren’t photoshopped or given plastic surgery beyond recognition. Everyone is beautiful and worthy of love exactly as they are.