from housework to headwork

[the_siobhan]

I've been thinking a lot lately about issues of body image and such. Mostly because I don't think I know anybody who is completely content with their own body.

So I put the question to you. Do you like your body? What things do you like about it? What would you change about it if you could?

I'm still trying to decide how I would answer those questions...

Comments

[forlorn99.livejournal.com]

I have many many body issues and insecurities. But I think I have nice legs. I do alot of walking, so they're rather strong. And a good butt, tho' I keep that hidden most of the time with long shirts, baggy pants and stuff. One has to be close to me to get to see the booty.

I'd like to change a number of things, but to be honest I'm vaguely scared that if I did, I might find that I'm still just as insecure, still dislike aspects of myself just as much. It sounds silly, but I think that fear really holds me back alot from trying to change my appearance. The idea that a physical manifestation is easier to dislike than a character flaw or psychological issue that were to become more apparent if I changed my appearance.

[canticle.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's certainly not perfect, nor is it horribly flawed. I'm pretty content with it. About the only thing I'd probably change would be some of the scars, but even they have character :)

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is a huge topic. *wry look*

Do you like your body?

Oh geez. Would it sound really odd to say that I don't know? I have my good days, when it just feels right to be living in my own skin. Days when I feel strong and my muscles flow smoothly under my skin, and I look in the mirror and think "Hell yeah!"

And then there are the days where everything bags and bulges, and I feel pasty, misshappen and weak.

I like parts of my body, but I have trouble really liking and feeling comfortable with my physical self most of the time.

What things do you like about it?

After years of feeling inadequate because I'm short, skinny and flat-chested, I've learned to appreciate my small frame. Actually, that's one of the things that drew me to the goth scene. Finally, a place where being pale and waifish was a good thing!

I like the subtle, lean muscles that yoga and ballet have given me. I like the fact that I'm supple and flexible.

What would you change about it if you could?

I'd make it more in tune with the rest of me, if I could. It seems like my mind and my body are often at odds, and I'm getting sick of trying to make peace between the two. I feel betrayed by my own body a lot of the time.

[missjanette.livejournal.com]

I have my good days, when it just feels right to be living in my own skin. Days when I feel strong and my muscles flow smoothly under my skin, and I look in the mirror and think "Hell yeah!"
And then there are the days where everything bags and bulges, and I feel pasty, misshappen and weak.

amen, sister.
Being down with pnumonia for as long as I was really did a fucking number on my body *&* my head. As mentioned previously, I don't like any of the CX pics of me bc I look puffy & tired. Or I think so, anyway.

I am, however, having more "hell yeah" days lately, despite not having bounced back completely.

Stuff I like - I am cute. Funny looking, but cute. I am pretty strong. I have good endurance. I am fairly flexible. I carry my weight pretty well. My ass is amazing.

Stuff I don't like - Various weird illnesses. The toll gravity is taking on my tits. Every pound I am over 180 lbs.

So generally, yes. I like my body most of the time. We have our disagreements, but we do okay.

I do have to say that every time I hear or read someone who I think is smoking hot insult herself, I get a little upset. Sometimes I am upset bc I am thinking "are ya blind, wo/man? you are some hot stuff! quit putting yourself down!" Other times I am thinking " god, if s/he thinks s/he's ugly/fat/whatever, s/he must think I am a circus freak." And then I remember that ppl are generally warped when it comes to body image & go admire my ass in boy-cut underwear.

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

And then I remember that ppl are generally warped when it comes to body image & go admire my ass in boy-cut underwear.


Best. Idea. Ever.
Boy cuts are a godsend.

As for looking puffy and tired aty CX, I didn't see it. Astrid and I were going over pictures I took (yes, I know i need to post that shit) but we were talking about how fantastic you looked and how sweet your boy is and how everything was just wonderful for you lately, so hearing you say that you were feeling less that spectacular about how you looked is kinda shocking. I thought you were glowing the whole damn time and it always made me feel better to have you around that weekend.

Hell, bitches need to take a road trip to NYC with the quickness.

[missjanette.livejournal.com]

Boy cut underpants are a big bootied girl's best friend. I'm still quite fond of my gigantic drama free underpants, mind you.

& awww, that's sweet of you to say. thank you. & I am glad to have been a positive influence on your weekend. If one can say that a screaming drunk ninja bitch can be a good inflence on anything. ;P
I felt okay about the way I looked at the time, but all the pics I've seen make me think I look puffy & tired. I think I look like I was happy & having a good time, but I think I also looked like someone who was in DESPERATE need of that good time. Which, you know, is true. Been a rough year. Things have really turned around, but it's been a rough year. if you have any good pics of me & my smokin' hot boyfriend, please to let me know. raaaar.

also, HOT SHIT, bitches totally need to take a road trip to NYC.
We're working out some crazy details in my house, so I am not sure when the Youth Hostle for Hostile Youth will be in bidness, but I am always available as native guide.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is a huge topic.

No shit.

The main reason I did it as a question. I'm having a lot of trouble teasing out my own feelings about it.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

It probably doesn't help that the answers to these questions change from day to day, or sometimes several times within the same day.

I'm still thinking about these questions. I feel very antagonistic towards my body a lot of the time, as if I want to punish it for not being "perfect" and for not responding how I want it to, and then I catch myself and realize how fucking unhealthy that is, and then I want to pamper myself physically. Kind of atoning for having been so angry at myself earlier.

I'm still working through a lot of stuff.

Yoga helps, and so does ballet, in that they give me opportunities to be surprised and impressed by what my body can do.

[purplesofa.livejournal.com]

you'd have to ply me with plenty of alcohol (or maybe chocolate would be more effective) to get honest answers about my body.
But I'm interested in why knowing other people's body images would help you reflect on yours? That would be worth a few drinks to find out...

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Well.. as I posted to Stephanie it is a huge topic and I've been wanting to broach it for a while. It's not so much that I'm looking for help with the reflecting, as it is looking for languate with which to talk about it.

body image language

[purplesofa.livejournal.com]

Most people's comments have been a list of body parts they do & don't like, with some history (the parts that used to be thin) and future ambitions (I should really exercise/diet). Plus a few fantasies (taller, tail). There was general unhappiness with aging "so far", but little specificity in the worries of further aging.

You could try telling stories about parts of your body. (I tried this, starting with the toes. I feel pretty good about those, but things got more negative as I went upward. I gave up at the knees.)

Might be good to list all the positive things people have told you about your body or its parts.

In my experience, the unspeakable aspects of the body are the most important. Can you express yourself in media other than words?

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I wouldn't mind having better vision so I wouldn't need glasses to use a laptop in bed.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

I love that I'm pretty healthy - no catastrophic injuries to date, only down with a bug once a year or so, only very mild occasional allergies. I have a lot of heart disease and diabetes in the family that still loom, but if I take care of myself I can minimize that risk.

I like being strong and reasonably flexible. I like my long and relatively thin hands. I have individually good facial features, though I'm still pretty skeptical on the face as a package (much less than I used to be, though).

I dislike that my bones will never let me fit within society's current definition of "thin," and the genetic predisposition to carrying some extra weight makes things that much worse, and makes getting even to "thin for me" that much harder. I'm grateful that my barrel chest makes my smaller bust look bigger, but it's generally problematic when trying to fit clothes or fit in small spaces. I used to have good legs, but the extra weight hasn't done flattering things, and I'm not sure if it's recoverable.

All that said, I don't know that there's anything I'd actually change past losing some weight (in process again) and maybe straightening my teeth (if finances present). I already had the LASIK (Best. Thing. Ever.), and that was the biggest unhappiness.

Re: from housework to headwork

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

Do you like your body?

not particularly. it's, well, human. :) that is the core of the problem.

What things do you like about it?

that, despite being human, it works ok. not great, but ok. it gets me around enough so i can enjoy parts of the planet. i like my hands, they're very handy (pun not particularly intended). opposing thumbs rule. my hair feels nice; i wish i had fur like it all over.

What would you change about it if you could?

make it so it works, feels, and looks like the body in my mind. oh, more realistically, *heh*? get eye surgery to correct my vision (but i am scared shitless of mucking around with my eyes since they do work, if not well). fix my brain chemistry so the depression goes away -- maybe they'll actually figure out a way to do that within my lifetime. fix my beginning RSI because it's making my hands less handy. extend my lifespan. woops; back to unrealistic. :)

i mostly don't worry much about body image. the usual messages society sends roll off my back pretty well -- i think because i already had my own image in mind long before i listened to what society was yapping about, and i am just not unhappy per se that my body doesn't match society's beauty standard, because that is really small potatoes compared to not matching the body i really would like.

[kest]

I'm pretty down with my body. I think I might want another two inches up, located somewhere in the vacinity of my waist. I feel my hips are a little broad and my bust a little small (only a little, tho) but for some reason I think that if only I was a little taller, I'd look ok. And be more able to reach things on high shelves. And have people take me more seriously, sometimes.

[the-fury.livejournal.com]

Do you like your body?

In general, yes. I've been dealt a fairly good hand there.

What things do you like about it?

It's strong and large. There isn't much it can't do and it can withstand a crapload of punishment.

What would you change about it if you could?

I wouldn't mind losing a couple more pounds, as I've become a little more... fleshy. Not too many, but enough to get back to the pre-love handle days. And that'll just take me getting off my ass a bit more.

[mog-warbeast.livejournal.com]

I would like to have a flatter stomach, but food is so tasty, and exercise is so hard... :-)

[ex-unagothae16.livejournal.com]

For the most part I like my body. Actually, I really love my body because I'm damn cute and move in a rather sexy way and I'm sensitive enough that everything feels WONDERFUL, but not so sensitive that pleasant things easily become unpleasant. I love to be touched as much as I love to touch. Touching is great!

The only thing I would change about my body is the unhealthy amount of excess weight I'm carrying simply because I'm only carrying it because of emotional issues. It's my great big emotional baggage in physical form. It's a real mark of having my shit sorted out when that baggage gets smaller. It's a real mark of being buried in shit when it gets bigger (as it has recently).

People are generally amazed to find out how much I like myself because it's all too clear how convinced I am that most of them see me through the eyes of the children that taunted me as a child and the men that hurt me throughout my life.

I love my body. I'm just not convinced that anybody else does.

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

I spent years being ashamed of being so thin, then suddenly realised that actually that was fine - and so I started to wear fishnet tops and things like that. That was in my early 30's. Within a year or two of that I put lots of weight on *and* suddenly got hairy! So no, I don't wear fishnet any more. Still, I'm not fat - just a bit of an odd shape.

The one thing that I would change, if I had the money, are my teeth. They're a complete ruin, so much so that they're the reason I don't smile (nothing to do with me being a goth!).

[mikey-de-sade.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly content with how I look, although like most people, I'd be happy to lose a few pounds and be a bit trimmer...

It's one of those things that if given too much attention will end up making one very unhappy.

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

My body's OK. I like my figure generally; it's curvy and hour-glass shaped, and I have fabulous breasts, which is cool. I don't like my legs; I have thick ankles, and the skin on my legs is always blemished and horrible, so I never go bare-legged. I think probably if I did, no-one else would notice the blemishes like I do, but still...

[lazrus-armagedn.livejournal.com]

Everything except my hands (which I'm quite happy about) and my ears (which are harmless)

--
Your ever lovin' groovy vicar

[markeris.livejournal.com]

1) yes
2) If I have to tell you you don`t pay attention
3) it`s location relative to Alyson Hannigan

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

2) I figure I have a pretty good idea

3) You and me both, pal.

[dj-doc.livejournal.com]

I like it, it served me well.
If I could change anything than I want a propper working right knee and no body hair.

[rufus.livejournal.com]

1. Not at the moment, but I have in the past.

2. It's fairly sturdy and resiliant, and I do have nice legs. Plus everything is more or less in proportion. I do have an hourglass figure, it's just a *large* hourglass. And the glassblower left some ripples in the front. Yeah. Anyway.

3. I would skim off the excess fat, because that is what is screwing up everything else. I need some, because I would look freakish at less than, say, 160, but I don't need quite this much.

[elixxir.livejournal.com]

Do I like my body? No, not particularly, at least not the way it looks. I have next to zero flexibility (since I was a child actually - I 'failed' gymnastics)...I can barely touch my own toes. Forget yoga...that's just an exercise in humiliation. :p I have blubby bits and cellutlite-y bits and saggy bits and generally look nothing like the ideal I'm supposed to aspire to once you get me nekkid. On the plus side I love my height, my strength and the way I carry any extra weight. I have a great rack and them there child-birthin' hips are bound to come in handy one of these days. :) And, most importantly, no one I know in real life looks like that ideal either. It took me a long time to clue into that one since I was so self-absorbed about my own 'shortcomings' for so long. I always used to shake my head in utter bewilderment when my partners would tell me how hot or sexy I was. Ummm...don't you see that cellulite? What about those belly rolls...are you seriously trying to convince me those are hot?? It eventually dawned on me that compared to all the other real, normal women out there I must look just fine. And I could keep beating my head against the wall because I don't look the way They have been telling me I should all my life or I could just accept the fact that my attractiveness (or lack thereof :p) is about more than the sum total of my 'flaws'. Life has gotten a lot simpler since then. :)

Doesn't mean I still don't wish I had a flatter tummy but like mog warbeast mentioned, I love food and exercise is hard. :) I could have those rock hard abs but it would require giving up too much of what I consider to be basic joys and pleasure in life. If I'm not prepared to become a veggie-nibbling-gym-bunny I guess I have no choice but to accept that this is as good as it gets for me, and overall it's not that bad. And I guess that was the clincher for me...I could look That Way, but I choose not to. If it's my choice, I better damned well get comfy with it otherwise I'm just making myself miserable for no good reason. :p

[okoshun.livejournal.com]

Do you like your body?

It depends upon what day you talk to me - sometimes I do, sometimes I wish I could change it just a bit. I'm currently going through a fat (but not ugly) stage, but mostly because these days I can feel my largess (especially when I'm crammed onto a teeny tiny regional jet with someone sitting beside me - Oy! - I feel bad for them) and with the summer approaching more skin will be exposed for all to see (and judge).

What things do you like about it?

My legs are pretty strong and I have nice ankles for a fat girl. :)

What would you change about it if you could?

I'd lose around 95 lbs. I'd still be considered overweight by BMI standards, but I think I'd feel much better about my size, especially when flying.

I'd improve my cardiovascular fitness - it's quite poor these days and I need to do some strength training for my arms and shoulders.

[emulsional.livejournal.com]

I do. It's weird. I feel like sometimes maybe I shouldn't. A lot of it has to do with coming backwards from unhappy fat and feeling a lot more svelt than I might actually be. I've actually found that a lot recently - the picture in my mind of what I look like is actually quite a bit taller and thinner than what I actually am.

I'm all kinds of backwards!... :) Shouldn't I be under the assumption that I'm fat and horrible?

As for changes theres two things.. I want to tone up and I want new feet. Muscles are easy enough to develop and now that it's nice out I'm looking forward to walks and bike rides and excersize to get the flabby flappys under wraps. As for my feets, I've hated them forever and I can hardly find shoes and it becomes this big ordel where i go crazy trying to find something that doesn't look hideous and still fits and it's damn near impossble so all my shoes end up looking like shit but I can't bear to throw them away because it's impossible to find more.

Sometimes I fantasize about sliding my foot into a 9m, and my hips into a size 12 and I think it's hilarious that these expectations of myself are so down to earth yet still seem kinda flighty...

[eciklb.livejournal.com]

I do like my body. Because as a kid I was a total ugly duckling to the rest of the world, I never quite believe that *other* people find me physically attractive, and I probably appreciate compliments more than most do as a result, but I do think I'm good looking. (With occasional exceptions when breaking out horribly or what have you). I've even been known, on rare occasions, to catch a reflection of myself in a mirror and go "wow, is that *me*?"


I like my face (my eyes, my eyebrows, my cheekbones). I like my collar bones. I like my flat tummy and my long legs. I even like the fact that the toes on one foot don't quite match the toes on the other foot.

There are still things I'd probably change if I could do it easily though. I'd like another inch or two; 5' 7" is just ducky, but being able to see on top of things and reach things is awfully nice. I'd probably shave just a bit off the thighs, so they'd match my (very narrow) shoulders a little better; I'm not planning on bearing children. Mostly, I'd like to be physicaly stronger. I suppose there are things I could do (and probably should) about that.

But really, I can't complain.

[the-other-j.livejournal.com]

I want a tail.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Oo!

[caspervonb.livejournal.com]

I want wings.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

So you can drop nickles on people?

[caspervonb.livejournal.com]

In my dreams I can always fly. I'd like to experience
that freedom for real.

...

Plus, I could drop nickels like raining destruction.

[starstraf.livejournal.com]

Pretty much I like my body. I would like it more with less weight on the center but i'm working on that. I like my hair, eyes, back, shoulders, smile, laugh, hands. I would change : new back, new knees, weight under 200lbs.

[squid-pants.livejournal.com]

If I liked my body I wouldn't brand it and tattoo it and scar it and beat it generally into submission until it's something I do like.