We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what accessible things helped them to accept their bodies. Here's what they told us about changing their media, and changing their life.
1. "I read the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld."
"They're great books in their own right, but they also drive home the point that being pretty is kind of useless on it's own, and that our 'faults' are what make us special and connect us to our ancestry. That really spoke to 16-year-old me, and I've never really worried about my appearance since. I'm happy being me, and I'm awesome for 1,000 things more important than how I look." — Tanya Fecteau, Facebook
2. "I started my Tumblr, Love Your Lovely Body."
3. "I sought out fat-positive friends on my social media feeds."
"Having confident friends who loved their bodies made me feel more confident about my own. My weight goes in waves, and they've helped me to love my body no matter what. Being thinner, thicker, or fat doesn't change who I am." — Amber Miller, Facebook
4. "I watched shows like New Girl and Parks and Recreation."
5. "I learned about Beauty Redefined."
"It's a foundation run by twin sisters with PhDs in media and body image, whose words I've held onto through 30+ pounds of weight gain and loss. My weight is not a destination; how I respect and love my body is more important. I enjoy looking and feeling good, but my worth is not based on what is reflected back in the mirror." — Megan Allen, Facebook
6. "I read The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf."
7. "I heard the truth about fashion magazines."
"My priest had a stack of magazines and plastic surgery ads, and he started tearing them up. He said, 'These people are constantly telling you that you aren't enough as you are. They say you are imperfect, but you aren't. Every last one of you is perfect exactly as you are, so don't swallow these lies anymore. You are beautiful, you are unique, and you are loved.' That was the turning point at which I decided to start loving who I was, and stop hating myself because society says I should." — Nicola Bennett, Facebook
8. "I watched YouTubers like Loey Lane, Sarah Rae Vargas, and Kendall Rae."
"They're all lovely plus-size girls, and they always preach body acceptance! They've helped me to really love myself." — Avaelizabeth22
9. "And Tyler Oakley, danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil."
"They're all so confident with themselves, and they've really helped me realize that I need to be happy with myself!" — cyrenar
10. "I looked into Healthy is the New Skinny."
"I found their Instagram, which lead me to their website, where I learned about their mission of prioritizing mental health and positivity, and helping people look past their bodies and into their souls. What they're doing is so important!" — Haleyh109
11. "I created the @body_positive_ileostomy Instagram."
12. "I watched RuPaul's Drag Race."
13. "I got pickier about what I look at and engage with on social media."
"Social media is often thought of as something that promotes unhealthy body image, but I seek out people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and body types, and I've benefitted from their body positivity. It's brought about a fundamental change in the way I think and talk about my body, and I am so grateful." — j4c96a497e
14. "I saw Jennifer Lopez and her big, bad butt."
15. "And people like Jennifer Hudson and Melissa McCarthy."
"Growing up as a bigger, taller girl with smaller peers, it took a long time for me to realize that the world was populated by a lot more than model-esque women. I felt like a horrible outlier for the longest time, but when I started seeing woman like me onscreen, I realized that I wasn't the problem — the expectations I had internalized were." — angelas63
16. "I followed Sheriff Donna Hascum's storyline on Supernatural."
17. "I tuned into Blogilates."
18. "I unfollowed accounts on Instagram that made me feel uncomfortable about my body."
"I don't need to see photos of unattainable body types captioned 'body goals' underneath." — mynare
19. "I read Intuitive Eating."
20. "I identified with the Kardashians."
21. "I ignored negative comments."
"If you browse through the comment section under any body-positive article or blog, it will always be rife with horrid, hateful, and just plain ignorant comments left by insecure, vapid cowards hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. I used to let the asshats get to me, but now I realize they're just meaningless, inconsequential turds left by people I don't even know." — Brandy McNamee, Facebook
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Body Positivity Week is a week of content devoted to exploring and celebrating our complicated relationships with our bodies. Check out more great Body Positivity Week content here.
