I don’t exactly remember the moment I declared war on my arms, but I do remember the struggle I felt each time I’d go out. Any outing I had was plagued with anxiety and panic attacks, fits of anger and break downs. I can recount countless memories where I opted to stay home simply because I was too insecure of my arms. Every summer I picked suffocating in the heat over exposing something I felt such extreme shame around.
If you google “I hate my arms” the results are mind blowing. Results ranging from blog posts of self hate to lotions, exercises to “lose that arm fat” and entire lines of beauty cosmetics to tone up your arms. When, why and how did fat arms become one of the worst things a human being can have?
Five years later, I hardly think about my arms anymore. Its strange to think I ever really did and that I spent so much of my life fearing showing them off. I can’t quite figure out why I hated them so much and why so many people still do. My arms have stretch marks and cellulite, yes but do you know what else they have? The ability to hold up my favourite book while I lay in bed and relax. The ability to cook and bake for my loved ones. The ability to cuddle my partner and to hold him tight. My arms and your arms have amazing capabilities and they deserve our love, too.
I took to instagram to ask for photos of people proudly showing off their arms and I was so, so blown away by all of the photos I received. Beyond the cut, you’ll find those photos and I hope it warms your heart just as it did mine.
No name provided / IG: @leeleelove96
Marisa / IG: @rosequartzz
Caity / makeitcaitlyn.tumblr.com
Kaitlyn / justdecay.tumblr.com
Sarah / IG: @sentient.stardust
Kenickie / IG: @kenickiestreet
Emmy / IG: @fatdryad
Megan / IG: @sleepyandspooky
Noella / IG: @noella_deville
Sarah / IG: @zombiesncupcakes
Angelina / IG: @anactingangel
Slade / sladevegas.tumblr.com
Lisa / IG: @heyitslisah
Dawn / IG: @dawnjeanine
K Slay / www.lifeplusstyle.net
Jessi / IG: @tannis_toot
Kailey / IG: @moonbrains_
Maggie / IG: @maggie_stardust
Gabriella / IG: @_gabism_
Pheobe / sixofchalices.tumblr.com
Kristyn / IG: @feministpizzaslut
Alyson / no credited provided
Lucy Anne / IG: donutguts
Lauren / IG: uglyjacket
Nique / IG: @ FloralFauna
Jenny / IG: @ dovahkhaleesi
Elizabeth / IG: elizabethwest
Annette / IG: booknutdc
Michelle Marie / IG: @ chocolatecurvesmodel
Natalie / shamelesscr3ature.blogspot.com
No name provided / IG: @chubbychickadee
Lolly / IG: @ lollylikesfatshion
Mulsa / IG: @mulsmulsss
Amber / IG: @_seventytimes7
Nicole / IG: @ nicoolcaron
Brandy / IG: @gorditabrandolah
Sara / IG: @saranorean
Britt / thexxlfashionista.wordpress.com
Shannon / IG: @fuzzybluelightss
Brittney / IG: xBrittney89
Totally agree with you. That moment you stop feeling anxious and just let yourself be is so liberating!
I couldn't agree more!!! Thank you for reading
Totally agree with you. That moment you stop feeling anxious and just let yourself be is so liberating!
Love this.
Chrissy | crashbeauty
thank you!!
I just feel like I want to post 2 huge thumbs up, because I love this.
aww yay!!! I'm so happy to hear that
Wow this is so true! This is a struggle that i have every single day of my life. I never let people see my arms, it makes me really anxiuos. I can't stop thinking that people would be staring at my arms. I really hope that one day I would be capable of not thinking to much and start to do my own thing. Thank you for this! It is really inspiring. (:
I remember back in middle school I would wear tshirts and tanktops until a "popular" kid told me my arms looked like the sahara desert because of the stretch marks I had. That pain lasted all the way until college, especially through spring and summer time. I'm now confident to not care about how my body is perceived in the eyes of others, and I thank you for being an advocate of self love
this is so true on many levels, need to love my arms and everything else about myself always.
I am really impressed along with your writing skills as well
as with the layout for your weblog. Is this a paid subject matter
or did you modify it your self? Anyway keep up the
excellent high quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..
Hi there,
Thank you so much for the kind comments! No one paid me to write this post and its all done by yours truly! I usually mention and (from now on) tag my posts with “sponsored” if I’ve been paid for a post. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your comment!
I’m really loving the theme/design of your weblog.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues?
A handful of my blog visitors have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox.
Do you have any tips to help fix this problem?
Merci ! Un excellent produit et l’expédition