--- title: Why You Should Love Your Body description: I refused to rob myself of something I enjoyed because of how other people might react to me canonical: https://time.com/3828215/love-your-body/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-21T20:01:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:17.596Z og:title: Why You Should Love Your Body og:description: I refused to rob myself of something I enjoyed because of how other people might react to me og:url: https://time.com/3828215/love-your-body/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2d80b64bd3b4df2/6987ec21cd1bba114f6f90fc/heart.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3813 og:image:height: 2145 og:image:alt: Overlapping fingerprints forming a heart shape og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why You Should Love Your Body twitter:description: I refused to rob myself of something I enjoyed because of how other people might react to me twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2d80b64bd3b4df2/6987ec21cd1bba114f6f90fc/heart.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why You Should Love Your Body > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture recommendation newsletter, edited by culture editor Eliza Berman. Twice a week it surfaces the books, shows, films and ideas TIME's editors think are worth your attention, and explains why. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Does TIME have a culture newsletter? Yes. Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published Tuesdays and Saturdays. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life [Watch (HLS stream): The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/orlnwhNb.m3u8) (7:08)  _Published 2014-05-23. Here's how the people of Ikaria, Greece reach old age_ by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Apr 21, 2015 8:01 PM UTC  Overlapping fingerprints forming a heart shape Overlapping fingerprints forming a heart shape Getty Images by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Apr 21, 2015 8:01 PM UTC As a plus-size girl, there have been so many things I’ve put on hold, telling myself that they should happen “next year” after I’d lost some weight. But then, “next year” came and went, and my weight barely budged. Eventually, I asked myself: If I never lose weight, will I never live the amazing life I want? Putting my entire life on hold until I looked a certain way sounded like a crazy idea, so I decided against it and born was my motto “Don’t Wait On Your Weight.” I looked closely at my fear of embarrassment and rejection, issues that that kept me from trying new things and living life to the fullest. I realized that I was rejecting experiences as a defense mechanism so that I wouldn’t be rejected. Once I came to terms with my behavior, I began to challenge myself. Every time I felt myself shy away from something because of my size, I took a deep breath and walked towards the very thing that was scaring me. Read on for ways that I challenged myself — and ask yourself if some of them don’t sound all too familiar: **Don’t Wait On Your Weight…** **To Date Online** I can remember a friend in high school telling me that guys don’t date girls who are bigger than a size 10\. I took that rule to heart and was convinced that love wouldn’t find me until I found my way out of the big girl’s department. But, with my new motto motivating me to step outside of my comfort zone, I set up an online dating profile and ignored the negative voice in my head. I even put up a [full body photo](http://www.refinery29.com/online-dating-profile-photo?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related) of myself and to my surprise — and delight — I went on awesome dates. **To Travel** Sometimes big girls have to push through [seat-belt extenders](http://www.refinery29.com/seat-belt-extender?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related) and narrow plane seats to get where we need to go, but the world is too much of a magical place to let silly things like that get in my way. I’ve yet to die from asking for a seat-belt extender and pushing past that fear has given me amazing experiences like parasailing over the Atlantic Ocean and hiking in Runyon Canyon. **To Hit The Gym** Its easy to peep through the gym windows, see the chiseled, rock-hard bodies and feel like you need to drop ten pounds before you even walk in the door, but the gym is for everybody and every body. My health is one thing that’s non-negotiable and I’m not going to let myself feel intimidated by gym culture. I know I deserve a healthy life at any size, and I work hard on my healthy curves journey. The gym’s just as much a place for me as it is for anyone else. Don’t rob yourself of a healthy lifestyle because you don’t have a flat tummy. Get some cute workout clothes and start sweating. **To Wear A Bikini** I would have never thought in a million years that I’d be on vacation in Miami wearing a two- piece swimsuit, but a few months ago, I did just that, and it was the best trip I’ve had in a while. No one stared at me, no one laughed at me, and I even got a few compliments. I had an amazing time and I shudder at the thought that I would ever skip something like that based on numbers on a scale. Life’s too short to skip the beach! Admittedly, it wasn’t overnight that I donned a bikini in public or signed up for parasailing. You’ve got to start out small. It’ll get easier, I promise. On weekends, instead of pouting and saying “why go out and dance with my girlfriends, no one is going to talk to me until I lose weight,” I took pains to remind myself that I love to dance, and I wasn’t about to let my size hold me back. Reasoning that I’d be happier out dancing than moping in my apartment, I went out. I refused to rob myself of something I enjoyed because of how other people might react to me. Once I consciously worked to break the habit, I learned that most people are too caught up in their own insecurities to focus on mine. I also learned that I am very good at imagining terrible scenarios that never actually happen. If you feel like your weight is holding you back, I encourage you to start taking the steps to claim the life you deserve to live. The next time a social opportunity arises, throw on a cute outfit and go! Of course, you may face rejection or experience awkward moments (who doesn’t?), but you also might have the time of your life. _This_ [_article_](http://www.refinery29.com/body-image-acceptance?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related) _originally appeared on_ [_Refinery29.com_](http://www.refinery29.com?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related)_._ _More from Refinery29:_ * [The Assertive Girl’s Guide To Getting What You Want](http://www.refinery29.com/effective-workplace-arguing-techniques?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related) * [Don’t Wait On Your Weight To Live Your Life](http://www.refinery29.com/body-image-acceptance?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=main) * [One Normal Woman Spoofs 10 Fashion Ads](http://www.refinery29.com/fashion-ad-spoofs?utm%5Fsource=time&utm%5Fmedium=syndication&utm%5Fcampaign=related) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ]. Ikaria is a very unique island. The people are not what you would find in other places, they have a different lifestyle, a different way of looking at life. We might seem like we're not getting things done, or we might be moving slowly, but we just move at our own pace and things do get done in the end. Being Ikaria is an identity unto itself. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ] People wanna live long, it's natural. Life is a gift, and people want to enjoy it. [ MUSIC ] Unfortunately, you know, Athens is not a carrier. Athens is a big city, people are crowded, crowding alone is a major stress. It's difficult to live there, connected life. There is a lot of obesity, there is a lot of anxiety. We've started already to be seeing the results of stress. In Ikaria they're not crowded, they have the water right next to them. Just the environment where they live, it's better. [ FOREIGN ] [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ FOREIGN ]. It's the people of Ikaria that make the difference, the people are really for Ikaria. In Ikaria, it's cultural, it's an epicurean culture, they avoid stress, or cope well with it. When they cannot avoid it, they seek small pleasures. They live the day as it comes. So, somehow naturally, they're doing things that we should all be doing. [ FOREIGN ]. I got money from my uncle Giannis. He said to me, come with me for work, for one week and I will give you money, I said, okay. I went first three days, and then I said, I, I quit, I cannot do it anymore. I was waking up at 6 o'clock and working until, four, five and he was saying, come on, let's go, let's go until night. [ FOREIGN ]. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. In the documentaries they show only old people, they don't show nothing else, old people and the nature. They don't show the young people, what are they doing in their lives, you know? [ NOISE ]. I don't think that I would live so many years as them because, with the live that we are doing now it's, it's bad because we drink alcohol so much. We don't sleep good. [ NOISE ] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. I'm looking forward to the people of Ikaria being able to come together, and work for the good of their island. And I'm also looking forward to the next generation, to see how they turn out and where they're going to be in 20 years time. I think it's gonna be a very interesting journey. We like the tradition of Ikaria, the history, the music, the culture, everything. We like it, and we trying, I think, my generation is trying to keep it, you know, not lose it. What I learn a lot from the older people is their sense of continuity, their strong sense of family, their strong sense of, my children have grown. I've seen my grandchildren, my life is complete, I'm fulfilled. They're not looking for new things. They're enjoying the things that they have in the moments they have. They're not looking for the next one, and the next one before they've actually enjoyed the present one. 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