My earliest memory of feeling self-conscious took place when I was about six years old and being picked up from school by my father. It must have been a Friday because he was also picking up my cousin of the same age and our friend. As we buckled up our seat-belts in the backseat of the hot car I noticed something, even though the three of us were pretty close in height and weight, my thighs looked bigger than theirs. This was the beginning of a life-long insecurity about my thighs, reinforced every time I would watch my mother getting ready for a night out and listen to her complaining about the very same part of her body. Throughout my life, I have worked hard to maintain a healthy body, but all of the discipline and determination in the world couldn’t make up for the fact that I have neglected to obtain a healthy body image. The time for change is long overdue. Continue reading →