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Originally Posted by yuna
But when it comes to me i've been more critical than i would be on anyone. i think i need to accept my body the way it is, true. but i still want to lose weight. but right now i'm going to work on loving my body now.
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Clearly, this is a deep-rooted issue for you (as well as millions of other women). If you can afford it, see a female therapist who specializes in body image or even eating disorders. She will have the expertise to help you love your body. Also, if you like to read, pick up Naomi Wolf's book,
The Beauty Myth. It changed my life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by yuna
. . . the only thing is that i know this guy, the only guy i really like, and he lives in another state, and i want to start a sexual relationship with him but i'm afraid that if he saw me looking all normal (when i take pics i only show him the best ones) he won't want me or want me to visit him. but maybe i have to experience the threat of loss to achieve real happiness. when i'm thin i'm photogenic but now overweight i'm not so much. it's kind of embarrasing. i don't want to embarrass myself. so many things to figure out!
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Your size at only 20 pounds over what you think is your ideal weight is not the issue here. You are normal now. It is your self-esteem and feelings of being less-than-normal that are much more likely to interfere with your goal of real happiness. Besides, real happiness isn't a gift from someone else. It is something that you will experience through your feelings about yourself and your life with or without a man in it. It will take time to develop the self-love that brings true happiness if you truly believe that a little extra adipose tissue is all that stands between you and fulfillment.
Still, I know I felt the same way you did when I was 20 pounds overweight in my early 20s. It's a pretty painful place to be, and I am sorry that you are so unhappy and concerned about your size. I know there was a time in my life when I thought one facial pimple was a crisis, so I am not judging you. What seems obvious to me now was hidden from me then: Real love and true happiness have nothing to do with your weight or appearance.
And if this guy can't deal with your body for any reason, it is his problem. He loses out and he wasn't for you. Relationships built only on physical attraction don't last.
I would suggest being honest with him about your size before he sees you at your true size. Not in an apologetic or self-deprecating way, just upfront. Send him a picture of you as you are now before you see him. If he doesn't want to see you based on the new realistic photo, whew! You will have saved yourself a lot of time, energy, and heartache. Also, don't be surprised to see someone who looks quite different than the photos he has sent you!
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Originally Posted by yuna
Thanks for your post- it's very encouraging and funny. and that's nice you let him date other women, i do too with the guy i talk to but i'm not in a sexual relationship with him. then i'd be possessive. can i ask why you give him permission to sleep with others if he's in an exclusive relationship with you? Yuna
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Yuna, I am old enough to be your grandmother, so my needs and values in a relationship are probably very different from yours and perhaps this is the way it should be. I know that my relationships now are very different than those of my youth. It may sound bizarre, but looking back, I think I used to experience love as a way of holding someone hostage to my needs and dreams.
My intimate relationships today are rooted in mutual trust, respect, honesty, and affection. Lust is fun and genuine love is always a welcome miracle. B. is my primary partner, not my exclusive partner. Exclusive relationships are not on my agenda anymore, just like getting married and having children is a stage of life I have outgrown. I have myself, and that is all that I need. Everything else is frosting on the cake.
P.S. Sounds like you will be meeting someone for the first time whom you met online or over the phone. Please be cautious and keep your expectations low. People often misrepresent themselves online. Make sure someone you trust has all of his permanent contact information, not just his cell phone and email address. Thanks.