Participating in a body positive photo shoot is such a phenomenal experience. It’s not too often you can find a group of women that are feeling positive, love, and good things about their bodies… especially enough to gather for a photo shoot!
I know from personal experience because I struggled all my life, up until about a year ago, with hating my body. And I’ve had a lot of conversations with women who have too.
I do want to say one thing that I think is really important… just because I love my body (yes including the rolls, jiggles, fatness, cellulite, and all!) does not mean that there aren’t still days I look at myself and go back to the old stinking thinking. Loving my body and accepting it is a journey and sometimes it’s not all peachy keen!
Now, back to that photo shoot…
Body Positive Photo Shoot in Daytona Beach, Florida
One of my favorite in-person events to attend every year is Beach Camp. And during Beach Camp 6, they did something a little different and added an optional body positivity photo shoot on the beach. You had the choice of whether you wanted to participate or not and then the choice of wearing whatever you felt comfortable in – a bathing suit, sundress, shorts, etc.
My bathing suit was still wet from swimming during lunch so I opted for a sundress – something that I wouldn’t allow myself to wear for the longest time because I was once told (and believed) that fat women shouldn’t wear those because it doesn’t cover your body and shows jiggly arms, big legs, etc. Screw that! I love sundresses now 🙂
When I look at these pictures, I don’t see body sizes… I see a bunch of women having a blast laughing, smiling, enjoying each others company, and taking up space just as they are!
You know what I see when I look at these pictures of me?
I see pure joy, pure essence, pure happiness. I mean, seriously, look at that laugh on my face in the picture below with one of my best friends – Kelly – an amazing mindset coach & who I co-host the Me Skills podcast with each week!
Do you know how empowering and freeing it is to take up space in this body and know that I do NOT owe anyone an apology for me or my body? None of us do!
I have fought a long, hard battle to reach this point in my life (self-acceptance, self-love, being comfortable in my own skin). And you know what else?
I’m the FATTEST I’ve ever been, and taking up space in this beautiful FAT body is so amazing!
Event: Beach Camp hosted by the dynamic duo Kelly McCausey & Nicole Dean
Photographer: My amazing sister-in-law Erika of Center of Attention Photography
(This post originally appeared on my old site, shiningself.com, back in 2019)
