One of the things that most often knock our confidence is unhappiness with our bodies—whether they are too thin or too fat—but these days, there is no ideal and we should learn to be happy with the bodies we have, rather than longing after ones that are impossible to achieve.

Nobody’s perfect

The most important thing to remember if you are unhappy about the size of your body is that all those magazine photos that show models with perfectly toned bodies, long-limbs, and flawless skin are not true representations of the female form. Those photos have been touched up, imperfections removed, legs artificially elongated and saggy skin areas removed altogether. No one has the perfect body.

The way we look has an undeniably strong effect on the way we feel, so if you constantly focus on the negative aspects of your body, you are aiding and abetting your low self-esteem. Instead of focusing on the extra inches around your tummy or the cellulite on your thighs, focus on the aspects that you like; perhaps you have great boobs or long legs, an hourglass figure or a graceful neck.

Overweight people have a tendency to try to hide behind baggy clothes; but you don’t need to make yourself a potato lump (unless that’s what you’re into). You can instead work out which cut and style of clothes suits your figure. For example, if you are top heavy, accentuate your curves and size but balance your bottom half out with an A-line or flared skirt. Remember too that what you wear beneath your clothes is just as important, as your underwear acts as a foundation for your outerwear. If you wear uninspiring underwear, you will feel less confident than if you wore quality sexy lingerie. You don’t need to spend a lot on your underwear to improve your confidence, and you can browse cheap lingerie deals at lingeriediva.com.

Many plus size women feel there is no point in putting on makeup and doing their hair because they feel like no one is going to be looking at them anyway. The truth is if you do not feel you are worth any effort, other people will have a hard time finding your worth themselves. So do not let yourself down when you go out. Put your makeup on, learning what colors and techniques work best for your face, and style your hair in a way that makes you feel like a goddess.

When you start to look and feel better about yourself, you will probably start receiving compliments. So when someone says you look good, don’t dismiss the compliment or analyze it. Simply accept it gracefully as being a kind statement of fact.