Setting body boundaries

Even though it’s 2022 and by now we should all know better, some people insist on making comments about other people’s bodies. How big or small they are, how they’ve changed, unsolicited opinions … yuck. Can we just not? Over the years I’ve gotten better at setting boundaries around how other people talk about my body, and how they talk about bodies around me. Part of this has come around from being a parent, and part of it because I got to a point where I realised that I don’t have to tolerate other people disrespecting my body.

We are heading in to the holidays and some of us will be seeing family members who like to make comments about our bodies. We are also heading in summer in Aotearoa New Zealand, and on top of that a new year. Basically it’s prime time for diet chat, unsolicited comments and general body bullshit. View Post

I stopped loving my body

New Zealand plus size blogger Meagan Kerr wears Leopard Print Sweat Top and Harem Pants from 17 Sundays and Keds shoes from Hannahs. Photo by Doug Peters / Ambient Light

I spent a lot of time actively working to stop hating my body and start loving it. Loving it right now, as it is, without conditions. Because that’s how body positivity and self love works, right? Well guess what, that is bloody hard! Every time I feel like I am kind of getting there, it’s like running a race and having the finish line move as you get closer. View Post

Body Image Influencers

Meagan Kerr wears Travellers Striped Dress from High Society

A 2015 study from Common Sense Media about Children, Teens, Media and Body Image reported that 80% of 10-year-old girls have been on a diet. The research also found that more than half of girls and one-third of boys ages six to eight want thinner bodies. I just want to let that sink in for a moment – this is children we are talking about. So I would be surprised if anyone made it to adulthood without at least being aware of the pressure that is placed upon people to look a certain way. Where are kids learning these behaviours? Where are they picking up the idea that thinner bodies are better bodies? The same as adults, these are behaviours that we learn from the things, people and events around us.

We have a lot of people and things in our lives that influence how we see ourselves and our world, including family, friends, film and television, magazines, the people we follow on social media, teachers, and coaches to name a few. If all (or most) of those influencers are saying something negative about your body type, then it’s inevitable that those messages are going to start seeping through – no matter what age you are. As our media landscape has already proven, being bombarded with messages about striving for “the perfect body” has horrifying results. Part of my journey to having a healthy relationship with my body involved recognising who/what the influencers were in my life, and reconsidering whether or not those influences were healthy ones or ones that were to my detriment.

When it comes to body image, there are a lot of things that can impact the way that we feel about our bodies – the glossy mags that move from slamming a celeb’s cellulite in one issue to their bikini body specials in the next, the models we see in magazines and on catwalks, TV shows, movies, music videos, our social media feeds and even our friends and family. All of these things go toward how we decide how we feel about our bodies. So how do you choose who to listen to and who to ignore? View Post

Negative Self Talk

Dealing with negative self talk

It’s really easy to make negative throwaway comments about yourself, whether it’s how smart you are, how you look without makeup or your body. I notice it all the time, I overhear in dressing rooms, at the beach, and see it on social media. I notice it most in summer, when you have a combination of the pressure of having a bikini body and all the “New Year, New Me” diet nonsense being thrown at you. Babes, we need to stop the negative self talk, we need to stop putting ourselves down! View Post

How to start loving your body

How to style a bodysuit: Plus size blogger Meagan Kerr wears Sonsee Bodysuit, Society+ Kate Midington Skirt and EziBuy Sara Velvet Blazer

Right now, you might not love your body. You might not know how to love your body, or you might wish your body was in some way different. That’s okay, we’ve all got to start somewhere right? I know that learning to love and appreciate our physical selves can be really hard, especially if your body is not the kind of body that’s seen and celebrated by the media. If, like me, you have a body that you’ve been told isn’t acceptable, a body that you’ve been taught is wrong. So where do you start? Here are three tips to help you start loving your body. View Post

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