An Ode to My Thighs

I used to DESPISE the stretch marks on my thighs.

I grew up playing competitive soccer and I was surrounded by my amazing teammates who I admired for their talent and their bodies. They were fast, strong, stomachs flat, and stretch mark free. I used to get so frustrated wondering why my body would not look like theirs, why my baby fat was still kickin it, and why I had these lines branching all over. I'd be in the team huddles and look around and see everyone else's thighs were smooth and I'd get embarrassed and unroll my shorts at the top to cover my stretch marks. And these girls were my sisters so I had absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed! But it was still hard.

I remember 11 year old me going in the dressing room to try on jeans. My mom kept handing me pair after pair, but each one made me sob even more because I could not get them to fit over my thighs and hips. We left without buying any jeans. Even going to a friend's house as a kid would be a struggle because if I wasn't planning on staying the night, my friend would ask if I could and good-naturedly say "oh you can just borrow my clothes tomorrow" or "I have an extra swimsuit you can use." But I knew damn well I wasn't gonna fit into their 00 bottoms. Through high school I never wore shorts because 1) thighs, hips, and butts weren't cool then and 2) I was embarrassed of my damn stretch marks so there I was wearing skinny jeans (that barely fit over my calves and hips) in 100+ degree weather. I can't even front, there are days when I still am not feelin' myself completely. There are times when I refuse to try on any types of bottoms because being short and having big thighs are a bad combo and end in an exhausting dressing room visit. But I'm learning to love my body, stretch marks and all. It's natural despite what the magazines show and how they hide it on the girls on tv and movies.

So this is an ode to my body that's healthy, strong, and gotten me through so much. It's an ode to yours too. Give your body love and watch what it gives back to your mind.

xx

#karina #lifestyle #bword #beauty #stretchmarks #health #bodypositive #wellness