Anna, 52, counsellor, speaker
“‘You would be in such a great shape if you would tone your stomach muscles.’ These words, said to me by a coworker 20 years ago, hit me hard. At the time, I was self-conscious about my stomach and remembered myself as a little girl, thinking about myself as fat because of my round face and belly. But, since then, I realized that my self-esteem only relates to how I look in a limited way. It has much more to do with how I think and talk about my body. “I‘m a swimmer, and one time when I was pulling on my swimsuit, my friend said to me, ‘Why are you hiding your body like that? You have a great body.’ I was putting on something similar to what a scuba diver would wear, and realized that every year my suits covered more of my body. I bought new swimsuits [after that], and today I’m grateful for my body. I would lie if I said that middle age hasn‘t sometimes made me insecure, but it has also made me laugh out loud because of my vanity. “I’ve said things about other women’s bodies that I regret. That only reflects my own insecurity and has less to do with them. We come in different shapes and sizes. Let’s embrace that! My stomach, flat or not, does not define who I am. When I feel self-confident, I don’t judge others and myself as much. I’m feeling so healthy and sexy this summer — that’s a good feeling.”