The CC Weekly Weigh In: I Love My Body

By Candy

As women, we spend a lot of our time focusing on our flaws. Whether it’s standing in front of a mirror and staring at the cellulite on our thighs, talking about said cellulite with our girls over salads (dressing on the side!), or Googling creams that promise to erase cellulite, we tend to only notice the negatives.

Not the beautiful, strong legs underneath.
Or the killer ass on top of those legs.
Or the perfectly shaped lips that form a beautiful smile in pictures.

This week, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, we’ve all seen the scary effects this sort of negative thinking can have on people, especially college women like us. It’s really easy to get caught up in it – compare yourself to others, find serious flaws within yourself – but it’s just as easy to think positively. There is no ideal woman. There is no perfect body. Everybody’s got something to be proud of.

So today I asked the CollegeCandy writers to stop thinking about what they hate about their bodies and focus on what they love. What’s your favorite part?

Jasmine – Northern Arizona University: My legs – they’re lean and toned, thanks to hours of dancing to Britney and Beyonce in stilettos.

Caitlin – University of Alabama: I love my broken and crooked nose because it gives me character. And my boobs because they’re like twice the size they should be for my body type.

Arielle – Quinnipiac University: My back dimples!! Even though I can’t actually see them without holding a mirror up to my back… which I don’t do often or anything…

Sarabeth – University of Texas: I love my eyes. They’re an odd mix of grey and blue that’s pretty and hard to find in people.

Alex – Lakehead University: I love my hair. It’s huge, curly and totally fierce. I used to struggle with it, but now that I’ve embraced it, I’m constantly getting compliments. Plus you can see me coming from a mile away!

Melanie – Northeastern University: I’ve got some killer legs that have the strength of a bear trap.

Kelly – University of Iowa: My boobs. It wasn’t until I turned 20 that they shot up four sizes, so maybe they were some sort of gift for surviving the teenage years.

Lauren – University of Michigan: My arms and shoulders. They have such definition from all the work I do in the gym and I just love showing them off.

Rachael – University of Miami: Probably my legs and my eyes. I’m a dancer, so my legs are long, lean, and nicely toned. And my eyes are an olive green rimmed in black and laced through with brown and gold- definitely love them, even when I’m feeling my worst!

Jackie – Delaware: Although I may say I hate them to comfort all my boob-less friends, truthfully I LOVE my set of D cups.

Ricki – University of Michigan: I love my butt!  It’s nice and round but not too Beyonce-like

Samantha – UC Santa Barbara: My entire chest and shoulder area! Got my DD’s from my Italian Nana, and my thin arms and shoulders with pretty a little clavicle from my Momma.

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: I have to shamelessly admit I am in love with my legs (especially shaved in a pair of pumps).

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: I love everything about my body! It may sound conceited, but because I work hard to keep myself in amazing shape, there’s no reason for me not to be proud of the end product. Plus, it’s MY body – I carry it around with me wherever I go. I gotta love what’s mine!

Brithny – Duke: I like my feet for some reason. Glammed up with red nail polish.

Zahra – Northwestern University: I was a swimmer for eight years and I love the fact that my body can get through those practices. Being able to swim two hundred laps (sprinting made up half of practice) is something I’m insanely proud of.

Christie – NC State: I like my eyes, because they are a weird golden color that matches my hair. Weird, but true!

Jessica-Delaware: I’m not afraid to say it, I have a nice rack. Although I do worry about how nice it’ll be a couple decades from now…

Meg – University of Delaware: Despite the general consensus that boobs are the best part of my body, I like my hair and eyebrows. Oddly enough I get a lot of compliments on my eyebrows and they have a really great natural shape. I love the color and length of my hair and I’m really lucky that it stays naturally healthy and manageable (most of the time)!

Hannah- Assumption College: I love my shoulders. I have worked hard to gain definition and I am really proud.

Cristina – Michigan State University:  I’m proud of my legs because they work, they’re short and on days when I feel like they’re fat, I catch myself in a reflection somewhere and they’re actually lookin’ pretty good.  They never let me down.