Ha: how my thighs went from ‘meh’ to ‘sexy’ in my head

‘If only it looked a little more like this…’ said the mean little voice in my head. Yes, I have stood in my underwear in front of the mirror and pulled the skin of my thigh a little optically back. Just so it looked thinner. Because that was actually always what I wanted as a teenager: slim, long legs.

Meanwhile, I am 28 and have come to the conclusion that I do not have slim, long legs. At least, not as long as I look through my own filter. Probably I do when I look from the point of view of another woman, but that is of course what we always find difficult. How sweet we talk about a friend, so ugly we can talk about ourselves.

This week I posted my first bikini photo on Instagram where my legs are chilling in all their glory in the Antilles. I would never have dared to do that or found it ‘pretty’ enough before, now it felt like I was ready for it. My thighs may not be long and ‘thin’, but strong and curvy. And because of that actually very feminine.

And I must say: so many reactions from all corners popped into my phone that it just moved me. All kinds of women with thigh struggles. All kinds of women who are now in the process of accepting themselves. That’s why I want to share the text again. I truly mean this from my heart and feel the urge to share this piece of insight into myself, hoping that you might also gain something from it.

‘Man, how I cursed those legs. Until I went to the gym and saw that there were women training for such legs?! I don’t know a single woman who isn’t insecure about her body in some way. Everyone sees a little too much fat, wobbly legs, weird protruding bones, silly calves that are out of balance, or uneven skin. Sometimes we are just a bunch of dissatisfied crazies together. Endless exercising, dieting, sometimes plastic surgery, and all that to become happier with our chunk of body.

Newsflash: I was thinner last year than I am now and yet I feel more beautiful and sexier now. So it’s clearly not about changing your body, but about changing your thoughts about your body. Being less insecure about your body doesn’t happen overnight. There are no quick fixes that suddenly make all your worries about your body disappear. Work on your self-esteem, that really works. And realize: what you find stupid about your body, another person finds beautiful nine times out of ten.‘

Exercising to punish myself? Never. I exercise because my fantastic personality deserves a fit body. HA. Thick legs, in shape!