We should all love and appreciate our bodies, but it isn’t that simple. We live in a world where women’s bodies are under constant scrutiny and never seem to be “enough.” If these impossible standards are making you feel negative or insecure, these body positivity quotes will remind you why your body is beautiful and worthy of love:
On redefining beauty:
- “Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like” – Emma Watson.
- “We are a gorgeous, infinite circle of women of all shades, all styles, in all the ways we were made, inside of us everything blooms.” – Alicia Keys.
- “My beauty is not about how I look. My beauty is about my heart and soul.” – Laverne Cox.
- “Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good” – Serena Williams.
- “You define beauty yourself. Society doesn’t define your beauty” – Lady Gaga.
- “Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters — on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves” – Michelle Obama.
- “People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder” – Salma Hayek.
- “People think, ‘Oh, there’s something wrong with her…She’s putting on weight.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, no! I’m sorry, but that represents happiness in my emotional world”- Kelly Clarkson.
The no-nonsense approach:
- “Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than vindictive, jealous, shallow, vain, boring, or cruel? Not to me” – J.K. Rowling.
- “If anybody even tries to whisper the word ‘diet,’ I’m like, ‘You can go f– yourself’‘” – Jennifer Lawrence.
- “I never appreciated my body or my looks when I was in my 20s. Now I’m like, Look at me! Look at you! Not in a conceited or arrogant way–I just appreciate myself in a way I didn’t when I was that age. And it’s not about perfection. I like the scars I have” – Jennifer Lopez.
- “My weight? It is what it is. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It’s about being content. Sometimes other priorities win” – Melissa McCarthy.
- “You can’t eat beauty, it doesn’t sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion, for yourself and those around you. That kind of beauty inflames the heart and enchants the soul” – Lupita Nyong’o.
- “Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living” – Meryl Streep.
On being realistic:
- “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” – Dita Von Teese.
- “All bodies are beautiful, let’s face it. We are so overly critical of ourselves–with the obsession with perfection, trying to reach a goal that’s unrealistic” – Jennifer Aniston.
- “I gave up my struggle with perfection a long time ago. That is a concept I don’t find very interesting anymore” – Anne Hathaway.
- “It’s really about changing the conversation. It’s not about perfection. It’s about purpose.” Beyoncé.
- “Weight loss does not make people happy. Or peaceful. Being thin does not address the emptiness that has no shape or weight or name. Even a wildly successful diet is a colossal failure because inside the new body is the same sinking heart” – Geneen Roth.
- “Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford” – Cindy Crawford.
Body positivity quotes on being your own cheerleader:
- “Shoutout to all the boys from 5th-9th grade who made fun of me for being ‘too strong.’ Thanks for forcing me to learn to love myself and my body” – Aly Raisman.
- “This body had carried me through a hard life. It looked exactly the way it was supposed to” – Veronica Roth.
- “You’re a human being. You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake” – Emma Stone.
- “Stop trying to fix your body. It was never broken” – Eve Ensler.
- “I finally was like, ‘What if I put all of that energy into just trying to like myself and focus on the things I actually want to do as opposed to this thing that’s like a made-up concept?’ And I’m not kidding, my entire life changed after I did that.” – Aidy Bryant.
- “And I said to my body softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ it took a long breath and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this'” – Nayyirah Waheed.
- “Step away from the mean girls and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks. Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others” – Oprah.
- “Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you’ve got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect.” – Iskra Lawrence.
- “I look at the woman I was in my 20s, and I see a young lady growing into confidence but intent on pleasing everyone around her. I now feel so much more beautiful, so much sexier, so much more interesting. And so much more powerful” – Beyoncé.
- “I love creating shapes with my body, and I love normalizing the dimples in my butt or the lumps in my thighs or my back fat or my stretch marks. I love normalizing my black-ass elbows. I think it’s beautiful” – Lizzo.
Body neutrality vs. body positivity: what’s the difference?
While body positivity is used widely to promote self-love, another movement called “body neutrality” is gaining traction as well. Here’s how body neutrality differs from body positivity and why you should be practicing both.
- Body positivity. Body positivity is a movement that promotes celebrating the beauty in all bodies. It is rooted in the idea that all bodies are beautiful, regardless of how society views our wrinkles, cellulite, hair, or shape. Practicing body positivity means loving and finding the beauty in your unique body.
- Body neutrality. Body neutrality is a movement that focuses less on beauty and more on function. It promotes celebrating your body for what it can do rather than what it looks like, and suggests that appearance does not determine self-worth. According to the body neutrality movement, celebrating the way our bodies carry us through the world is more productive than celebrating what they look like.
- Embrace body positivity to celebrate yourself. Like it or not, our physical appearance influences those around us, and embracing what you look like will determine how people see you. When you practice body positivity, you will be able to look in the mirror and feel loved and beautiful from inside and out, no outside validation needed.
- Follow body neutrality to focus on what matters. It can be exhausting to think about your appearance all the time. We are constantly bombarded with unsolicited judgment about our bodies, whether it’s from a stranger on Instagram or an ad for the latest dieting app. Choosing to focus on what your body does for you (the legs that get you to work, the arms that embrace your loved ones) will help you see the true value of your physical presence.
- Both will help you love yourself. Despite their differences, there is no conflict between body positivity and body neutrality. Embracing both movements is an important aspect of self-love and acceptance. We all have bodies that are beautiful and powerful in their unique ways. Recognizing this will make you resilient in the face of uncertainty and societal pressures.
