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People come in all shapes and sizes. We come with our own life stories and experiences that can have an impact on how we look and feel about ourselves.

On that note, we decided to talk about body confidence and think about why making people feel holistically good and happier with themselves is so important. To help get a better understanding, we posted the question on the Herbalife Nutrition Facebook page. Hundreds of you answered and we were blown away by what we read.

How would you define body confidence?

It’s not always easy to talk about something like body confidence, but we were so touched by what we read that we wanted to share some of the comments we received:

– “Being able to take your shirt off without being embarrassed.” – Kevin
– “Being comfortable in your own skin. Being able to look in the mirror and be happy with what you see.” – Wheels
– “Body confidence to me is about loving yourself completely, regardless of the size or shape. But knowing that you alone have the power to change it.” – Cherie
– “It’s how you feel about how your body looks. Being able to wear sleeveless tops without thinking everyone is looking at you or thinking, ‘Why is she out in that? Her arms are too fat.’ Not caring what people are saying about you… there is your body confidence.” – Nicola
– “Loving your body how it is today while making changes toward a better body for tomorrow.” – Danielle

What makes you feel body confident?

While we were reading the comments, we thought that it was interesting to see how many people equated body confidence with body size:

– “Having a flat tummy.” – L Chaka
– “Knowing every day, I get healthier and stronger.” – Darren
– “When I feel awake, strong and alert.” – Shawn
– “Nothing jiggling or wiggling when I move.” – Channelle

A few people said that building body confidence freed them from negative self-perception. Holly passionately said body confidence means “not being ashamed!”

Michelle made a great point, too. She said, “Loving your body no matter where you are in your health journey is critical.”

Cassandra added, “Not thinking negatively about myself no matter where I am or who I’m with.”

It struck us that driving out negativity is one of the hardest things to do. Our hope is that together, we can try to help each other overcome negative thoughts and learn to cherish our bodies and their quirks.

Although it’s easier said than done, our differences are important and are what make us unique. That’s what makes Clarissa’s statement so true. She believes that body confidence means “feeling happy, healthy and comfortable in my own skin.”

Jo-Anne’s thought demonstrates the power we give others over our happiness. She said, “Being proud that I’m losing weight, getting fit, healthy and starting not to be embarrassed about what I look like.”

We feel happier when people notice we look good. Bethan said she gets a body confidence boost “when people notice and tell me how much better I look!”

Ashleigh agreed, “When someone compliments my progress, it makes me feel body confident.”

Having others recognize your efforts can feel rewarding, but remember that any body shape, healthy eating and fitness goals we set should primarily be for ourselves as individuals.

The relationship we have with our bodies is complicated at the best of times. Sometimes, we like what we see in the mirror and feel great! But there are days where things can feel overwhelming and it can be very challenging to love the skin that we’re in. It’s important to remember that our bodies – in all their shapes and sizes – are capable of incredible things.

The most personal relationship we’ll ever have is the one we have with ourselves – and that includes our bodies, in all their glory, no matter where we are in our health journeys.