I was over 300 lbs at one time, it was horrible, I had to deal with people commenting on it all the time, I was fat, I was a whale, I pretty much have heard it all.

And then i decided enough was enough, I wanted to lose weight, not because I was sick of looking big, but I was sick of being tired, not having any energy and getting sick all the time.

So i changed my diet, and I worked out a couple hours a day, mostly walking, then running, and I do weights twice a week. I swim, I cycle, I hike, I have a very active lifestyle now.

This has caused me to lose an excessive amount of weight, and even though to me it feels like it took me forever to lose it all, I guess to some people it feels like it took no time at all.

So, now I have to battle rumors that I am anorexic, I apparently don’t eat even though I am consuming a healthy amount of calories, which for my size, is quite good. I’m a tiny person, only 5′1, and I maintain my body with a very good fitness regime.

I recently ripped up my ACL (it was stupid really, I was jogging and i stepped on a piece of loose pavement, and it caused some strain.) and the new rumors are that I’m over doing it in the gym.

I have realized now that no matter what size you are, no matter what your lifestyle is, people are going to judge. I am actually facing more criticism now that I’m smaller, than I did when I was large. When I was a size 22, I had people whispering behind my back and the odd person would say “fatty” to my face, but I find that people are more likely to say things to your face when you’re smaller, as if its okay.

The point is, negativity towards anyone’s body is just uncool, we are all shapes and sizes and I just hope that everyone realizes what I have, and that is that you can take care of yourself, you can be what society and the media says you should be, and still take heat for it.  For every one person that supports you in what you do, there are 3 people standing behind that one just waiting to tear you down.

-Elise

I’ve been thinking a lot recently on the power of stories.

Every one of us is living out our own story.  We are putting pen to paper as we live the day to day, make decisions, set forth on adventures, find love, lose love, and find love once again in something unexpected.  Every now and then, I’ll look back on the chapters in my life story and reminisce of fond memories, remind myself of lessons learned, and plot the high points and lows.  This is all done so that I can ensure that when my life story is complete it can be looked upon as something rich with meaning, adventure, joy, and fulfilling relationships.

This story would be no fairytale, however, it would be real and raw, exposing the low points where poor decisions were made, pain was felt, and experiences of self-doubt, inadequacy, and vulnerability overcame myself.  When I think about sharing my story with others, these are always the chapters that I want to keep to myself because of the pain and shame that is evoked during those times.  However, as hard as these memories may be to share with others, these are where I allow others to peer into the caverns of my soul, helping people to learn through my own experience.  That makes my story powerful.

We all have a story.  It may not be like the tale of Frodo Baggins of Lord of the Rings or Jake Sully in Avatar but it doesn’t mean our story isn’t any less important to relay to others.  Each of us holds a powerful story and it is when we communicate this that we see this power our life story can exhibit.

We are all storytellers. Let us all be storytellers and change lives through sharing the stories that are written inside our hearts.

Hi Guys,

I have always struggled with my weight. I would look around me and see people who were stick thin and feel extremely self-conscious and horrible about myself about having a little meat on my bones. I was always known as the “girl with the really pretty face” throughout middle school and junior high.

I attended an all-girls high school for the first year of my high school career. I felt more comfortable and didn’t really care what people thought about me. I stopped being self-conscious about my weight and ate what I want. I gained about 15 lbs and went into a deep depression. A few months later, I had to transfer to my local public high school because of financial reasons. That summer I decided I would stop eating and lose the weight I’ve always desperately wanted to. I went into crazy mode. I only ate two apples a day and worked out constantly. I ended up losing 35 pounds over the summer. I thought losing that weight would solve all my problems, but it didn’t. I didn’t realize that the problem was myself. It was never my weight. It was something inside of me. I continued looking for approval from other people. Other people told me how great I looked, but I would still come home every day and look at myself in disgust. I hated myself.

This past year is when I have really started to accept myself as who I am and love myself. Your website and message has really helped as well. I think people look at models and celebrities and go “Well I HAVE to look like that to be happy”, when real happiness comes from in yourself. I now eat healthy and work out at a manageable level. If I could spread any sort of message to people, teenage girls especially is that don’t think you have to change yourself to be happy. Embrace yourself. Love yourself. Everyone is beautiful and these past few years have completely changed me. I want to you thank you guys for started your website and clothing line and creating a lifeline for myself and other people struggling with their confidence and self-esteem. You have no idea how much you have helped me.

-Kelsey

Message from TMOOH: You are all storytellers and your stories are powerful. Sharing what’s on your heart and mind whether it’s a tale of triumph, struggle, or hope, can impact others in unimaginable ways. If you feel compelled to share your story, we’d love to hear from you, send us your story to: story@tmooh.com. Thanks to you all for reading and for continuing the conversation.

Hello Friends,

You and I have, at some point, grumbled incessantly about stuff like these – it could have happened last month, last week, or even just five minutes ago! We never quite forgave ourselves for those flaws in our physical structure called imperfections.  Most of us strive to become the person of what fashion magazines, movies, or pop culture in general proclaim as the “ideal physique of man”. The ideal meant good looks, prominence of height, well-toned bodies, and the like. Lacking in one or more of these qualities suggests that you aren’t qualified to be with the elite who dominate the world because ‘the world’ considers them elegant and glamorous – simply, they are ‘perfect’. So we do what we can to prove them wrong. It’s easy to see because it’s everywhere around us. Ladies copy the latest fashion trend, while men attempt to look and act what they think is the ‘in’ thing. And there’s always the beauty products and modern technology to work everything else out. No, nothing wrong with doing these – every person has the right to do so. The question is, “For what real purpose is it about?” Has society been so judgmental, so vainglorious that it casts its eyes down to anyone who doesn’t meet their expectations? Do we have to punish ourselves – by not valuing time, money, and self-worth – for something only temporary?

Imperfection is normal. No one escapes it – not even the most well-bred. We are only human. Or in a more philosophical sense, perhaps we were meant to be created this way, to counterbalance what we have and what we don’t have.

When you closely look at it, imperfection is not such a big deal. It’s what’s in you that truly counts. Does perfection even exist? Most of the greatest people that ever lived were recognized for their remarkable achievements, not for how they look like. And besides, if all in this world were perfect, nothing will be regarded with appreciation anymore. A flaw actually makes an object look more appealing and precious, because you see the finer features beneath.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The standard of beauty is left to the individual, there is no absolute criterion. We must not let the media or fashion magazines or anyone else dictate to us how we must look like or what we must become; the matter is in our hands. Instead of being insecure about our flaws, we must focus on our strengths and capabilities. Show the world what we’ve got. We must improve, not undermine ourselves.

Also remember that external beauty will eventually fade away. Looks, fame, fortune – they’re not the answer to everything, and neither are they the key to happiness and security. What constantly remains is the beauty within. Kindness is far better than attractiveness. Sure, a face can launch a thousand ships, but a heart can touch the whole world. Take time to notice things that seem mediocre – warmness, joy, simplicity. It is in there that real beauty lies.

In the words of George Orwell: “The essence of being human is one that does not seek perfection.”

Sincerely,
Herschel

Message from us here at TMOOH: You are all storytellers and your stories are powerful. Sharing what’s on your heart and mind whether it’s a tale of triumph, struggle, or hope, can impact others in unimaginable ways. If you feel compelled to share your story, we’d love to hear from you, send us your story to: story@tmooh.com. Thanks to you all for reading and for continuing the conversation.

Hi TMOOH,

This company is a great way to bring awareness to body image.
Having dealt with my share of body image issues, this was a great way to feel like I am not alone.  I am in high school now and have been dealing with eating disorders for around five years now. Having an older sister, I always looked to her to be my role model.  Therefore when she got skinnier I would feel the same need to drop weight.

I always felt out of place in a town that focused so much on body image.  I felt like nobody else was going through my same struggles to be small.  What I realize now is, I was small.  I have been a size small all my life, but the constant pressure has changed my physique.  After watching, counting, and purging everything I ate, I became paranoid and instead started gaining weight.

Since I am a cheerleader this was especially tough.  Part of the sport is being thin, so it is easy to tumble and stunt.  When i gained 15 pounds in a matter of months I went into a severe depression.  Thankfully after support from friends I have overcome my disease and am regaining a HEALTHY weight.

It’s causes like these that help people like me.  I am so thankful for this, because this could save someone’s life.  I have wanted to design clothing with a good cause like this for a future career and am now even more motivated to do so.

Thank you all,
Megan

Oh, the beloved fourteenth of February,

So many eagerly await your arrival after fond memories from years past.  How can we forget the way you effortlessly bring so many couples closer together, how you help out friendly card companies, florists, and chocolatiers during an economic downturn, and, of course, how you so kindly remind the majority of us that we are without a special someone.  Thank you for the reminder.  This year shall be another without a formal date and you know what? I am totally fine with the situation.

I’ve seen something recently in many relationships, that I am certainly not immune to, which is our desire to validate our own worth in the soul of another.  Simply, we feel content and complete when we are in a relationship but the minute that it is over we freak out and feel incomplete.  Now, I can’t necessarily hypothesize or diagnose why this is, but I believe it comes down to idea of self-love.  If you don’t truly love yourself and feel content being single, it will be difficult to facilitate a healthy and functional relationship with another person.  In relationships, we can often find ourselves unsettled or unhappy, attempting to fill a void that is far deeper than another person could possibly fill.

So, my friends, if you feel alone, incomplete, or inadequate because you may not have a significant other, take time to reflect upon your life.  Inquire within as to why those feelings arise and make necessary steps to address the deeper issues that exist. For each of us this will appear differently.  Learn to love yourself.  Feel content with your present situation, resolving that you don’t need to validate your worth through another person.  When that happens, you will be able to approach relationships that come your way with a healthy frame of mind, finding a deeper sense of joy and contentment that may never previously unveiled itself.

With Contentment,

Brett

TMOOH,

I want to start off by saying thank you. Thank you for being a shining light in an industry saturated with harmful messages and innuendos. You have taken a stand against a monster of a problem in our world today, and I applaud you for that.

I along with millions of girls have at one point in my life struggled with my own body image. We live in a society where priority and importance lies in how we are perceived on the outside. I was quickly influenced by society’s narrow definition of beauty and found myself overwhelmed with high expectations and impossible goals. I felt my life was spinning out of control and I turned to an eating disorder to give me a false sense of control over my body and situation. I struggled with this eating disorder for over a year, and it accomplished absolutely nothing other than rob me from valuable time that I could have spent loving myself and working on productive ways to become a better person. Years have passed since that period in my life and I am constantly reminded of it because of the unfortunate popularity of the issue amongst young people today.

TMOOH, you have created a safe haven for those struggling with self love, insecurity, and body image issues. Not only are you creating products that promote healthy body image, but you have also built a community of people that are there to support each other and help carry this burden we all struggle with at some point in our lives. You are doing amazing things and are changing this world for the better every day that goes by.

There is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling in life than to truly understand that we were wonderfully made. Love yourself for who you are and what you will become and everything else will fall into place.

Always,
Me

Hello TMOOH,

I just wanted to commend you for your focus on healthy body image. The unhealthy images our society portrays not only influences what we women unrealistically expect for ourselves, but also what many men view as attractive in return. Bringing more healthy/realistic body images to the forefront helps us all find better balance and encourages us to find a healthy middle ground to live in.

I have spent my life as the epitome of ‘big boned’ – tall, broad shouldered and big footed – which led to years of struggling with my body image. Although, in some ways I consider myself lucky. Though I severely struggled with body image in my teens and early 20s, I was finally able to come to terms with my body. The ‘American ideal’ is physically impossible for me, and so I’m happy with keeping myself healthy and fit. Moderate exercise and healthy eating makes my life pretty good, and I feel good about myself even if I still fall into the ‘plus size’ category. Many of my thinner friends still struggle with scales and strict exercise and diet regimes – in that I’m lucky, I get to have a healthy relationship with those and my body, I’m ok with me as me.

Thanks again for having such a wonderful mission.

Sincerely,
Anna

I am very inspired by the vision of TMOOH. It’s so refreshing to see a clothing brand that promotes positive body image rather than the distorted view of beauty that we are constantly bombarded with by the media. The thing that no one realizes is that as long as you have a healthy body, you should be happy there. Yes, being obese can be unhealthy, but so can being too skinny.

I never had an eating disorder, never gone on a diet, or tried to lose weight in any way. I’ve always had a high metabolism, and especially when I was younger, I was tall, but skinny. People often asked if I had an eating disorder, and even though I was healthy, it really bothered me. I wanted to be normal. I subconsciously started eating a lot more, especially junk food. I was trying to gain weight. As far as weight goes, nothing changed, but I felt a lot more unhealthy. Over time I realized that even though I’m thin, I’m also healthy, and I am completely okay with the way I am. God created me this way and I shouldn’t try to change it through unhealthy means. I feel great about my body, and I hope that TMOOH can spread positive body image all over.

Thanks for impacting people!

-Monika

Healthy body image is becoming a conversation topic in many media outlets. How is airbrusing used and do we want to know? Is the label “plus sized” or “curvy” necessary when using models of varying body shapes and sizes? While I think the conversations are great, they seems to be very focused on size, but what about age?

From left, Yohji Yamamoto, agnès b., Ann Demeulemeester.
Photo: imaxtree, Getty Images, imaxtree

My grandmother just turned 79 this past weekend and I couldn’t help but think about age and getting old after talking with her. Do I appreciate the beauty that comes with age? Will I learn to love my body as it changes, or forever attempt to remain youthful in appearance?

While I often feel like I can’t maintain the “ideal” body- I wonder how my grandmother feels. Does she ever see wrinkles, white hair and pale skin celebrated or displayed in the newspaper, on TV or on the magazine display rack? I think she is beautiful not because she looks like she is 30, but because she looks like she is 79.

What would a healthy body image look like at any age?