Una chica compara sus fotos en bikini con 13 y 26 años para mostrar su aceptación

En la primera se tapaba la tripa; en la segunda, ya había aprendido algo clave.

Monika Markovinovic

26/05/2017 a las 07:47 Actualizado el 26/05/2017 a las 07:47

Para muchos, ser adolescente y tener que llevar bañador no era algo divertido.

Ponerse un bikini con 13 años y luego dirigirse a la piscina local a veces daba miedo: ¿Cómo te mirarían el cuerpo los demás niños en una etapa tan extraña de tu vida? Esos son los tipos de recuerdos que pueden quedar en la mente de una persona con la autoestima baja, un estado que suele desaparecer en la etapa adulta.

Por eso cuando Rachel Spencer, coach en Nueva York (EE UU), subió hace una semana a Instagram una foto de sí misma con 13 años, en bañador y tapándose la barriga, el mensaje no empezaba con tono alegre precisamente.

I've been sitting here trying to think of a good caption but this photo just makes me sad when I look at it. So how about I ask you a question: Who taught the young girl on the left to hide her tummy before taking pictures in a swimsuit❓ Who taught her that at only 13 years old, her chubby little body was unworthy of a photographic memory❓ It definitely wasn't her parents or family, so who was it? Well, did you know that this innocent young girl was bullied for her weight? Not by the girls. The girls were nice. But the boys...the boys were mean. From then on out, she never wanted to go to the pool, saw boys as a threat, cried to her teachers, etc etc. Things started to get better in middle school, but then came the media. *Knock Knock* Diet culture, fitness, cellulite cream--CELLULITE?? Why was a 13 year old worried about cellulite??? Because the media told her it was bad. That SHE was bad and needed to change. If you couldn't tell by now, the young girl was me. There's a big difference between the closed off, hiding, young girl on the left and the carefree, happy, open girl on the right. ❤️And that difference is self love.❤️ I taught it to myself. I had to. I had to find a way to be happy. The process wasn't quick. I'm still working on it at 26 years old. But I have a message for all the women who are much older and STILL feel ashamed to show their tummy at the pool: Don't be. Put on that bikini and smile. Don't feel the need to let other people's opinions ruin precious memories with your friends and family. Show your daughters what it's like to flaunt their flaws at the pool. No shame. Your imperfections tell a story. Your body is beautiful. You are BEAUTIFUL.
Una publicación compartida de Confidence & Success Coach (@mylifecoachrachel) el 17 de May de 2017 a la(s) 7:42 PDT

"Llevo un rato pensando en un buen subtítulo, pero esta foto me pone triste en cuanto la miro", escribe Spencer junto a la imagen doble: una de adolescente con las palabras "autoestima baja" y otra, una foto actual a sus 26 años con las palabras "reina del amor propio".

Rachel señala que la influencia social tuvo un papel muy importante en un momento demasiado temprano de su vida, y ojalá no lo hubiera tenido, opina.

"¿Quién enseñó a esa niña de 13 años que su pequeño cuerpo rollizo no se merecía un recuerdo fotográfico? Definitivamente, no fueron sus padres ni su familia; así que, ¿quién fue?", se pregunta Spencer.

La chica pasa a recordar las veces que sufrió bullying en su juventud por su peso. Y no por parte de chicas, sino por chicos, a los que veía como "amenazas". Cuando creció, las imágenes y los mensajes que le llegaban la derrumbaron.

"Las cosas empezaron a mejorar en el instituto, pero luego llegaron los medios y las redes. *Toc, toc* Cultura de las dietas, gimnasios, cremas celulíticas — ¿¿CELULITIS?? ¿¿¿Por qué con 13 años iba a estar preocupada por la celulitis??? Porque los medios decían que era mala. Que ELLA era mala y tenía que cambiar", prosigue Spencer.

I've been fairly open about my journey, but if you haven't read about it yet, here's a #Repost from @theeverybodybeautystandard ❤️ ・・・ 4 years ago, I hated myself. I barely ate anything, went to the tanning salon, thought I needed to go on a bunch of juice cleanses, and I worked out 2-3 times a day. I was hurting my body in order for it to look good. I remember one time, I went to the gym for 3 hours after dinner because I felt guilty for eating a slice of pizza. I would get cramps from running so hard after eating, but I figured a little bit of pain didn't matter as long as I was burning calories. I thought that by changing myself on the outside, I would feel better about myself on the inside. I kept going and going, not because I loved myself, but because I wasn't happy with my results. I never starved myself, but I would always look in the mirror and see all of my imperfections staring back at me. So here I am 4 years later, feeling like I don't even know who that girl was. I have grown so much because I finally realized that self-love comes from within. I started telling myself how special I was and I began discovering my worth. My body no longer defines me and it never will again. The old me who cared so much about her looks was unhappy, and filled with hate. The girl I am now (the one who focuses on what's on the inside) is happy, healthy, and the most confident she's ever been in her life -- even at her highest weight. So, moral of the story (if there is one), is that true beauty comes from within. Instead of transforming into my best body, I've transformed into my best self, and that's much more important to me. I see so many women trying to 'fix' themselves, but hopefully now you'll see that the true transformation happens within. Thank you girls for asking me to submit and letting me share my story 🙏🏼 . . . #lifecoach #femaleempowerment #selflove #bodylove #confidence #fearless #imperfections #flawsandall #repostapp #motivation #gratitude #goals #newyork #miami #losangeles #chicago #london #positivity #loveyourself #women #girlpower #womenempoweringwomen #yougotthis #loveyourself #followyourdreams #success #bopo #bodypositive
Una publicación compartida de Confidence & Success Coach (@mylifecoachrachel) el 7 de May de 2017 a la(s) 2:20 PDT

Como muchas otras heroínas de Instagram, su motivo para compartir esta foto antigua que le producía dolor es recordar a los demás que su cuerpo es bello y que las imperfecciones siempre cuentan una historia.

"Hay una gran diferencia entre la chica cerrada de la izquierda que se tapa y la chica despreocupada y feliz de la derecha. La diferencia es el amor propio", afirma Spencer. "Yo misma lo aprendí. Tenía que hacerlo. Tenía que encontrar la forma de ser feliz. El proceso no fue rápido. Sigo trabajando en ello con 26 años".

Hi! Today my #womancrush...is ME! And I'll tell you why. 1.) Self Love is all the rage 🥂💕 2.) I'm proud of myself. I went shopping today and was so excited to try on summer clothing. To my surprise, over 75% of the clothes I tried on didn't fit me. I had two choices: sit there and cry while focusing on my body, or put on my clothes and go back out for a bigger size. 2 years ago, I would've sat in the dressing room and cried--wishing I could fit into these slinky summer dresses that everyone else wore. But not this time. Today, I chose option number 2. I simply shrugged, put on my clothes, and went back out for a larger size that fit me better and made me look good🔥. My size and weight don't define me. Why am I going to let a dress or a pair of pants ruin my whole day? I'm NOT. I'm still the woman I was yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that. I don't want to be known for my size, I want to be known for my heart and my desire to help others. It took years to change my mindset and develop the skills that I now teach to my clients. You don't have to live your life hating yourself. You can start loving yourself today. 💕 DM or email mylifecoachrachel@gmail.com to book your free call! #lifecoach #femaleempowerment #girlboss #girlpower #confidence #key #selflove #bodylove #selfesteem #mentalhealth #plussize #youcandoit #beauty #flawsandall #youareenough #motivation #fearless #positivity #inspireothers #women #love #powerful #lovetheskinyourein #wcw #bopo #bodypositive
Una publicación compartida de Confidence & Success Coach (@mylifecoachrachel) el 5 de Abr de 2017 a la(s) 11:29 PDT

Es cierto que el camino hacia la autoestima y el amor propio puede ser largo y escarpado. Pero nunca es tarde para llegar a la meta, para ponerse un bikini sin complejos y con una sonrisa en la cara. En palabras de Rachel: "No dejes que las opiniones de los demás arruinen tus preciosos recuerdos con amigos y familiares. Enseña a tus hijas lo que es presumir de las imperfecciones en la piscina. Y sin vergüenza. Porque eres GUAPA".

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Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en el 'HuffPost' Canadá y ha sido traducido del inglés por Marina Velasco Serrano