[ThexMrs]

You should look into: Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

[reilu]

you mentioned taht you feel inadequate to these "perfect women"? well, let me just say that there is no such thing as a perfect woman. the women you see in magazines are all fake. they are all airbrushed, have professional makeup artists, and have people use computers to make their pictures flawless. yes, i mean that some arent even as thin or have that big of boobs. the majority of its computerized. and i dont care who you are, there is no one that has skin THAT perfect. no one. again, its COMPUTERIZED. ARTIFICIAL

so you see what you are doing? you are comparing yourself to the impossible. no one is really like taht. not even those models. and besides, sometimes the most beautiful people have the ugliest of personalities. i dont care how beautiful you are. your attitude can make you ugly. i learned that from someone very important to me. just think about it.

dont put so much pressure on yourself trying to reach the impossible. maybe change your eating habits, and keep exercising. you will FEEL better. THATS whats important.

[Pavement]

Yeah, I know it's ridiculous to compare myself to all of these airbrushed models; I know they don't exist, and even the "true beauties" are in show business for a reason. However, I think there is something seriously wrong with a society that produces such an overwhelming amount of these images, to the extent that people like myself (and my boyfriend) begin to believe that looking like that is normal.

I know that beauty fades (and plastic sags!), and my hard work and education will last a whole lifetime. It's just difficult to survive in a world where appearances make up a large chunk of one's perception on another person. I work at an Optometry Clinic with a group of women who turn around and snicker at a patient who is having a 'bad hair day'. I don't involve myself in such petty behaviors, but in the back of my head I'm always wondering if they say things like that about me. It shouldn't matter, but no one likes to be ridiculed.

As for changing my eating habits, I think I eat pretty well. It's just the calorie counting that hurts me. My mom used to feed my brother and I cake, sweets, Pepsi, etc. and it really got to the point where I had to stop. I eat the occasional dessert (once a week or so), but I don't go overboard. I just worry about it all the time, because I became conscious of it when it was far too late.

[rcoreyus]

A lot of people don't care about appearance. For me, unless someone is truly hideous, I don't care what they look like. Its true that I appreciate someone who is spectacularly beautiful - appreciate, but don't care, doesn't change my interaction with them.

[vintage_butterfly]

In order for someone else to love you for who you are you have to love yourself first. Your boyfriend loves you as is, but he can't see your flawed logic. He truly thinks you're gorgeous and loves you as a person and you need to love yourself.

Someone suggested to see a counselor and I also highly recommend that as well. They can be a BIG resource to use for your benefit. Things will feel foreign for awhile and soon you'll really begin to believe in yourself.

You are a beautiful woman. There will never be a 'perfect woman', but to your boyfriend you are probably pretty close to it in his heart. Be confident, be confident!

I've always been overweight and it took me to begin changing me to start loving myself. Counseling, learning to love myself, and working on one piece at a time has truly helped me. Maybe treat yourself to a spa day soon. Hard not to feel gorgeous after getting hair/make-up done up and a massage! -- just a suggestion