You could spend years chasing that particular carrot, exercising in ways you don’t actually enjoy, trying to ‘arrive’ at some unattainable gym-built-body destination. Right now, you’ve only been exposed to one particular brand of sexy: the muscled stomach, defined chest and firm calves that grace the cover of DNA magazine. Your body – including that little belly that never quite goes away, the mole you’ve always been self-conscious about, your gapped teeth and your freckly fingers – is only a small part of what people will come to love about you. You might look in the mirror and feel unsexy or undesirable, but you’re only just beginning to discover who you are and who might become. People will love you for your brains, not your body. No-one important will care if they don’t like it anyone important to you will love it if you do. Get that piercing, change your hairstyle, try a different look. When you keep your body in balance, everyone will notice how awesome you are.īe FABULOUSLY you. Eat, sleep and move when and how your body tells you to. Taking care of yourself should be your number-one priority. You’re more attractive when you’re healthy. You are meant to be unique, you are meant to be you, and there is nothing more satisfying than being authentic. Going to the gym can be great for your mental health, but not everyone is going to get the same physique out of it, and nor should we. Don’t waste your time trying to conform to a certain stereotype. Now is the only time in history that the world gets to have you. You are the only version of you that will ever exist. Some of those changes you’ll like others you won’t. So, pay attention to it, because it will change.
Growing up is a constant process, and no-one can tell you how it will be for you, just as no-one knows your body the way you do. In the meantime, you’ll find rare gems in op shops, so keep digging! You’ll know what works for you and what doesn’t, and you’ll kill it.
#Hot gay men hd plus#
There’s still a long way to go for plus sizing in the fashion world – but, like your gorgeous plump adolescent waistline, this will grow. Instead, surround yourself with your beloved chosen family those people in your life who love you just as you are. They’re not worth the hunger pangs or the dizziness. Thank your Mum for the smile that turns your eyes into crescent moons, and for the ears you used to cling to whenever she sang you a Tagalog lullaby.Įspecially not for straight boys, who don’t think of you in that way. Wear your culture with pride, and celebrate your physical connection to your roots. Embrace your chunky build and your patchy brown skin. Love your flat Filipino nose and your coarse Asia-Pacific hair. Didn’t that cafeteria scene in High School Musical teach you anything? Acknowledge and support your fellow rebels, and speak up for those who aren’t confident enough yet to do it for themselves. Feel empowered knowing that you’re living your truth regardless. You navigate a society that values the thin and the light.
You’re pretty! Be kind to yourself and indulge in these moments of self-love. It’s not a trick of the light or a certain angle – it’s you.
I’m talking about those days when you catch sight of your reflection, or you take a good selfie, and for a moment you’re taken aback by how handsome you are. It’s easy to develop a negative body image when our culture emphasises certain ‘looks’.Īs a way of opening up the conversation, we spoke with three Australian gay men about the lessons they’ve learnt about their bodies, and body image in general, over the years. We might worry that we’ll never be considered sexy if we don’t have a ‘six-pack’, or if our arms aren’t big enough or our bellies are soft. This can be especially true of the ways in which we relate to our bodies, which for young gay men often feel like the ‘be-all and end-all’ of being accepted and desired. It’s often the case that we don’t realise certain things about ourselves until we’re older.