“Love handles.” The dreaded muffin top. The side bulge that seems to defy all diets and workouts. For years, I hid mine under baggy clothes, high-waisted jeans, and a general air of avoidance. Love handles were the enemy, something to be concealed, not celebrated. Then, one hot summer day, I just…gave up. I put on a fitted top, ignored the “love handles,” and walked out the door.
The world didn’t collapse. No one gasped in horror. In fact, most people were probably too preoccupied with their own lives to even notice my waistline. That day was surprisingly freeing. It was a realization that the fear of exposing my love handles was far greater than the reality. The imagined judgment was just that – imagined.
Stopping the hiding game wasn’t about suddenly loving my love handles (though, body neutrality is a great goal!). It was about accepting them as part of my body, as normal human curves, and refusing to let them dictate my wardrobe or my self-worth. My “love handles” stopped being a source of shame and became just…part of my waist. And honestly, they’re really not that big of a deal. Your body is not a problem to be solved. It’s a body to be lived in. Wear the fitted top. Rock your curves. Love handles and all.