4 Signs You’re Experiencing ‘The Big Booty Awakening’

“Her curves aren’t a curse. Her body’s a blessin’. Her thighs are thunder and her hips are heaven.” — Unknown

I used to think that there were only two categories of girls: girls who were skinny and girls who were not. For as long as I could remember, I’ve had a curvy physique. Even during my tender toddler years, I was acutely aware of how not skinny I was. I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t thin either; I was “solid” and sometimes even “slim thick.” Landing in the middle of the weight spectrum can cause a girl to become fixated on her appearance and develop unhealthy eating habits and a poor self-image.

Speaking from my own personal experience, knowing that I could easily become more “thick” or more “skinny” due to slight changes in my diet resulted in an unhealthy, obsessive flirtation with fad diets, emotional eating, and a negative perception of my body that haunted me during my teenage years. Instead of celebrating my body for its strength, vitality, and feminine appeal, I viewed it as something that was simply working against me.

But enough with the semi-melodramatic account of my past body image woes. I’m actually here to tell all of the full-figured, bootylicious, and “thicc” girls that there is a light at the end of the self-inflicted body-shaming tunnel. I’ve coined it “The Big Booty Awakening.”

The Big Booty Awakening is an epiphany; it’s the blissful realization that a woman’s curves and thickness are a mark of raw beauty and feminine attractiveness. (P.S. Lizzo is our unofficial mascot!) It’s a reversal of the erroneous belief that skinny is better and that thick is inferior. It’s the appreciation that every curvy girl owes to herself. Here are the 4 tell-tale signs that you’ve experienced “The Big Booty Awakening.”

1. Eating is no longer a form of guilty pleasure

Let’s be honest ladies (and gents!), fad diets are a form of self-terrorism. Remember when you would deprive yourself of your favorite treats and count calories like a maniac? Yeah, that wasn’t a fun time. You no longer do this or you’re doing it less and less. (I’m proud of you!)

Instead of cutting out an entire food group (I’m looking at you Keto Diet!), you enjoy a well-balanced diet of protein, starch, grains, fruits, and veggies. You’re more concerned with nourishing your body with nutrient-dense foods and vitamins rather than downsizing your meal portions just to lose weight. Let’s be real, it’s boring to eat healthy ALL of the time. Every once in a while, you indulge in your favorite comfort foods and treats. And guess what? You don’t feel an ounce of guilt for doing so. You understand that moderation is key and that sometimes, a warm bowl of mac n cheese really does do the trick!

2. Overnight, you’ve become #bodygoals

Thanks to the likes of celebrity baddies like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, and Garnet from Stephen’s Universe, mainstream pop culture has fallen in love with buxom beauties. Now, girls with big butts, thick thighs, and full figures are lauded for their wider shape.

Your Big Booty Awakening may result in your family, friends, and associates fangirling over your curves. Even the thinner women around you might start to make lighthearted comments about wanting to be curvy like you. They may compliment your “hourglass figure” or “nice butt.” It will be shocking and flattering at the same time. In college, when I first started to fully appreciate my curves, my roommates confessed to me that they had an entire conversation about how perfect my butt was. I was so flattered!

Warning: The Big Booty Awakening will make you regret all of the times you were mean to your body about not being skinny. You will finally realize that your curves were a blessing all along. Heck, you may even begin to check yourself out. #bodygoals

3. Gaining weight won’t be a big deal (no pun intended)

You, the girl who has experienced The Big Booty Awakening, won’t throw a fit when you gain a few pounds or inches. You know that your attractiveness can’t be measured by a numerical value and that you’ll remain confident in your skin regardless of what the scale says.

If you are ever concerned with your weight, it’s because you’re simply prioritizing your health over your pant size. You know that life can be hectic, and sometimes we tend to gain weight from stress, lack of sleep, and eating on-the-go due to time constraints. Until you drop the weight (if you even want to) , you wear your curves like a badge of honor. (Sidenote: A big booty makes the best portable cushion.)

4. You’ve realized that you are more than what you look like

Last but not least, a girl who has experienced The Big Booty Awakening realizes that she is more than her figure. She is more than the curvature of her body, the shine in her hair, the swagger in her step, and the clothes that adorn her body. Her physical features and fashion accessories are simply the gravy on a feast of other desirable, intangible qualities and ideas. Her whole being is also comprised of her character, her talents, her passions, her intelligence, her strength, her vulnerability, her empathy, her goals, her quirks, etc. You, the girl who’s experienced The Big Booty Awakening are, in fact, so much more than your big booty. What lives inside of you is more precious and interesting than what you look like.

I used to think that there were only two categories of girls: girls who were skinny and girls who were not. But I was wrong, there is only one category: girls who are carefully and wonderfully made.