“I Saw My Body as the Enemy,” Body-Positive Model Reveals How She Transformed Self-Hate Into Self-Love

Before she became a powerful voice for body acceptance, Iskra Lawrence spent years struggling with how she saw herself. Today, the model and outspoken advocate uses her platform to promote self-love and challenge unrealistic beauty standards, inspiring millions who have faced the same insecurities to embrace their individuality.

For Iskra Lawrence, body confidence has been a journey rather than a destination.

Lawrence has shared that her relationship with her body wasn’t always a positive one. Self-acceptance came only after years of struggle and personal growth.

She explained, “It’s not something we’re taught. I used to see my body as the enemy because the fashion industry at that time was telling me that I had to be taller and smaller. And I couldn’t physically do it. As much as I restricted myself with eating or exercising, my hips were still too big. But you can’t think your body is your enemy when it’s your home. Changing that narrative took a long time, but now I’m not worrying about a thigh gap or some cellulite. It’s about changing the priority from what your body looks like to what it can do.”

The model emphasizes that your body belongs to you and only you.

A few years ago, Lawrence made headlines after responding to a comment that criticized her for eating snacks. “I got a comment from someone telling me to put down the crisps and accusing me of being the reason people’s health was messed up. So I [ignored them] and ate the crisps. And it empowered a lot of people. Don’t you tell me what I can do with my body and my life. I’ll do whatever I want,” she stated.

The moment quickly became a symbol of body positivity and self-acceptance. Through that simple act, Lawrence sent a clear message to her followers: no one else gets to control their choices or dictate what they do with their own bodies. It encouraged many to embrace autonomy, confidence, and the freedom to live on their own terms.

“You’re imperfectly perfect” has become her life mantra.

Lawrence tells people how to feel super-comfortable in their own bodies. She shared in her interview how she personally has been able to do this.

“I used to have a perfection complex, which manifested itself negatively when I was obsessed with trying to lose weight. Because being a perfectionist you never want to give up. So when I started realizing that no one is perfect and integrating that into other areas of my life, I stopped feeling guilty about what I ate and about wanting to say no to certain things,” she said.

The model added, “Understanding that you can mess up, failure is just a part of life, and it’s a lesson that helped me to take the pressure off myself. We’re our own worst enemies, but you have to be your best friend.”

She continued by highlighting the power of collective support and positive messaging, saying, “In the mean time having a movement of people telling one another that they are beautiful just the way they are is so important. Having a break from the messages that are telling us that we’re not good enough is imperative.”

Be sure to check out our other article exploring why many men find curvy women so attractive.