How Model Lauren Karaman Learned To Love Herself

“Years of pain and misunderstanding began to heal after one honest conversation”

Growing up, we’re so inundated with other’s opinions that it’s hard to know who’s right. The one person’s opinion we often end up overlooking is our own. It took model and body activist Lauren Karaman years to figure this out, but now, she’s sharing the inspirational story of how she got there.

For Lauren, her parents’ opinions had always impacted her self-esteem. Lauren confessed that they often critcized her weight. “I look back at pictures when I was 16 years old and a size 8,” she told Refinery29. “I was depressed, on a starvation diet, hated my body, was told by my mother I was heavy because I was no longer a size 6, and I believed it. I hated everything about my body because I thought I was ‘chubby.’ I was six sizes smaller than I am now.” Lauren thought that signing a contract with one of New York’s top modeling agencies would put an end to the lifelong criticism.

Except it didn’t. One day, she visited her parents, who’d asked if she’d gained weight since her last trip home. “Just because you’re with that plus-size agency doesn’t mean you can go and gain as much weight as you want,” said her mom. Lauren had enough – and after years of suffering in silence, found the courage to speak up for herself. A discussion with her parents led to a turning point in their relationship. “Years of pain and misunderstanding began to heal after one honest conversation,” she says.

Now, Lauren’s sharing her story and encouraging others to love who they are and not let other people’s judgement impact their self-esteem. “I used to think I’ve wasted too many years of my life being fat,” says Lauren. “Now I realize I wasted too many years of my life believing that lie.” Go Lauren! You’re So Beautiful Now!