---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It suddenly hit me—it was nearly…"
description: "\"“It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good care of something I hated. I’d spent so long hating my body that I didn’t know how to respect..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg"
---

#  It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good…

![“It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good care of something I hated. I’d spent so long hating my body that I didn’t know how to respect and nurture myself or my body. By focusing so much on my exterior, I also robbed myself of the opportunity to feel good about myself and my body…” quote by Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg)

> ““It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good care of something I hated. I’d spent so long hating my body that I didn’t know how to respect and nurture myself or my body. By focusing so much on my exterior, I also robbed myself of the opportunity to feel good about myself and my body, simply because I didnt meet a cultural standard of beauty that is obsessed with thinness. That created stress that interfered with my weight loss and with my own happiness.””

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Self‑hate rooted in unrealistic beauty standards hinders self‑care, creating stress that undermines health goals and happiness.

**In simple terms:** Body shame blocks self‑nurture.

Key Takeaway

Cultural ideals damage wellbeing.

Themes

body image self‑esteem cultural standards mental health wellbeing

Mood

empathetic reflective

Type

personal narrative reflection

When to use this quote

- weight‑loss journeys
- therapy sessions
- social media use

Key Concepts

self‑compassion social pressure

Practical Applications

- mental‑health counseling
- body‑positive campaigns

Questions to Reflect On

- What practices foster body acceptance?
- How can we shift cultural beauty norms?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that personal agency can overcome societal pressure without external intervention.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Nurture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurture/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Standards of beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards-of-beauty/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Thinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinness/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) [Weight loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight-loss/)

## Related quotes

> [You may not believe in anything called a work-life balance, but your body certainly does. You need to monitor and nurture your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/you-may-not-believe-in-anything-called-a-work-life-balance-but-your/)

[Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/)

> [When I worked in financial services, as part of a female-led business, I found that pitching to very male-dominated boards created stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-miller/when-i-worked-in-financial-services-as-part-of-a-female-led-business/)

[Gina Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-miller/)

> [Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/training-gives-us-an-outlet-for-suppressed-energies-created-by-stress/)

[Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/)

> [“Accept the Things You Cannot Change During our weekend visits with his kids I tried to change things, such as poor eating habits. Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-l-deal/accept-the-things-you-cannot-change-during-our-weekend-visits-with/)

Ron L. Deal

> [“Stop wasting so much energy hating your body; it makes you weaker. Everything good in your life begins from the moment you begin accepting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-papas/stop-wasting-so-much-energy-hating-your-body-it-makes-you-weaker/)

Harry Papas

> [Hey you. Yes you. Stop being unhappy with yourself. You are perfect. Stop wishing you liked someone else, or wishing people liked you as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-you-yes-you-stop-being-unhappy-with-yourself-you-are-perfect-stop-4/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's a very specific body. Even great reviews will be like: chubby, portly, overweight. . . . Sometimes I'm like, 'Ugh, how did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-s-a-very-specific-body-even-great-reviews-will-be-like-chubby/)

[Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/)

> [Hey you.Yes,you.Stop being unhappy with yourself.You are perfect.Stop wishing you looked like someone else or wishing someone liked you as much as they like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-you-yes-you-stop-being-unhappy-with-yourself-you-are-perfect-stop-3/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [HEY..YOU. yes, you. Stop being unhappy with yourself. You are perfect. Stop wishing you looked like someone else or wishing people liked you as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-you-yes-you-stop-being-unhappy-with-yourself-you-are-perfect-stop/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [HEY YOU...Yes... You !!!... Stop being Unhappy with yourself, you are Perfect, Stop Wishing you Looked like Someone Else... Or Wishing People Liked You...Stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-you-yes-you-stop-being-unhappy-with-yourself-you-are-perfect-stop-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“At what point would you finally say, 'I've had enough of hating my body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-stanley/at-what-point-would-you-finally-say-i-ve-had-enough-of-hating-my-body/)

Jessamyn Stanley

> [I didn't stop hating my body because my body changed; I stopped hating my body because my mind changed. I realized that the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/i-didn-t-stop-hating-my-body-because-my-body-changed-i-stopped-hating/)

[Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/)

> [I was bulimic and anorexic for a while, just hating my body. As an actress, I was never thin enough, never pretty enough. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-huffman/i-was-bulimic-and-anorexic-for-a-while-just-hating-my-body-as-an/)

[Felicity Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-huffman/)

> [“Instead of hating your body so much that you want to change it, try loving it so much that you want to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-anne/instead-of-hating-your-body-so-much-that-you-want-to-change-it-try/)

Jacqueline Anne

> [HEY YOU. yes, you. stop being unhappy with yourself. your perfect. stop wishing that you looked like someone else or wishing that people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/hey-you-yes-you-stop-being-unhappy-with-yourself-your-perfect-stop/)

[Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/)

## More by Jessica Ortner

> [The truth is that we won’t receive the support we need until we ask for it. Just because we can do it all doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/the-truth-is-that-we-won-t-receive-the-support-we-need-until-we-ask/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“What tapping does is bridge that gap between your body and your mind. When you tap while focusing on the thought or feeling, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/what-tapping-does-is-bridge-that-gap-between-your-body-and-your-mind/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [If you're looking to grow your business then Kate Beeders is the practitioner for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/if-you-re-looking-to-grow-your-business-then-kate-beeders-is-the/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“Many women sheepishly confess to hearing the words “You look like you lost weight” and thinking, So you thought I was fat before? When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/many-women-sheepishly-confess-to-hearing-the-words-you-look-like-you/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“not that concerned with weight for its own sake. For me, weight loss is a happy side effect of loving yourself more and feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/not-that-concerned-with-weight-for-its-own-sake-for-me-weight-loss-is/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [You can't hate yourself happy, You can't criticize yourself thin, You can't shame yourself wealthy. Real change begins with self-love and self care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/you-can-t-hate-yourself-happy-you-can-t-criticize-yourself-thin-you/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [So take a new approach as to how you feel emotions. It's not about the right emotion or the wrong emotion; it's about honoring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/so-take-a-new-approach-as-to-how-you-feel-emotions-it-s-not-about-the/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“If we are not able to say no in the first place, we’ve set ourselves up for failure and burnout. When we allow ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/if-we-are-not-able-to-say-no-in-the-first-place-we-ve-set-ourselves/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“It’s important to have goals and reach for your dreams, but it’s never a reason not to enjoy the present moment. Ultimately it’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/it-s-important-to-have-goals-and-reach-for-your-dreams-but-it-s-never/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [Because we haven’t been taught to appreciate and love ourselves in this way, we don’t feel like we deserve self-care and pleasure. Instead, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/because-we-haven-t-been-taught-to-appreciate-and-love-ourselves-in/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [Change can't be made within panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/change-can-t-be-made-within-panic/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“The world doesn’t need us to be martyrs. The world needs our gifts. It needs our intelligence, our laughter, and yes, our love, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/the-world-doesn-t-need-us-to-be-martyrs-the-world-needs-our-gifts-it/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“The most powerful way I know for you to lose weight and feel great in your body is to use tapping to clear your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/the-most-powerful-way-i-know-for-you-to-lose-weight-and-feel-great-in/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“The solution to this epidemic of perfection is to get out of our heads and into our bodies. When we connect with ourselves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/the-solution-to-this-epidemic-of-perfection-is-to-get-out-of-our/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

> [“We need to become friends with food again. It’s a relationship we need to spend time on and really invest in. When we go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/we-need-to-become-friends-with-food-again-it-s-a-relationship-we-need/)

[Jessica Ortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

[Explore all 17 Jessica Ortner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good care of something I hated. I’d spent so long hating my body that I didn’t know how to respect and nurture myself or my body. By focusing so much on my exterior, I also robbed myself of the opportunity to feel good about myself and my body, simply because I didnt meet a cultural standard of beauty that is obsessed with thinness. That created stress that interfered with my weight loss and with my own happiness.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jessica Ortner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossible-to-take-good-care-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossible-to-take-good-care-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/jessica-ortner-30168_body_it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossi_96262.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It suddenly hit me—it was nearly impossible to take good care of something I hated. I’d spent so long hating…” — Jessica Ortner",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jessica Ortner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ortner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It suddenly hit me—it was nearly...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossible-to-take-good-care-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ortner/it-suddenly-hit-me-it-was-nearly-impossible-to-take-good-care-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
