19 Men Go Shirtless And Share Their Body Image Struggles

From: HuffPost

"I typically feel like no one can tell I have a belly when my shirt is on, so I feel like I'm exposing a secret when my shirt comes off. I don't remember a moment in my life when I felt totally comfortable with my body. It's been especially bad since leaving college, possibly because of the insecurity that comes with new friends, new living arrangements and living in a new town. However, in 2015, I've started to become more secure with my body and more confident.  I rarely open up about it unless it's with close friends. The handful I do talk to always give me the same reaction: Oh, you're not fat! It's nice to hear, but no matter how often I hear it, I don't believe it. Some friends even tell me they think of me as 'athletic.' If anything, I think these responses confuse me, because I still can't comprehend how I would look like I don't have a big belly. It's not that I'd rather them say, Yeah, you could stand to lose a few, but it makes it more difficult for me to process my insecurity against friends' reassurance."