Two months ago I was introduced to this guy (let’s call him Max, his name starts with an M so close enough) by a mutual friend and after hitting it off it didn’t take long for either of us to express feeling some kind of attraction to one another. Things have been moving along nicely between the two of us when in a recent conversation, Max brought up that he likes my “curvy hips and thick thighs.” Of course I know that he means that as a compliment and was in no way trying to insult me, but my whole life I’ve been conditioned to regard those parts of myself as unattractive. I’m not exactly chubby per se, but I have sturdy legs, a bit of a butt, and wide hips with a little extra padding on them. Him liking those things has really thrown me for a loop. I’ve always been used to someone being attracted to me despite my physique, not attracted to me because of it and I don’t quite know how to handle it. Part of me feels grateful to have come across someone like him that likes those things and it does somewhat help me feel a little more sexy and confident around him, but I also can’t help but feel slightly hurt when he makes comments about my body and those particular features. To me those comments are reminders of flaws I have that I’d rather not think about because I feel self conscious and uncomfortable in my own skin when I do. Of course that’s not his fault and I don’t blame him whatsoever for my internal body image issues, but I can’t help the way I feel and the influence of the society I’ve grown up in has had on me. I guess my question is, how can I stop feeling bad about myself when he says something positive about a part of myself I’m insecure about? I know that he means well, so what can I do within myself to receive his words the way he intends me to?

TL;DR Guy I’ve recently started seeing likes the thicker parts of my body I’ve always hated about myself partially due to society’s image of an “ideal” female body. What can I do to stop feeling insecure when his words intended as compliments remind me of how I don’t fit the world’s traditional standards of beauty?