No Body Shaming!

Yesterday, I had the incredible opportunity to meet and hear Whitney Thore of TLC’s “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” speak at my school.

If you do not know who this is, watch this video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbcoh5hre74

Whitney is an incredible icon of strength, beauty, grace, poise, energy, passion, and CONFIDENCE. Transforming her life from that of shame and disgrace for her own image to that of great comfort in her own skin, Whitney has inspired many to appreciate who they are beyond a number on a scale. Growing up as a dancer, Whitney surely got her wrath of external forces telling her she needed to lose weight and fit a certain physical mold. She battled with eating disorders for a great deal of her life, always wanting to please those around her in hopes that it would bring her happiness. Later in life she was diagnosed with a disease (polycystic ovarian syndrome) that does, in fact, severely hinder fat loss, which made her feel helpless and extremely distraught. She stopped dancing and ultimately, she stopped living her life.

Long story short, Whitney decided that she did not need to hide behind her weight and she did not need to stop her life just because of other people. She started dancing again, posted that video and it went viral! Soon thereafter, she received a call from TLC wanting to give Whitney her own reality TV show!

A M A Z I N G.

As if she could not get any more empowering, she has started a campaign.

No Body Shame 

As a former dancer myself, this campaign and all that Whitney shared with us could not be more relatable. Although I am not overweight, I have struggled with my own self-worth and body-shaming for years without realizing that it was not healthy. I distinctly remember being about ten years old when I got to dance with a boy for one of the large opening dance numbers my studio performed for the annual recital. In the dance, I had to be picked up and the boy I was paired with struggled to do it. I remember getting home and going onto my sister’s stationary bike and going as hard and as fast as I could so I could burn whatever I could.

I WAS TEN YEARS OLD and ALREADY body shaming myself. (Not to mention I was practically a stick)

It only got worse from there. When I looked into the mirror, I saw a girl who needed to lose weight. I constantly compared my body to the dancers around me and just wanted to be like the tall and slender girls in my classes. Thankfully, my feelings never developed into an eating disorder. However, when I got to college a couple of years ago, the body-shaming continued to escalate and I hated the way I looked.

Again, I was and still are not seen as fat, but there are days I sure as hell feel that way. Fortunately, I have had the glorious support of my family and friends who have taught me to appreciate my body for all that it does for me and to keep on living a happy, healthy life.

Whitney is a woman that has inspired me to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see, naked and all. I may not have the body that our IDIOTIC culture views as beautiful, but I have a body that I am proud of. Our bodies tell a story, one that is unique and special to us.

Our bodies are a holy ground, not a battleground. I know that I have talked about this in previous posts, but it is worth repeating.

What we need to recognize is that our joy is up to US and not society. No one is telling us we can’t enjoy life!! Get out there and have fun.

Obviously, we all need to be healthy and we need to nourish our bodies in a way that gives us energy and the nutrients we need to live. But, it is OKAY to EAT and enjoy the pizza, the cookies, and all the other sweet and salty treats we love so dearly.

Join this movement that empowers you to start living and stop focusing on what you need to change about your body.

Although I no longer dance like I used to, I am a devoted Zumba instructor that continues to dance and shake my body like no one’s business! I may not be a stick, but I am healthy and I AM HAPPY!

I cannot thank Whitney enough for sharing her story with our school and for empowering our nation to stop shaming bodies, both other’s bodies and our own.

Now, GO DANCE and LIVE YOUR LIFE.