HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FLUCTUATIONS IN WEIGHT?

Throughout my eating disorder recovery, my weight has been all over the place. I remind myself that these changes are NORMAL and I must trust my body. There is SO much judgment around weight and I just hate it so much. Fatphobia is a term I recently learned and DAMN HONEY, DAMN.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PLASTIC SURGERY?

I personally think that there is nothing wrong with plastic surgery. But of course, you have to know that surgery is not a replacement for self-love. I talk about this more in my breast augmentation post.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HATE A CERTAIN BODY PART?

There are so many things that we take for granted every day. Sometimes it’s like “ugh I hate my thighs they’re so big and jiggly,” then I shift the focus and think “but my thighs also allow me to run and jump. Oh, and the thickness is sexy!” Positive self-talk is a key to body love!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DIET TEAS THAT YOU SEE ON INSTAGRAM?

LOL. All they do is make you aggressively shit your pants. If any accounts that sell/promote those products appear on my discover page, I block them right away.

HOW DO YOU STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS?

Someone else’s beauty is not the absence of your own. It’s okay to admire the uniqueness of others BUT remember to appreciate all of the beautiful parts that make you, you. Oh, don’t be a SHARON (more on that below) and take your pain out on other people.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH PEOPLE MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR APPEARANCE?

I try to limit my time around people who make negative comments on my weight or shape. For example… LOOK SHARON, I’M SORRY MY THICKNESS IS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE AND WELLBEING SO MUCH THAT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO COMMENT ON IT. LOL, SEE YOU NEVER, SHARON! I know that Sharon’s negative comments are a reflection of how she feels about herself. There is no need to let that change how I feel or affect my body love journey. Rather than getting salty, I just try to have compassion for Sharon’s struggle and know that she must be really unhappy in her own body. MAJOR KEY HERE: Don’t be a Sharon.

WHAT ABOUT STRETCH MARKS, SCARS, AND CELLULITE?

All of these things are completely normal and no big deal. Stretch marks are a sign of growth, and wouldn’t it be kind of weird if we didn’t grow? IDGAF if you can see my cellulite through my leggings because pretty much everyone else has it too. Scars are just signs that you’ve lived in the world and not a padded room, the world is MUCH more interesting, right? No two marks are the same, so they’re also something that makes you unique.

WHAT ABOUT PHOTOSHOP AND FACETUNE?

I wish my 16-year-old self would’ve known what I know now. Please resist the urge to Facetune the eff out of your photos and stop using the “shape” tool. If we continue to do these things to ourselves, we can’t ever expect the media or big brands to change what they do. ALSO… Fuck Victoria’s Secret, this former VS retoucher spills the tea and honestly, it’s just so sad. I’m an Aerie gal these days, their bras (my fave is currently 50% off) are AMAZEBALLS and I love that they do absolutely no retouching. Plus, their dressing rooms are BOMB AF and I show you why in my LA vlog.

5 MORE BODY LOVE TIPS

• Enjoy holiday sweets, food, and whatever the eff you desire with zero guilt.
• Put up sticky notes with positive affirmations on your mirror. This is something I personally do and it really helps.
• Buy clothes that fit you NOW, not clothes that will fit you at your “ideal” weight. You’re perfect exactly how you are here and now.
• Don’t let diet culture suck you into feeling bad about yourself. Being unaware of diet culture can really sabotage body love. The “bikini body” ideal is absolute trash.
• Stop worrying so much about what you look like. Your best qualities aren’t visible from the outside.