Summer is almost here. This means every gym is offering some sort of deal. Every diet plan is pushing a program. Spring means that months of pushing candy, cakes, and overindulgence – now you are fat and you should be ashamed. NO. I will not be told that my body isn't good enough.  I will not be fat shamed by commercials trying to get me to believe that now that the warm weather is here, I need to suddenly change my evil ways.  NO. Here is what I am doing instead and I hope you'll join me. pink2.png

Stop the negative self talk!

“I can't get my fat ass in those cute dresses.  I'll stick to sweatpants.”
I've actually said that.  Out loud.  And I thought it was funny. It isn't.  When you talk to yourself poorly or talk about your body like that.  You are tearing apart your own self-esteem. You would never say those words to your daughter, your son, your best friend.  Why would you say things like that about yourself? This year I am promising myself that I will do my best to talk nicer about my body. I will forgive myself for things that I just can't change… yet.

Do what you can, as often as you can.

I am not going to suddenly take up running, join a gym, or become something overnight that I haven't wanted to be in the last 44    30 something years.  But I do want to do more to help my body feel better. So do what you can, often. I recently had surgery on my leg to help with some severe foot pain.  For about 18 months I have been in pain with every step I took.  To the point where I was living on pain killers and not moving much at all.  My body is showing how being stagnated in my activity weighs you down. No more.  There are plenty of things that I can do while I recover.  From sitting stretches and exercises to actually getting on the floor and doing whatever I can to strengthen my weakened muscles. It only takes a few minutes a few times a day to change how you look and feel in your own body.


I hate my photo being taken.  And I realize that is because I have become frustrated with how I look in them.  I have my Gram's wide face and smile lines.  I have broad shoulders and boobs that like to take up most of the picture.  I smile funny when a camera comes out. I am very UN-photogenic. But the one thing I have realized about people who take a ton of selfies is that they don't seem to care if they look silly, have a weird crazy eye, or look away at the worst time. They will either just take a new photo or realize that that's their face and they own it. This year, I'll take more selfies.  I promise! 6

Healthy In and Healthy Out

A few years ago, I gave up gluten.  I cried for about 3 month and I was grumpy as hell.  ( a common side-effect of giving up wheat ) When I finally mastered going gluten-free, I walked away 15lbs lighter without doing anything at all. In fact, I was off my feet for a few weeks of that. The more I thought about how often I turned to carbs like pasta, bread, or flour-based sauces as a staple in my diet, the more frustrated I was with my base recipes that I not only ate regularly but also served to my family. It wasn't easy. But I started learning more about easy swaps for gluten that are so easy and budget-friendly, and now I have a huge stack of recipes that I love and I can't wait to share with my readers. Many of you aren't gluten-free.  And that's okay.  If you are like me and millions of other people out there trying to change your eating habits, it starts one day at a time.  One meal at a time. Choose your food with thought. Being gluten-free wasn't a healthy choice for me. After a year, I was sick often and tired aways.  My doctors suggested that I begin to add it back in with moderation.  Yes, some of the weight did come back, but so did my energy and sanity.  If you aren't celiac, gluten-free can be unhealthy.  So please speak with your doctor about your diet. Eating mindfully takes practice, but it won't let you down. garlic-shrimp

Love your body like it is the one thing keeping you alive.

My body and yours fight every day to keep us alive. It's brought three healthy children into this world… to drive me insane.  My body has carried me around the world, challenged me to be stronger, made me cry when I stopped believing in it. It's time to stop looking at the fat and seeing the beauty. This year I am learning to love my body and tend to it like it is the most precious gift I've ever been given. Make time for self-love. Spend a few extra minutes enjoying a warm bath or shower, feel how good it is to have some peace and quiet just for you. Stop trying to compare your body to a life that you have never had to live and enjoy the one you do. Drink the coffee you love, sing loudly in the car, and dress like you actually like your curves or bones.

Will you take this challenge with me? I'll cheer you on! – Crysta


2 thoughts on “Goodbye Fat Ass! Changing Your Life Inside and Out”

  1. Love this! You are beautiful, and we are all beautiful!

    I have gained 50 pounds in the last three years, and went from being the too-skinny-girl to holy-cripe-she-got-fat. I cannot embrace it; and wish I could.
