Healthy Mind + A Healthy Body= A Healthy Life

Okay, I’m a plus size model. Not exactly breaking news right? But I’m amazed at how many people are confused by what that means. Some people think that I’m all about “making friends with fat”, or promoting obesity, or in some other way supporting the idea that being overweight is a good thing. That’s not my message nor is it my life at all. What I care about more than anything is being healthy. We all have different bodies, different builds and different weights at which our bodies naturally do best. I’m 5’11” and a size 12. For me, that’s a healthy body shape. I know its healthy because I get annual checkups, get blood tests, have my vital signs examined… the whole nine yards. And my body is running well, thanks to a healthy diet and lots of exercise. If I wanted to be a “straight size” model, I’d have to do very unhealthy things to my body to get there. So guess what? I’m not a “straight size” model and that’s OKAY. No use trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. That’s a total recipe for frustration and ruining my self-esteem. No Thanks! There are plenty of other things to work on in this lifetime! I’m sure you’ve heard this before: accept your body as it is, don’t fight it, and make it the healthiest you can! I always knew I’d never look like Kate Moss, but at my healthiest I can strive for Beyoncé! And I’m perfectly happy with that. Find a REALISTIC goal for yourself. That’s the healthy mind part of the equation; you have to think in a realistic way in order to steer yourself in the right direction with your physical health. That’s the lesson I live by. It starts with your mind and a healthy mind IS a healthy body, they go hand in hand. But accepting my body and that I’m not a size 0 doesn’t mean that I’m in favor of sitting around eating food filled with junk. But don’t deprive yourself either! If you want a cookie have one, just not the whole sleeve!  In other words, my message is, eat healthy in moderation, exercise sufficiently and let the chips (not potato chips) fall where they may. It’s so simple, why do we complicate it?!