Body Positive: Stacie

This week we get to hear from Stacie!

We went to high school together and now I follow her blog religiously to get all the updates on her cute baby boy Logan. 

Anyways, I was floored after reading her story. She's the real deal, folks. She just tells it like it is, and I like that! Hopefully you will to. Enjoy.

Stacie

Oh the stories I could tell of body negatives...it is hard to pick just one! I love these posts because I can relate to pretty much every single story. I had/have acne and I finally discovered Proactiv and it has worked wonders. Now I am stuck on it because nothing else works, but that is a story for another time :)

My problem is that I like to eat. I mean, REALLY like to eat. Especially dessert! I am not one of those people that are blessed with a crazy high metabolism. The eating shows on me. Why is is so easy to gain weight and not lose it?

I remember the first time I felt fat. I was in my second year of college and I realized, while sitting in church, that I had a little pudge (love handles, muffin top, spare tire) around my middle when I sat down. This was discouraging to me but I didn't really do much about it until I went home for the summer. I met my future husband not too long after that and really got to work on the weight control. I was nicely thin for my wedding but it has been all uphill from there, at least when it comes to the numbers on my scale. I have gone through times of acceptance and times of resentment, but I have never really done much about losing weight. Enter being pregnant.

I stayed on track with my weight gain throughout my pregnancy but I was heavier than I should have been to begin with, so those numbers got much higher than I was comfortable with. It is never a good thing for a female ego to weigh more than your husband does, even if you are pregnant. Logan was born in November and then the holidays hit. I had a lot of work to do if I was going to accomplish my New Year's resolution of weight loss! My problem is that I will do pretty much anything to avoid exercise.

I started Weight Watchers about 6 weeks ago and I have seen pretty good results. It has been eye-opening to me to see what an actual portion is versus the one I think I am entitled to. I am still by no means where I want to be but I won't let that stop me from being happy with myself. I had a baby and that is hard on your body! I am not going to let my weight stop me from doing things like taking pictures with my son, even though I feel bloated and unattractive sometimes. I want to be able to look back on my life right now and feel happy and proud of where I have been. It is a constant struggle, but I think I am winning the fight right now :)

So I guess this post has a few purposes. I want you all to know that I am human, feeling insecure about myself. I also want you to know that I think it is important to be happy with where you are in life. If you want to make changes, do it! Don't feel bad if you aren't perfect, but working hard to achieve things can feel so rewarding. I am glad that I am making an effort to improve myself, even though I know that life is great just the way I am. 

. . . . . . .

Thanks SO MUCH Stacie. You may not think you're that inspiring, but you are.

Send me more stories people! bodypositive2012@gmail.com.

No stories, no more series. :( So get on it!

We Landed on the Moon!

If you know what movie that post title came from, I will give you a virtual high five.

Hello again!

This past Memorial Day weekend we took a trip up to Idaho Falls, and went to Craters of the Moon!

If you haven't been there, I strongly suggest you go at least once. It's a fun little day trip and there really isn't anywhere else like it. You feel like you're on the moon!

We took Andrea and our cousin McKae as well. 

The only downside was it poured rain almost the whole time.

Don't worry, we had ponchos, but one BAD thing about ponchos is the the rain runs off them and soaks into your pants.

Which, in case you were wondering, isn't very fun.

But we still managed to enjoy our day! Here's some pictures:

Look at that stud! Wowie!

Oh yeah, we went in some caves. It was a nice break from the rain.

Special.

So anyways, it was fun.

The rest of the weekend was spent talking about our new NIECE! Sam and Megan are now the proud parents (and I'm a proud aunt!) of a beautiful baby girl named Grace. We're going to go see her this weekend so you can expect lots of pictures of that sweet little lady.

We also ate pizza, watched "Little Rascals", helped the parents plant their garden, went for a run, ate lots of snacks, took a tour of the awesome Destinations Inn that my brother Cory and his wife Hayley work/live at (they live in the basement, not one of the themed rooms, unfortunately. They told us they could get us a good deal on that place sometime. We definitely plan on taking them up on that offer) and just enjoyed a weekend away! 

Body Positive: Nikki

This week we get to hear from my good friend/old coworker Sticki! I mean. . .Nikki. Sticki is what I call her, and she loves that. 

Anyways, she's friggin' awesome. And always has good advice about how to have positive body image. We met working at the eating disorder clinic and she's taught me a lot! Plus, we bonded over our love for Harry Potter. She might even like the series more than me, but not my much. 

Without further ado, here are her words of wisdom:

Nikki

Hi, ya'll! I'm Nikki! I'm a friend of Tara's and an avid blogger (when I'm not in school....). Check me out here! Tara asked me ages ago to write a little something for her to share on her blog. Truly. AGES ago. I like to think that I wasn't putting her off, but just building her suspense *wink*. I've been mulling things around in my head today trying to think of the perfect words for the perfect message to share about body love, and I just can't seem to figure it out. You see, Tara and I met while working at Avalon Hills Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Center (wow, that's a long name). I recently ended my 4+ year employment to focus on my degree, but mostly to spend time with these little cupcakes: 

 

After having kids, some days I suffer from "Mom Body Syndrome". Some days when I look in the mirror or get dressed all I can think is "UGH." But I never let those thoughts hang around long, because I know that I sacrificed my body to create new bodies, and that's pretty freakin' cool. I think women need to know that it's okay to have bad days. And it's okay not to love your body ALL the time. What matters is that you don't let it affect you when you walk away from the mirror or out of the closet. Here's my take on what you can do to build a little more love and appreciation for your body on those days when you feel a little "ugh". Just think about what's incredible about the body part you're feeling bad about. For instance:

Arms: My arms allow me to hold my baby girl and hug my son. They allow me to write and to hold hands with my husband.

Legs: My legs let me run after my crazy kids all day. They let me walk to class and play outside.

Stomach: My stomach holds most of my important organs and is a pretty great camping spot for little babies waiting to be born.

Butt: I know this is silly, but I sure couldn't sit without it!! Plus, it fills out my jeans pretty great.

Face: My face helps me to show others how I feel without having to speak a word. My mouth allows me to talk, my ears to hear, and my eyes to see.

Breasts: My breasts allows me to feed new babies and gives my kids a nice place to rest their sweet little heads.

 Now, these are just things that my body does and that I like about them. Your reasons are probably different. But regardless, your body IS a miracle. And it really, truly IS perfect. Do you know who made you? Do you think He makes mistakes? I don't. How do you think the Lord feels when we criticize his masterpieces? We are each unique, but all created in His image. Isn't that something to be proud of? He didn't create us in the image of magazine models or athletes. He created us to be like Him. Next time you feel a little down about your body, just remember that. Just remember who made you.

. . . . . . .

Isn't she great? And I have a crush on her little boy. Just sayin'

 Thanks Sticki for helping me out. I always learn a lot from you.

I would still love to hear from all of you! Email me at bodypositive2012@gmail.com.

And have a happy 3 day weekend. I know I will!

Coloring

That's what our date night was last Friday.

My turn to be in charge, and I decided that I didn't want to just buy some random coloring book, I wanted to print off AWESOME pictures to color.

Real quick-a random memory just came to me. I think I was 10 or something and Tonya and I were in church  and we took the Lion King coloring book out of the "mom bag" and started coloring pictures during sacrament meeting (I'm sure it was for the younger siblings, but we needed entertainment too, ya know. You all were the same. Don't deny it.) Anyways, I remember we colored Simba and Scar and whoever else the "wrong" colors, like pink and green and purple and we showed them to 4 year old Jodee and she got really upset. I remember her getting mad at us and telling us that we colored them wrong. She was almost in tears. And we just kept showing them to her over and over again.

Jodee, I'm a little bit sorry. But it was funny.

Anyways, back to our date.

The awesome pictures I printed off were a few Harry Potter ones (duh) and some Pirates of the Caribbean, and some from UP. Don't know why I chose the last two, mainly for Paul I guess since all I was interested in was Harry Potter, like usual. Should I branch out? Nah. . .Harry is the coolest.

We went over to a local pizza place that is just up the road to try them out.

REALLY GOOD.

A little expensive, but we thought two 12" pizzas would be a good amount, since between the two of us we can easily eat a Hot-n-Ready in about 15 minutes, no questions asked. 

Well, this was actually good quality pizza, so I could only eat about 2 slices and I was FULL. And Paul could only eat 3. That's how filling it was.

I think next time we'll just get one. 

Also, we bought the coveted GIANT box of crayons that every kid wants when they are in elementary school. Know what I'm talking about? Maybe some of you were spoiled when you were younger, but I never got the giant box of crayons. I always had just the pack of 12 or whatever. And I remember always looking longingly over at the kid who DID have the giant box and seeing how they had 5 shades of red and I only had one that had already broken because that's what happens with crayons.

I'm ok now because I've got my big box of crayons, sucka!

So that's the date night.

Remembering that random memory about Jodee brought a smile to my face a midst all the things that are currently bothering me right now.

I will name them because I want to.

1. I really want a haircut. But I have to wait until a week from Friday because that's just how it worked out. And since I now want a haircut, I want it NOW and feel like my hair is a lumpy limp mass and should just be fixed right away. (I almost said it should just die, but I don't want that. Not really.)

2. The handle on the inside of the driver's side of my little car Hal broke almost completely off yesterday. Until we fix it that means I get to look super white trashy every time I need to get out of the car because I have to roll down the window and open the door from the outside. 

3. I feel like there was a number three. But now I can't think of it. But it was just as annoying, I can promise you that!

My lunch break is almost over, so I'm going to peace out. 

And find out if Tonya or Jodee remember that time in sacrament meeting.

Oh! Now I remember #3.

I've been getting zits on my face around my mouth and on my cheeks. Now, I have always had acne and cursed the genetics that brought that on, but I've never gotten zits there before, and it's ANNOYING! I haven't changed anything in my diet, in fact I've been eating better I think. 

Does anyone have any acne solutions that work for them? I am allllll ears. Seriously. Tell me now please!

What's Cookin': Peach Curry!

Ok, time for the peach curry recipe.

It seriously is amazing. 

Not only does it taste amazing, it smells amazing while you're making it.

Did you understand that it's AMA-ZA-ZING?

So here it is. 

Our version.

*Remember, the longer you let a curry simmer, the stronger the flavor. In this case, it's a good thing.

We made a few modifications, so if you want to view the original recipe, you can here.

Peach Curry

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 large onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced peaches in syrup, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped plum tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in the curry and cook 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onion becomes transparent. Stir in the peaches, including their syrup, with the tomatoes, ginger, cream, salt, and pepper add chicken and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Pour over rice.

Body Positive: Erin

It's Friday evening. 

I swear yesterday was Monday. 

WHERE has the week gone?

I went from having nothing to do to having NO TIME AT ALL, it seems.

Well, that's not entirely true. But it feels that way a little bit.

Enough of that.

Today we get to hear from the lovely Erin. Or Ern, as I affectionately call her. Or better yet, Marge. :) Ha, she'll love that I put THAT on here. 

But anyways, this friend o' mine is awesome. 

We've been good buddies since high school.

 We share a love in a lot of things, like Chuck, Veronica Mars and Ron Weasley to name a few.

She's pretty neat. And makes me laugh really hard.

Oh, and she's going to med school to become a doctor right now.

 Yeah, like I said, awesome.

 Here's her story.

Erin

When I turned 13, I noticed I was starting to get zits.  Normal, right?  Lots of girls my age got some pimples here and there, why not me?  It was supposedly my lot in life as a moody, awkward teenager to get a little bit of "acne face".  But, oh no.  I never got just a little bit of acne face.  I got lots of it.  And I really struggled with it.  I have always been extremely self conscious about my face and the way it looks. 

It's not like I didn't wash my face.  Quite the opposite.  I washed my face several times a day, I stopped wearing make-up, I put all sorts of creams and pastes on my face to stop the madness from erupting every day.  I took medication after medication.  It helped somewhat, but not enough.  In high school and my first few years of college I would look around at my friends, roommates, and fellow students and think, "Why do they have skin like that?  Why do I have to look so hideous? Why do I look like I don't care about my face or my hygiene?"  I saw movies and TV shows with women who looked stunning.  They didn't have angry red marks on their faces, so why did I?  Thoughts like these circled in my head for years.  Throughout those first few years of college, I never really felt cute.  I never thought a boy could really like me, or that I would even be able to have a conversation with someone without them seeing my red, splotchy face instead of me.

See isn't she so cool? She's been to the REAL Platform 9 3/4!!!

I knew it was bad when my sister and mother, two people who know how sensitive I am about it all, said, "Erin, we need to get you to a dermatologist."  I remember replying, "Really?  Oh my gosh, really?  Is it that bad?  Am I really that ugly?"  Hearing myself say the words out loud made me feel worse than ever before.  I burst into tears and my mom said, "Oh, sweetheart.  It's okay.  It's okay..."

But, I can say that I learned a lot about myself through the process.  Girls all over the world go through the same thing.  I know I am not alone in this, and that makes me feel a lot better about life.  Acne makes you feel ugly, unwanted, and gross.  There are times when just the thought of looking at your face in a mirror is unbearable.  I learned that even though there were days when I didn't want to leave my bed, I still had to get up and go.  I still had school.  I still had friends.  I still had people who loved me.  They didn't care what I looked like, they just cared that I was happy.  

I look back on what I call "My Acne Days" with gratitude.  I learned a lot about feeling better about the skin you're in.  Honestly, I think having a "Body Positive" image is about so much more than just feeling healthy (WHICH IS IMPORTANT...trust me, I'm a...med student.).  It's about becoming something you want to be.  I decided that I was tired of looking AND feeling bad.  So, as I was continually searching for a treatment for my skin, I worked toward becoming happy with ME.  I tried to be happy with who I was becoming and where I wanted to go in life.  And, I told myself that just because my face didn't look the way I wanted it to, the same would NOT be true of my life and the rest of my body.  I wanted to make my body a "temple" in every way that I could control.  It was definitely a "body, mind, spirit" thing.

In case you were wondering, I did find an acne treatment that works (a tiny miracle, if you ask me).  But because of that whole experience, I grew to love my body and mind for what it was: imperfect but still "working on it."  Everyday I have to work on feeling good about myself as I already am.  Some days are better than others, of course.  But -- to risk being cliche -- it's totally worth it.

. . . .

Thanks for doing this Ern. Means a lot to me. 

Hope you all have a good weekend!

And really, I say this every freaking time, but I really need more stories. Right now I only have one left. . so if you've enjoyed this series stop being insecure and send me an email at bodypositive2012@gmail.com!!