My Body of Work

It’s probably corny to speak extensively about my weight loss journey, but it’s been an incredible challenge, and personal growth is of utmost importance to me.

At first, I just wanted to achieve “being my hottest” to prove to myself that I could do it. But I’ve realized that the pursuit goes much deeper, and much farther forward.

When the pandemic first hit, I got scared and made the decision to take health seriously. This meant eating truly well; and I’d never realized before this how much our food affects everything we experience, feel, and are daily. I also took exercise seriously in tandem, focusing on how incredible it feels to be strong. When I was younger, I honestly didn’t think I could truly work hard and stay disciplined. And now I can’t imagine not being that way.

But for several years prior, I’d been silently dealing with a painful and embarrassing chronic skin disease called HS. It’s genetic, but in the majority of cases, it worsens directly in correlation to obesity. Spoiler alert: improving your diet works significantly better than antibiotics and even injections of serious immunocompromising drugs! Unfortunately, that wasn’t emphasized to me, and I didn’t take the initiative on my own to learn that it didn’t have to be like this — up until the point when I had to have surgery.

After that, during a 2+ year global pandemic, I decided it’s time to thrive. Not just to look better, but to be in a much better place. It didn’t hurt that I finally had a truly healthy, loving relationship for the first time in my life, really — and the upcoming wedding has kept my eyes on the prize. I was inspired by a story my future mother-in-law shared about being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and doing absolutely everything she could to get healthy — from diet to psychotherapy to massage to extensive research. She overcame it because she didn’t just accept it; she fought for her overall well-being.

The thing is, I’ve always been body positive. Being curvy and chubby, there was never a moment when I didn’t feel pretty, sexy, and confident. But am I glad my cholesterol is lowered, I no longer have a debilitating skin issue, and I can do more fun outdoor activities now? You bet.

I’m proud that I’ve grown a lot over the past two years, and it’s symbolic and special to me that my body and my inner glow can represent that today.