body image
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Formerly Fat: How Bariatric Surgery Helped Me Transform My Life
On a break while shopping for Black Friday deals, a friend and I sat down for lunch in the Detroit suburbs. My friend quickly observed how I only ate half of my burger and picked over my loaded baked potato. I shrugged. “Well, you know I had weight-loss surgery a couple years ago,” I said.…
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I'm a Plus-Size Runner and I Got Heckled at the NYC Marathon
This year, I ran my seventh and eighth marathons within four years of running—all as a plus-size woman. I ran the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8 and the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5—followed by the New York Road Runners 60K Ultramarathon less than two weeks later. The year 2017 was my most ambitious…
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Body Image and Me: My Struggle With Body Dysmorphia
A few months ago, I reconnected with a dear friend whom I hadn’t seen in quite some time. We met up for brunch, laughed about prior fights, squashed beefs and updated each other on our personal lives in between bites of truffle fries. In between convos about the escapades that happened during our distance, I…
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Watch: Let’s Talk About Stretch Marks
They’re on our butts, arms, thighs and breasts. You name it. Stretch marks are discolored, white, red or dark brown and are caused by hormonal changes, genetics or rapid weight gain or loss. Eighty percent of women of color have stretch marks—so let’s talk about them for a minute. Check out the video above to…
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Watch: Laila Ali Knows What She Wants and Will Break Down Any Barrier in Her Way
To be clear: There is no ambiguity about what Laila Ali wants and the path she is willing to take to get there. Nearly two decades ago, Ali wrapped up her knuckles, slipped on boxing gloves and stepped into the ring. She made a life-changing decision—going from being a nail-salon owner to a pro boxer—and…
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Why Does the Idea of a Confident, Fat Black Woman Make You So Uncomfortable?
I love me. I’m fat. I’m black. I’m beautiful, and I don’t look my age. My hair is nappy and as big as my smile. I’m usually the loudest person in the room, and my laugh ripples through the air like a hypnotic vibration. My breasts take over the entire top half of my frame,…