Christina Malone has been an athlete in a larger body for her whole life. When she found the sport of powerlifting, she used what she had been told would hold her back for her entire life as a positive attribute. Christina is dedicated to helping others who are hurting, stuck in the cycle of diet culture and body negativity by learning to love themselves and fight for body diversity and acceptance in the fitness industry.

Key Takeaways

If You Want To Live Your Fullest Life You Should:

1. Accept that your value has nothing to do with what you see in the mirror 
2. Stop feeling responsible for other people's reactions to you and your body
3. Find a fitness routine that focuses on what your body feels good doing
4. Advocate for your health and your options at every size

Fitness as a Big-Bodied Person

Christina is a state-record holder and national-level athlete in the sport of powerlifting, a body inclusivity coach and speaker, and happens to be in a larger body. Her passion is finding ways to help other people find peace with their bodies, learning to appreciate everything they are, and how to be in fitness as a big-bodied person. She is powerful and raw and here today to share how picking up a barbell has helped her feel more at home in the gym and her body.

The Power of Powerlifting

At one point in her life, Christina was using exercise to punish her body for being the size that it was. That was before she fell in love with the technique of powerlifting and how it made her body feel. Powerlifting allowed her internal perspective about her body size to shift, which was a life-changing experience for an athlete in a bigger body. Instead of being told that her weight was going to hold her back, powerlifting allowed Christina to harness her energy on learning to come home to her body’s purpose.

Other People’s Comfort Is Not Your Responsibility

While the conversations and attitudes towards body diversity and body acceptance in the fitness industry are changing, we still have a long way to go. Just as we have accepted height differences and race differences in the fitness industry, Christina believes that we also have to accept body size differences. What you look like in the mirror has nothing to do with your value, worth, or ability. 

It is not your responsibility to make others feel comfortable around your body. Everyone’s body is different, and when we are able to accept others regardless of what diet culture and body negativity tell us, we can break down the barriers of the fitness industry and explore fitness with freedom.

Are you ready to start living your fullest life? Share what part of Christina’s story resonated with you most with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• The lifts that are involved in powerlifting and how it is specifically unique (8:50)
• Which practices can help you get into the right mental space to perform (13:42)
• Why body diversity awareness in fitness and sports is important, especially now (21:51)
• How the industry is changing in relation to conversations around body acceptance and bigger bodies (29:47)
• What it is like navigating the medical system as a plus-size athlete and woman (34:20)

Quotes

“[Powerlifting] is really the only sport I have ever done that I am not sitting there saying ‘hey I am big, but…’, it’s ‘hey, I am big, and…’.”  (8:25)

“When I weight lift and when I am powerlifting, it’s me, it’s the bar, and it’s the plates on the bar. And nothing else exists for me outside of that platform, the judge in front of me, and what I need to execute on the platform.” (14:12)

“You could take 100 or 200 people and give them the exact same diet and the exact same exercise routine, and they could have a similar background, and they would still come out of it looking different. And that is just inherent, that everyone’s body is going to be different.”  (23:47)

“We are at that point, where how do we go from accepting and valuing bigger bodies that are athletic to accepting bigger bodies without needing that modifier. And how do we become compassionate to all persons, because you exist in the world and you deserve to be treated with a certain amount of humanity, and I think that is a bit lost unfortunately with a lot of bigger-bodied people.” (31:25)

“For me, living my fullest life means living up every single part of my life and reaching out to the very edges of everything that I could be, and not saying no to opportunities or to things because I doubt myself or it’s something that you ‘shouldn’t do’.” (40:53)

Featured on the Show

Have you felt like there is a misalignment between your strength goals and what society tells you your goals should be? So often the fitness industry is focused on shrinking your body, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Health at Every Size movement is a prime example of your ability to work with what you have to be the best possible version of yourself each and every day.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Embrace Health at Every Size, You Should:

1. Create fitness goals that have nothing to do with your size
2. Find a form of fitness that you enjoy and brings you happiness
3. Focus on what you are gaining, not what you are losing

Becoming The Best Version of Yourself

Stacey Sorgen felt that misalignment first hand. When working to become a personal trainer, Stacey felt like she had to shrink herself to be taken seriously in the industry. Finally, Stacey said enough is enough and has found great success helping people of every size and shape work towards their goals that have nothing to do with the number on the scale.

Making Fitness Accessible

Society tells us that being a larger person is the worst thing that can be done to you. Stacey is here to tell you that that is absolutely not true. The Health at Every Size movement is all about making fitness more approachable and accessible for as many people as possible. 

Because the truth is, there is nothing wrong with the size of your body, and you can become the healthiest version of yourself without focusing on becoming smaller.

It’s Not About Shrinking Your Body

When you use fitness as a tool to expand your strength, confidence, and ability, instead of contracting our bodies to fit a certain mold, you gain the ability to advocate for your needs. Instead of using fitness as a means to an end, Stacey wants you to enjoy what you are doing and focus on what you are gaining, not what you are losing. 

Fitness is about so much more than shrinking your body, and with the right perspective, you too can find health at any size.

Are you ready to set some fitness goals that have nothing to do with the number on the scale? Share how you are embracing Health at Every Size with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Learn what Health at Every Size means and the main core values of the philosophy (5:41)
• How to maintain a sense of independence in an all-consuming diet-culture industry (13:32)
• Addressing the concern troll mentality and the misconception of Healthy at Every Size (17:18)
• Tips for reframing the narrative around fitness and movement (23:08)
• What to do if you are ready to do something different but are reluctant to put yourself back out there (32:26)

Quotes

“It’s kind of a revolution of discovering that we can learn to respect or accept our bodies where they are at and do the best that we can with what we have in this moment now.” (7:16)

“We can be larger people, and still be strong, still be active, still be fit, still be any of the things you want to be at the size that you are in your body today.” (10:50)

“If we do not support and love all people, how can all people support and love themselves?”  (18:41)

“As soon as you hit a plateau, if you are focused on contraction, there is only so far you can go. But the other direction, it’s like the sky is the limit, you can really do anything.” (27:52)

“We are always focused on everyone else. But that hour or that hour and a half or that fifteen minutes, focus on yourself and get out of it what you need out of it.” (35:22)

Featured on the Show

Recently I decided to welcome back a wearable fitness tracker into my life after a decade-long break from one. This topic brought up a lot of questions for me. While the decision to stop or start wearing a tracker is very personal, I want to bring to light a few of the questions that have surfaced for me in the hopes that they can help you out when making this call for yourself.

Key Takeaways

If You Are Considering Stopping, Or Starting, Using a Fitness Tracker, You Should:

1. Examine the pros and cons of fitness trackers and how they play into your personal relationship with your body
2. Find a tracker that suits your lifestyle and provides you with the data you are curious about
3. Keep listening to the signals of your body as your guide to what your body needs

Getting Curious About Your Body Patterns

It took me over ten years to get to the place where I am confident enough to listen to my body signals to be curious about the patterns and trends that a wearable fitness tracker can provide. 

How my recovery is correlating with my heart rate variability, menstrual cycle, and fatigue are incredibly interesting to me. The key is to not be so reliant on these numbers that you stop listening to your body and only listen to the numbers on an app.

It’s All About Balance

Wearing a fitness tracker is an incredibly personal decision and depends on your ability to combine the data from a tracker with the signals your body is sending you. While most of us don't have the same relationship to data, such as heart rate variability, as we do to the numbers on the scale, it is still something to be sensitive to. 

An app can never tell you everything that is going on in your body. The question is, does the data from a fitness tracker help you reinforce the way your body feels, or distract you from it?

How do you feel about your relationship with fitness trackers? Do you believe they are diet culture? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Why I decided to start using a wearable fitness tracker again (4:48)
• The pros and cons I see when using a fitness tracker (9:10)
• How to deal with fitness trackers if you have an all-or-nothing personality (20:38)
• Which tracker I am using currently and why I personally like it (23:42)
• Explore if fitness trackers are in fact a part of diet culture (29:04)

Quotes

“I am not in an all-or-nothing situation with training anymore, I am able to really listen to my body, but I am curious about bringing some sort of fitness tracker back into my life.” (8:37)

“I am not here to present my argument necessarily for or against, but if it is something that you have kind of been thinking about, maybe these will be some interesting points.” (14:34)

“There is a tendency to become too reliant sometimes on external trackers at the expense of also developing a sense of what your training and recovery feel like overall so that you get to know your body a lot more intimately.” (19:27)

“If you have started looking at data, do you sort of tune out what your body is telling you? Or are you looking where they overlap and using both to make decisions? Or can one help you make decisions about the other? Can having data help you connect to how your body is feeling? In some cases, potentially yes, but it is really about you individually.” (23:20)

“I don't think fitness trackers are in the same league as the scale and tracking body weight. However, could they potentially become an issue for some people? Potentially. So this is where it is really important to know yourself.” (32:18)

Featured on the Show

Having tougher body image days is perfectly normal. Yes, even when you’re actively working on your mental and physical health. Yes, even when you’re strength training every day. Let’s look at how we can start being kinder to ourselves when these thoughts happen.

Key Takeaways

How to Work Through Negative Body Thoughts

1. Journal it Out: Mentally backtrack in your day, or the day before, to see what, if anything, influenced that event.
2. Check-in with Yourself: Is there a basic need you’re not meeting for yourself?
3. Understand your Menstrual Cycle: Your cycle can impact your mood and how you feel about your body
4. Practice Gratitude: Especially when you’re feeling challenging ways about your body

Body Image Issues Impact Everyone

Challenging and negative thoughts about your body are perfectly normal. They’re not pleasant or productive, but please let me reassure you that they’re absolutely normal. We all experience them, even when we’re actively working on our positive mental and physical health.

It’s not realistic to never have a negative thought about your body. And that’s okay. Working towards some form of body neutrality is a journey, not a destination.

Working Through a Negative Body Image

When you do have negative or challenging thoughts about your body, it’s important to try to get to the root cause of these thoughts. First, take some time to journal out what might have influenced these thoughts throughout the last day or two.

You might also be neglecting one of your basic needs. When was the last time you ate or drank water? Are you getting enough sleep? 

For longer-term solutions, start tracking your menstrual cycle as your cycle has an impact on how you feel mentally and towards yourself. Finally, take up a daily gratitude practice to help shift your entire perspective.

How do you currently feel about your own body image? What struggles have you gone through? Share your experiences with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Why it’s normal to have challenging thoughts about your body [6:00]
• Why it’s not realistic to expect to never have a challenging thought about your body [7:45]
• The importance of body neutrality [13:00]
• You deserve to eat. Make sure you’re eating regularly [33:30]
• Why you should track your menstrual cycle [24:00]
• How challenging yourself with practicing gratitude can help shift your perspective [27:45]

Quotes

“It is still normal to have challenging thoughts about your body. You’re not failing or doing this wrong if you still have those doubts, negative self-talk, or aren’t at body neutrality or beyond to body liberation, or wherever you are on that spectrum.” [6:28]

“By thinking or expecting that we’re never going to have the negative thought or the challenging feeling ever again, we’re actually setting ourselves up for not being as adept or experienced with getting through those challenging thoughts or feelings.” [9:45]

“You need to eat. We need to eat. When you’re running on low energy, your blood sugar is really low, and you’re hangry, your mood is affected. You’re feeling mentally foggy, more anxious, and on edge. Food is essential.” [20:03]

“Gratitude is a muscle that you have to practice. Yes, you can feel these ways about yourself, you can feel down, sad, grief. All of those emotions are normal. At the same time, you can challenge yourself to give even a little bit of gratitude, just a little bit. It can be both - and.” [27:18]

“It’s okay for those negative body thoughts to pop up, even at positive times in our life. They probably will. Working on that resilience, instead of walking around on eggshells, is ultimately what makes you more resilient, more able to unlearn the things that aren’t serving you, and lean into what it’s like to be on this journey. It’s never going to be perfect but it is so worthwhile.” [31:31]

Featured on the Show

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