Friday Fresh!!

The new year isn't the only opportunity you have to make a new start, every week, every day and every moment allows for that. You just have to have the confidence and courage to start!! Its not Friday yet, but we'll consider this a head start : ) . Every Friday I've decided I will be post a goal that I would like to accomplish for the upcoming week. For this coming week I want to focus on taking more steps toward better health.

Starting this Friday

1. Drink more water

2. Find creative and inexpensive ways to exercise

3. Don't put pressure on myself in terms of exercising, start off small

So that's it : )

peace & love

-Ronniecole

Confidence, the best accessory

" To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are" -Unknown

"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." -Buddha

"Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality" - Les Brown

"The last person one wants to be is themselves. Sadly that is the best person to be" -Unknown

Heartz Desire: Thigh High Boots

They'd make my feet veerrrry happy : )

Curvy Chick of the Moment- LEDISI

The amazingly talented R&B-Jazz Diva. Not only is she a great singer but she has amazing style and locs to die for.

Ledisi= Dessert for the Ears!!

Fat in Fitness: Fat personal trainers

Right now I'm on the quest to being the healthiest and happiest person I can possibly be...BUT with that said I'm not on the quest to be the Skinniest girl I can be. Right now I'm 5ft 8 and size 16-20 with an addiction to sweets. For years I had issues with self esteem and body image. From the age of about 12 to 22 I've suffered, like many Americans with disordered eating. At 23 after years of growth and learning I'm just beginning to know what it feels like to truly love and accept who you are. I love working (after I get back on the bandwagon) and I love how I feel when I eat healthy foods and take care of myself. I also LOVE when I feel truly confident and at home in my own skin. So I'm now on a journey of accepting and embracing my body in its current state, while still making moves toward being healthier and having the body that is in great physical condition.

So here's the deal, I would love to drop a few pounds and tone up but I still want to keep my curvy body and have no desire to be stick thin or even "skinny". I'm not a short girl and I have a large frame, i.e big boned (yes there is such a thing as small, medium , and large frame) meaning I can carry more weight then someone who's the same height as me, but just a smaller frame. I will always be pear shaped, have thunder thighs, a fat ass, and arms that are larger than the rest of my top half. I've come to terms with that and embrace it. BUT I know that I can and would like to have healthier eating hobbits and a more consistent exercise routine. Though I'm a vegetarian I have an affinity for sweet and snack foods, and I don't always have a consistent eating schedule nor do I eat as many fruits and vegetables as folks would assume. So I'm on the road to not just trying to eat healthier but to have normal eating habits...meaning a healthy relationship with food, Meaning: I don't want to overeat, undereat, or obsess about eating "perfectly". I simply eat the best that I can, allow my self to have "slip ups", enjoy food..the healthy and the guilty pleasures, and live my best life. So I'm now on the search to finding sites and resources that support health and fitness without making it seem like being plus size or overweight is a crime. I'm not a miserable fat person and I know that no matter if the amount on the scale goes up or down, I"m still the same wonderful person. Sadly there aren't many sites or resources that promote or understand that a person can be full figured and be healthy, happy, and whole. BUT I've found a few things that make me have hope : )...Here they are:

1. The Fat Nutritionist ( www.fatnutritionist.com). A site where Michelle aka The Fat Nutritionist shares her knowledge as a nutritionist and what Health at Every Size means.

2. I recently stumbled across an article written a few years ago in the New York Times about overweight Personal Trainer's. (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01FITNESS.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 )

3. Former America's Next Top Model contestant, Toccara promoting her workout dvd for curvy girls (www.iamtoccara.com)

4. And a number of blogs written by beautiful and confident curvy girls such as, Young, Fat, and Fabulous (I'll be sharing more of my favorite blogs in later posts)

As I continue on my curvy girl path to a healthier life these things give me encouragement...

Peace, Love, and Souuuuul
-Ronnie

The Fat Girl's (aka anyone's) Guide to Self Love Pt. 1

Part One of the Self Love Series
( The world would be a better place if people learned to love themselves)

My friend Webster's definition of love:

1. strong affection for another arising out of KINSHIP or personal ties
2. warm attachment, ENTHUSIASM, or DEVOTION
3. the object of ATTACHMENT, devotion, admiration
4. UNSELFISH loyal and benevolent CONCERN for the GOOD of another

Now that we see what love is..or at least have a definition of love, let me give my definition of SELF love.

SELFLove a journey, a journey that requires you to spend the same time and energy and passion that you have for loving your friends, or spouse, or family and learning how to love yourself the same way, if not more. Developing a Relationship with yourself and being real about who you are and where you are in life. Being DEVOTED to getting to know yourself on a regular basis...with the same kind of passion or drive you'd have when chasing after a career or dream. Being excited and ENTHUSED to spend time with yourself, and realizing that when you have You..YOU don't have to be lonely again. Getting ATTACHED to yourself, recognizing, embracing, and acknowledging yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Spending time with SELF. Making enough time to be CONCERNED about your personal needs and desires. Being the best you, YOU can be for the GOOD of others and for your own benefit.

SELFLove is NOT

1. About being selfish, but being strong enough and wise enough to make you a priority in life.
2. Doing anything and everything you want, but about making decisions that are best for your life.
3. Being stubborn or refusing to change who you are, but being open and excited about constantly growing and changing as a person.
4. Not staying stagnant yet accepting who you are even your flaws.
5. Being self-centered, its about learning to properly love and take care of yourself so that you can help others do the same.

THE BIGGEST LIE EVER: Your race, gender, class, orientation, size, or any other part of your identity should NOT determine how much you should or shouldn't love yourself. Being poor, or being a size 24 or being a highschool dropout (anything you want to name) SHOULD NOT determine how much you should love yourself. EVERY Human being on the face of the planet deserves Love, Peace, and Joy. Don't fool yourself by thinking that because you come from a certain background, have a particualr hair texture, or can't fit into a size 6, 8, or 12 jean that you're unlovable. Don't think that just because you've made mistakes in the past or continue to make mistakes (even the same ones) that you should punish yourself by denying yourself love. Don't let mom, dad, foster parents, boyfriend, girlfriend, "friends" or anyone from your past or in the future make you believe that they are the only one's that can and will "love" you or that your are unworthy and undeserving of love..it is a bold face lie. Food, shelter, and clothing are basic rights but so are Love, Inner Peace, and Joy. Aspire to get those things for yourself so that NOone no matter what, can take them away from you.

If you don't love you right now..I do!!!

Its a loooooooong journey that I'm still on, but the trip is soo worth it : )

LOVE

-RonnieCole

Why and What is this blog?

Why: Because I can

Why: Because for now its a new and great way for me to use the voice that I have. I'm getting back to my writing roots and this blog is one of the ways.

Why: Somebody somewhere needs to hear something I have to say and even if no one hears it I still needed to get it out.

WHATS THIS BLOG GONNA BE ABOUT?

The hell if I know : ) A fashion, size acceptance, self love, advice giving, personal diary, social commentary blog. I don't have one thing I'm drawn to talk about soley, there are a number of things on my heart and in my head that I feel like need to be and can be addressed in this one space.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT?

The hell if I know : ) Things that I love. Things that I'm passionate about: Self discovery and Self Love, Fashion, Size Acceptance, Makeup, Natural Hair, with a mix of politics and Social Activism and a dash of things that make me smile and things that make cringe. And to top it off anything and anyone that inspires me.