A guest post by Moxie Thatcher
Have you ever moved across the country in a week to follow a dream and a seemingly promising chance to model full time? Well, It sounds a lot more exciting than my experience was. But don’t worry, the story isn’t finished yet. We’re still living it, so I’ll keep you updated.
It’s 2019, so I obviously met Chrissy in person via… yup, you guessed it, the internet, (We did have one faint mutual contact but nevertheless.) I had just moved to LA from Nashville to pursue modeling with the promise of success under the stipulation that I lose 3 inches from my waist and hips. (You can laugh in your head right now along with me.)
I started training with Chrissy daily. She challenged me in ways I’ve never physically been challenged before. We did new movements every day! Some that felt so good and made me feel so strong within my body and some that I honestly hated due to my lack of graceful sliding movements- but there wasn’t one exercise I couldn’t tolerate because we simply laughed the
entire way through it. We trained for a few months straight, and every single day, she would push me, encourage me, and remind me of how beautiful I was even prior to “making measurements.”
Spoiler alert: I never made measurements. I never got to the size zero my agency wanted me to be. I’m a 29-year-old woman. I’m athletically built. I’ve been a size zero before, and it was due to poor health— physically AND mentally. (Btw, nothing about being a size zero is fun.) My body has gently let me know after years of trying to lose that it will NOT do that again. It is right
where it wants to be. I train with Chrissy now because it makes my body feel good! It makes my mind feel good! I feel accomplished; I feel capable, I feel strong. And I’ll tell you what, the best of training with Chrissy? The encouragement. The laughter. The joy. It doesn’t matter how hard you push your body. What your calorie deficit is. What your end goal is. Being kind to yourself is the only way to feel good, outside, and inside.
Will you read this aloud? Even under your breath is fine. Just loud enough for your ears to hear your voice. (That part is essential, I promise.)
I am beautiful.
I. Am. Beautiful.
I. Am. ___________. (Fill in the blank with whatever positivity you need.)
How did that feel?! Check in. Take a moment. Did it feel shame-y? Joyful? Gross? Exciting?
Embarrassing?
Whatever feeling you had, remember it. And repeat your sentence to yourself as often as you can. Write it on your bathroom mirror. Write it on a notecard and put it on your nightstand. Make it your phone background! The point is, keep saying it to yourself. Keep looking at it. Your words have more power than you know. Even if you roll your eyes and vomit in your mouth a
little bit each time you say it, it will get easier. I promise! It will become true. Your brain will hear you, and it will create inside of you what you didn’t have before.
This heart exercise, along with your physical exercise, is the ultimate way to achieve your goals.
And yeah, sure, maybe your goals will change along the way. I’m not trying to be a size zero anymore— and I am so much better for it. So no matter what your goals start as and what they look like when you meet them, the important part is that you’re acknowledging your want and need for positive change! You can accomplish what you put your mind to. It will take time and hard work. And it will also take dedication to your insides, just as much as your outsides.
I know I am beautiful. I know I am skinny without being a size zero. I know I am capable of modeling as a full-time job.
Your turn. 🙂
