Let's Talk Bellies and Bodies and Changes

ain’t no shame do your thang ✨

It’s really REALLY hard to explain this to anyone who hasn’t grasped yet that diet culture is dangerous, but I pray that one day this will click.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughDecember 4, 2020body positivity, body, body love, body acceptanceComment

This is healing...

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJuly 22, 2020video journal, exercise, disordered eating, HAES, intuitive eating, body positivityComment

When I started my "body love" journey 4 years ago, I never could have guessed...

When I started my “body love” journey 4 years ago I never could have a guessed how many layers there would be to it.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJune 30, 2020body image, body positivity, body love, swim, plus size, intuitive eating, steph dodierComment

Triggers...

Last night I was scrolling Insta and came across a friend who shares mostly bikini photos and ways to change your body.⁣

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJune 27, 2020body image, mental health, triggers, body positivity, fat positivity, swim, anxiety, depressionComment

"Mommy, why is your tummy so squishy?"

“Mommy, why is your tummy so squishy?” she said, as we snuggled in bed this morning while daddy took Pj to the kitchen. “Why is my tummy so flat and hard, and yours is so soft?” she asked, innocently.⁣

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughMay 16, 2020motherhood, diet culture, body image, body positivity, self love, EmalineComment

Our Bodies and Covid-19

Last week I tried on 6 pairs of jeans before finding one that I could zip.

Two years ago me: Total spiral into self hate, punishment, and either starving myself or bingeing. Triggering further shameful thoughts about not being good or worthy enough to “stick to a plan” or “take care of myself”

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughApril 19, 2020weight gain, covid19, body image, body positivity, mental health, denim, jeansComment

What Freedom Really Looks Like

FREEDOM is truly found when you realize that what your body looks like does not equal your level of health, success, productivity, beauty, sexiness, happiness, your mental health status, or who you are.

Read. It. Again.

We 👏🏻 Are 👏🏻 So 👏🏻 Much 👏🏻 More 👏🏻 I love this photo because it was taken on a day where I truly felt that feeling of freedom.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughMarch 1, 2020body positivity, body image, beach body, plus size swimwearComment

NEDA Week 2020 // A Reflection on My Experience

trigger warning: eating disorders/body dysmorphia/excessive exercise 👉🏼 Several times in my life I have embarked on a “lifestyle change” with the hopes of finally feeling worthy. Each of those times, I’d get more and more addicted to the control I had, so where exercise should have been done for joy, and eating done for nutrition and enjoyment... instead everything was done from a place of hate, disgust, and punishment.
There were times I would exercise 3 hours a day. I’d only eat protein shakes for most of my meals and I’d log EVERYTHING. I’d weigh morning and night, measure every body part daily and keep the measurements at my bedside in a notebook.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughFebruary 28, 2020eating disorder, eating disorder recovery, body positivity, self love, postpartum, depression, exerciseComment

I'm Hitting Pause on Everything

Yooooo, that feeling when you realize your body is exactly what you wished it wouldn’t be years ago. //content warning\\ (language relating to body dys, eating disorders, orthorexia)

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughFebruary 4, 2020diet culture, body acceptance, body image, body positivity Comment

Don't Be Scared to Be Stylish

I’ve always loved clothing. I can remember my favorite outfits from elementary school. I struggled in middle school to love anything I wore because of my changing body, but in high school I started really just wearing what I wanted. I took risks and dressed differently than anyone I knew, but I was always forced to hold myself back to a certain extent because of my size. I’d go thrifting and vintage shopping and scour the stores for something that would fit me. Finally, in college... I kind of gave up and just started wearing clothes that had I had no connection with. Blah.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJanuary 26, 2020plus size fashion, plus size, body acceptance, body positivityComment

Exercising While Recovering from Chronic Dieting

Ya’ girl got a shower 😅👏🏻!!! (Guys, I promise showers happen around here but then past few days have been ROUGH ... more in stories). @beyondyoga sent me these leggings and top to try since they carry 1X-3X now and they are legitimately the comfiest ever!!

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJanuary 20, 2020exercise, eating disorder recovery, body positivity, body acceptance, yoga, yoga pantsComment

Overcoming Body Discomfort

This might make you uncomfortable to see, and if so... I want you to lean into that and think about why. If I had 6 pack abs would you also feel uncomfortable? This is an angle I’ve always avoided looking at in the mirror, even 100 lbs ago. But today I did it.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJanuary 8, 2020body acceptance, body positivity, breakingupwithdietculture, mentalhealth, plus size, fat, fatphobiaComment

The Truth About Anti-Diet

Spread the word. 🙌🏼
Anti-diet does not mean “eat all the things.”
Anti-diet does not mean “quit exercising.”
It’s NORMAL for all of us to have the desire to lose weight.

Questioning Diet Culture // Thoughts from LA

✨ I have an inbox with several messages right now questioning diet culture. 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 it’s so easy to get caught up and confused in the anti-diet movement and until you’ve REALLY navigated through the layers of your own self it can be super confusing. It still is for me sometimes.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJanuary 4, 2020diet culture, mental health, eating disorder recovery, body positivityComment

New Year, Same Me

#NewYear_SameYou // when I look at this photo, I see those arms and I remember the days where I’d obsessively measure them. I can remember sitting at red lights in my car, feeling the circumference of my biceps and promising myself that I’d do arm weights as soon as I got home.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughJanuary 1, 2020#newyearsameyou, body positivity, body image, mentalhealth, diet cultureComment

Reflecting on 2019

SCARY. That’s what 2019 was for me. I took the fear that’s been bottled up within me for so long, and I embraced it and turned it into something else. I opened my heart up. I took risks. I made so many meaningful connections within this community. I finally looked at my postpartum belly (thanks to @meg.boggs and the #this_is_postpartum movement)

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughDecember 31, 2019New Years, 2019, postpartum, this is postpartum, body positivity, self image, mentalhealthComment

Small Steps Towards Body Acceptance

The comments on my last post are mind blowing... so I just wanted to quickly follow up with a few things that we can start doing now that are small but I’m convinced they can have a huge impact:

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughDecember 20, 2019body positivity, body acceptance, body image, plus size, health, mental healthComment

Hi, My Name's Ashley

Hi, my names Ashley and my stomach is fat. There’s never been a time in my life where I wasn’t self conscious about my belly. Even 100 lbs ago, when body dysmorphia ruled my life, it was something I was ashamed of.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughDecember 13, 2019body image, body acceptance, body positivity, self love, eating disorder recoveryComment

I Have a Problem // #breakingupwithdietculture

{CW/TW: diet & disordered eating} I just did something I could have never imagined I’d have to force myself to do.

I just went to the grocery store and made myself buy food that is easy to make, and food that I know I will eat. Food that I’ve avoided for so many years now that I felt like I was committing a crime as I paid the cashier.

I'm Tired // Body Acceptance Journey

I’m tired. Tired of not feeling good enough because my body looks so vastly different from so many other bodies I see.

Tired of letting my body size depict my worth and value.

LIFESTYLEAshley DoroughNovember 11, 2019body positivity, body, self love, diet culture, plus size, plus size fashionComment