Beyond A Dress Size with Dr. Ezinne Meribe

Episode Summary

Cece and I wade into what I would call a gray area in the body positive community, an area I myself have pondered on for a few months. After watching Cece’s video about a month ago where she shared her weight loss story and knowing she has always being vocal about body positivity, I knew we had to sit down for an episode. 

Our goal is to shed more light on using the principles of Purpose Driven Self Care in a way that is empowering specifically for you without weight loss being the goal. Simply put, we can be body positive and not leave our health on the back burner. The two can and should go hand in hand.

Favourite highlights 

•  Plus size or not there are people who are unhealthy and healthy on every spectrum.
• My weightloss journey started with mental health, therapy, getting out of a bad relationship and a bunch of steps that had nothing to do with food.
• Two and a half years later, we’ve got some weight loss going on but that was the last change that happened.
• I will model body positivity every time I put food on my plate even if it is a cookie

About our guest

Episode Summary

On today’s episode, our guest Tiffany Ima shares her personal story and experience with depression and how this experience influenced her transition to becoming a certified personal trainer after  5 years of being a style blogger. Today, she uses her experience and expertise to teach creative women how to use exercise and self-care to manage depression and improve overall wellness. 

We talk about choosing your mental health over popularity and what people will say regardless of how much you think you’ve put in and some very useful wellness tips that everyone can follow without it being another trigger for mental health. 

Favourite highlights

• If this aspect of my life is causing me to spiral into depression every few months then I don’t want to be a part of it
• When you make yourself a priority - by putting yourself first, your creativity, productivity and impact multiplies. It is never the other way round
• Life beyond a dress size means that you love yourself enough to take control of your wellness
• Life beyond a dress does not mean I will love everything about my body and always have a positive body image but I love myself enough to focus on my wellness and making it about health than fitting into a particular dress

About our guest

For 15 years, Tiffany Ima was ruled by depression and controlled by her emotions. In 2016 she was unable to have healthy interactions and struggling to get out of bed for months. She decided to make a commitment to her wellness and take control of her emotions. Right now, she is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and through experience learned how to manage depression through thoughtful self-care methods and exercise. She aims to help creative women to do exactly the same.

 Episode Summary

On the guest chair today is Madey Adeboye who not only runs a health food store but is also a living billboard of how the power of nutrition can influence your health. She shares with us how her immunity improved significantly once she took responsibility for what she was feeding her body. 

The climax of this episode was the story of her over 75 year old Dad who is not even a nutritionist but understands the life changing power of regular body movement and optimal nutrition. His dramatic recovery following a gunshot wound astonished even the doctors taking care of him. All this Madey attributes to the nourishment he served his body from an early age. 

Favourite highlights

1.Your body shows up for you when you need it ONLY if you treat it right.

2.At some point, you need to take responsibility for how you feed yourself and create your environment to support you.

3.How you AGE is a CHOICE and no one else can make that choice for you. 

About our guest

Madey Adeboye is a trained lawyer and author who has gained international recognition in the food industry.

After a spell working in telecomms, she decided to pursue her passion for health foods —something she said she picked up from her parents when she was just a little girl. She has not looked back ever since. She started a successful business, Green & Grill House (GGH) literally from her dining table in 2012!

The Smoothie Boss is her first major publication in the food industry.

Episode Summary

As an expert in the PR industry our guest Yetunde Shorters understands first hand the relationship between body image (how we perceive our bodies) and its impact on fulfilling purpose. It is not a surprise that with the women she has worked Yetunde has seen them shy away from rebranding or building a personal brand because they assumed they needed to fix their appearance first but the expert in her knows exactly how to handle that.

Yetunde shares that acknowledging and appreciating diversity in the bodies of women around can really help you OWN your own body confidence. 

Favourite highlights

1.While it’s important that we are all seen beyond our size big or small, it is equally very important to see other people around us beyond their size, body shape and looks.

2.If you are your authentic self, it won’t matter what others think of you. 

3.Be highly selective with people’s opinions: whose opinion matters most to you. 

4.Negativity is not support.

About our guest

Yetunde Shorters helps the inspired go-getter create an authentic, purposeful and fun personal brand that helps you do what you love, while helping others, in a way that creates financial freedom for you and your family. She is a serial entrepreneur, 4-time amazon best-selling author, creator of ICY PR, Afropolitan Chef and Founder of ICY ACADEMY, With over 15 years of branding, pr/marketing experience and a bag full of resources, Yetunde uses her skills to help emerging entrepreneurs create value, save time and increase productivity. She has been featured on Elle Magazine, CBS, Zen Magazine, New African Woman, Genevieve and more.

Episode Summary

On today's episode, our guest Patrice Washington narrows in on Purpose Driven Self Care by reminding us that 'hitting your goals and reaching certain marks in your life is awesome but running yourself to the ground while at it. . . that is a NO NO'. You can't claim to have a big vision for your life but not be willing to take care of this vessel (your body) that will carry you there. 

Patrice shares how she uses fitness as a pillar to build a wealthy life. Make no mistake though, wealth is not about the papers and coins you can accumulate. 

Favorite highlights

1.Being physically fit is not about being skinny, it is not being any dress size, it's not the number on the scale because I looked relatively thin most of my life but I had been extremely unhealthy

2.We only get one body. What good is a healthy bank account with an unhealthy body? I’m definitely not working to spend all my  money on prescriptions I cannot pronounce one day. That is not the goal

3.“You’ve gotta make it happen’ “it’s hustle & grind time” “team no sleep” we make this sound sexy, attractive & noble, and it is so detrimental in the bigger scheme of things. It’s not worth it and inevitably when you fall out and unable to work, unable to go go go, then what?

About our guest

Patrice Washington is an award-winning author, transformational speaker, hope-restoring coach, and media personality. 

Patrice is committed to redefining the term “wealth”, using its original meaning, “well-being”. She encourages women to have “wealth” in all aspects of their lives by pursuing their purpose, being fulfilled, and earning more without ever chasing money. Through her teachings, Patrice empowers women to look at life through the lens of abundance and opportunity, instead of lack and scarcity. 

She is the founder of Redefining Wealth and The Earn More Money Movement for Women.

On this episode of Beyond A Dress Size Podcast, our guest is Priscilla Nwosu who worked with us on one of our programs under Zinnyslifestyle. 

We love how transparent she was with her story and journey. Not only did her health and energy improve, her love life did as well *wink*. She shares her transformation experience beyond the scale and her resolve to fight for her life while feeding her family in a way that not just nourishes them optimally but supports them to live long enough and well enough to fulfill purpose. 

The truth is, there is no one out there who is willing to donate their life for yours and so if you are not taking responsibility for your life and health today, the only comfort you will get when life begins to slip from your fingers is - the not very comforting word 'SORRY'. 

Love your body enough to nourish it optimally and take very good care of it. Don't settle, don't make excuses, keep fighting to win. 

 Episode Summary

On today’s episode, the focus is on demystifying fitness, pulling down every barrier that stops us from engaging in regular physical activity and shining more light on how you can actually enjoy MOVING YOUR BODY AKA #BODYMOVEMENT. My goal is that at the end of the episode 

You will let go of the fear that stops you from incorporating body movement into your lifestyle. 

You will realise that fitness isn't about a specific routine or method of moving your body 

You will embrace moving your body fearlessly and without judgement. 

You will choose movements that appeal to you and your current season, not because everybody is doing it, not because you are seeking anyone's approval. 

You will move your body everyday because you love it not because you want to change your body or pay penance for what you ate yesterday. 

That you will embrace moving your body and never ever let go

Favourite highlights

Remember, regular body movement will look different on everyone based on their body type & genetics. 

Don't forget that most of the images you see and compare yourself with are professional images and may have been worked on for effect.

Moving your body should not be defined by the results you get or do not get. Just move because its a way of showing love to your body. Forget about results. 

I am under no pressure to impress anyone with my body movement routines.

If my body jiggles and wiggles as I move/workout, that's OKAY. My body is moving and so are all the parts too.
For that - I AM THANKFUL

Joyful body movement does not have to be painful or tortuous to be effective

Joyful body movement does not require a gym, money, lots of fancy workout gear, a lot of space and certainly you do not need to have the ‘body’ for it.

We move our body because we love it not because we ate too much yesterday, not because we want to punish it and certainly not because we want to change our bodies.

You have permission to move your body and enjoy it

Episode Summary 

We are still in the month of January and with all the resolutions flying in the air, a lot of these messages are being masqueraded as health but all they really do is put the emphasis on losing weight and even when it is sold or advertised as wellness, more often than not it focuses on how many calories are on your plate and how long you can exercise - which to many people stands out as starvation and punishment - so as soon as you are signing up for the program, you can’t wait for the program to end so you can start eating again. Can you see how that is bound to fail already?  So instead of running round in circles, this episode looks at the CRUCIAL FACTOR, THE PIVOT.  How have you been putting the cart before the horse even at your own emotional expense?  

Favourite highlights

If you are working on taking better care of yourself in this new year, you can’t do it from a place of exhaustion whether physical or mental.

Self care looks different for different people, one singular prescription will make at least 90% of the population feel like they’ve failed.

Are you deliberately choosing nutrient dense foods that help you function at your highest capacity so you can serve the world from a full cup?

Too often we cringe at the thought of exercise because all you can see in your head is ripped abs, biceps and crushing it at the gym but there is so much more to moving your body than the photoshopped images you see on the gram.

When you are pregnant you don’t manage yourself through the 9 months because you want the best for this baby so why do we do it to ourselves?

I know I have a purpose to fulfill here on earth is, I prepare my body so that it has great capacity to fulfill my God given purpose here on earth. No sloppy living.

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Episode Summary 

Dr Cecily's journey is a highly recommended resource for every woman in a bigger body who is struggling to embrace her body fully and still treat it right pursuing health and not thinness. Remember that health is not a destination, it is a continuous journey. If you put the focus solely on pursuing health, wholesome weight loss will be one of the many beneficial 'side effects' you will experience. 

About our guest 

Episode summary 

On this episode, Dr. Nneka and I explore BMI and the fact that - people in bigger bodies are not unhealthy, lazy, unworthy of love and belonging or less smart. Let's pursue and promote health for people of all sizes. We can't all be a size 6 but we can all be healthy. The goal is to throw more light on what other health indicators we should all pursue and realise that health is not defined by the number on the scale. 

About our guest