06/10/2026
Vulnerability incoming...
I don't think you can be a child of the 80s and a teenager of the 90s and not have a complicated relationship with food and your body image, and, now that "skinny" is back, I think it's time for someone like me (someone who works in the health and fitness industry and has complicated feelings about food and her body) to post this.
We don't need to get into all the ways my parents screwed up my relationship with food, diet culture, and body image. We don't need to get into the effects of societal beauty standards. We don't need to get into my various traumatic experiences.
We need to talk about a teeny tiny epiphany I had yesterday as I was turning away from a mirror and a fleeting thought went through my mind. That fleeting thought? "Laura, you need room to fit all your organs."
I know it sounds silly, maybe even dumb. But, as I finished up washing my hands and turned away from that mirror, it's what went through my head.
I have more than ten certifications from , three from , one from , and I'm working on my first one from .
I know a LOT about health, fitness, and nutrition. I give people advice grounded in evidence every single day. And I still struggle with these things for myself.
I weigh myself every single day (this is a terrible practice, and I shouldn't do it and I most certainly don't recommend it) and I always have some judgement-based feelings about the numbers that come up on that scale.
I am 5'3" and weigh 155lbs. My BMI is 27.5, which puts me on the upper end of "overweight." I still have a screwed up relationship with food, diet culture, and body image.
And I need room to fit all my organs
And BMI is a terrible measure
And I'm trying to make sure my kids don't have a screwed up relationship with food
And I'm focused on giving all of you the best possible advice about movement and nutrition
And I'll keep working at realizing and/or doing all of these things