Episode 8: Meet My Girlfriend Crystal

Explicit content warning

02/23/20 • 80 min

Trigger Warning: Discussion of Weight LossIn this episode I share the mic with my romantic partner Crystal Richardson, Esq. Crystal is an attorney, community advocate and my personal fitness coach. Right now she is currently working to get the CROWN Act passed in North Carolina, which is a bill that would ban discrimination based on hair textures and styles. The CROWN Act names styles commonly associated with black people, is of particular concern to black women, whose hair is more likely than white women’s hair to be perceived as “unprofessional,” according to a 2019 study of 2,000 black and white women. In this episode Crystal and I talk about how we met and some ways we support each other through movement. Crystal also shares about the beginnings of her fitness journey as a BeachBody coach and some of the diet culture and toxic fitness practices she participated in early on. She discusses her process of unlearning and growing through her mistakes. We unpack the constant work needed in divesting from diet culture, and how we aren’t morally obligated to engage in fitness. I share a bit about how my chronic pain has been an embedded part of relationship with weightlifting and how it keeps my gender dysphoria at bay (complicated relationship to say the least.)Lastly, we finish up by answering some listener questions. I think you are going to really enjoy this episode!

Previous Episode

Episode 7: What's in Store for 2020!

Welcome to our first episode of 2020! In this episode Candace and I talk about swimming through all the diet industry bs trying to convince us that we need to shrink our bodies via intentional weight loss. We also share the big things we have in store individually and with the podcast!I know the new year is a time when people often make resolutions about "dieting" and changing their bodies, not only that but the diet industry is spending the majority of their advertising dollars right now...and that can feel very overwhelming and intensify already existing negative feelings about our bodies. But I just want to let you know, you don’t have to dedicate your life to looking different. You were made for more than striving to be smaller. Not only are diets and weight loss plans typically not effective in the long run, you don’t need to lose weight. You are valid and deserving of love right now no matter what size you are. I hope you’ll join me this year in seeking a place of body peace whatever that feels like for you. Body peace might look super different for different folks especially trans folks and people with disabilities but whatever your relationship with your body is I hope you find some calm and some self compassion.

Next Episode

Episode 9: Anti-Blackness in the Healthcare Field with Alishia McCullough

In this episode Alishia and I talk all about the anti-Blackness we have experienced as healthcare clinicians working in the field while living in the rural south. You don't want to miss this important episode.For full show notes head to: www.patreon.com/DecolonizingFitness