Cultivate Body Kindness with Your Wardrobe

Allison Milch, RDN, CDN recently joined the Eat With Knowledge team. Allison has openings for nutrition counseling appointments and is typically “in the office” (aka Zoom!) on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you want to schedule an appointment, simply email back and we will get you set-up!

She is passionate about helping clients heal their relationship with food and body image. She recently wrote about this topic in regards to body size and clothing. Check it out below!

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Cultivating Body Respect: Feel The Difference In Your Wardrobe, by Allison Milch, RDN, CDN

We all experience fluctuations in our body size. These fluctuations can occur as a result of changes in our lifestyle patterns, our age, medications, and other factors. These fluctuations can also occur over the course of a few days, weeks, years, and an entire lifetime. While we are aware that it is impossible for our bodies to look the same forever, what we may not know is how to manage the thoughts and feelings that surface during these changes. Body kindness often requires constant practice.

Looking at a new body in the reflection of a mirror is unsettling.

For many of us, image is closely tied to our identity and our sense of security and safety when navigating the world around us. We must acknowledge that society dictates certain bodies – in this context, fat bodies – as unacceptable and thus susceptible to scrutiny. It is important to name that not all human experiences are created equal and that living in a fat body typically results in greater emotional distress than living in a non-fat body. Nonetheless, everyone deserves access to support around managing these difficult body size changes that are a natural part of the human experience.

Evaluate your wardrobe.

Have you ever noticed yourself holding onto an article of clothing that you are well aware does not fit you anymore? Do you notice yourself squeezing into the same pair of pants, bra, or dress shirt day in and day out despite feeling uncomfortable all day long?

If this resonates with you, I encourage you to ask yourself, “what is the purpose of me holding onto these clothes?” and “is holding onto these clothes serving my mental health?” More often than not, getting into the habit of wearing clothes that do not fit our bodies leads to poorer body image and reduced confidence in ourselves. It also promotes disrespect towards our body in the present moment.

Here are some tips to help promote body kindness in the here and now:

1. Throw out old clothes that you have not been able to fit into for at least the past month or two. If this is a daunting task, ask for support during the process from a friend, family member, or even a healthcare professional. Consider donating the clothing to your favorite charity or thrift store or selling the clothing online. Depop, thredUP, and Poshmark are some examples of online thrift store apps you could use.
2. Set aside clothes you may own that fit comfortably. It can be helpful to take inventory of the clothing that you do have in order to put together new outfits. Taking inventory can also help you evaluate what deficits exist in your wardrobe that you may address on your next shopping trip.
3. Finances permitting, purchase 1-2 new outfits that make you feel confident. Similar to the experience of throwing out old clothes, this is not an easy experience and may require support. If you live in a fat body, you may also experience challenges to accessing clothing in stores and online that fits you appropriately. I encourage you to follow the social media influencers below who have the inside scoop on the best brands to shop for all sizes.
4. Find your own hype person! There are some great fat-positive fashion influencers on the internet that may provide inspiration and community to help you build respect and compassion for your own body. When we curate our social media feeds to view greater body diversity, we are also viewing a population of people who more realistically represent the world we live in.

Here are some examples of incredible fat-positive fashion influencers to follow:

• Stephanie Yeboah: IG: @stephanieyeboah, TikTok: @stephyeboah, Youtube: Stephanie Yeboah
• Thamarr Guerrier: IG and TikTok: @musingsofacurvylady 
• Remi Bader: IG and TikTok: @remibader 
• Kelvin Davis: IG: @kelvindavis, TikTok: @notoriouslydapper, Youtube: Notoriously Dapper
• Rosey Blair: IG and TikTok: @roseybeeme, Youtube: Rosey Blair
• Kellie Brown: IG: @itsmekellieb, TikTok: @andigetdressed, Youtube: And I Get Dressed
• Marielle Elizabeth: IG: @marielle.elizabeth, TikTok: @marielle.elizabeth.t
• Lord Troy: IG and TikTok: @lordtroy, Youtube: Lord Troy
• Nicolette Mason: IG and TikTok: @nicolettemason, Youtube: Nicolette Mason
• Jessy Parr: IG and TikTok: @modachrome, Youtube: Modachrome
• Gianluca Russo: IG and TikTok: @g_russo1, Youtube: Gianluca Russo
• Rochelle Johnson: IG: @iambeauticurve, TikTok: @beauticurve, Youtube: Beauticurve
• Sierra Schultzzie: IG and TikTok: @schultzzie, Youtube: Sierra Schultzzie
• Chubstr: IG: @chubstr, Youtube: Chubstr
• Katie Sturino: IG and TikTok: @katiesturino, Youtube: Katie Sturino
• Charlotte Zoller: IG and TikTok: @nearandchar
• Natalie Drue: IG: @nataliemeansnice, TikTok: @nataliemeansnice4, Youtube: Natalie Drue
• Gabi Gregg: IG and TikTok: @gabifresh, Youtube: gabifresh
• Mia O’Malley: IG: @miaomalley, TikTok: @miaomalley1
• Anna O’Brien: IG and TikTok: @glitterandlazers, Youtube: GlitterandLazers

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A big thank you to EWK dietitian, Allison Milch, RDN, CDN for creating this amazing list!!

If you’re interested in working with Allison on your relationship with food and body image, email us at hello@eatwithknowledge.com and we’ll get you set up!