Tess Holliday - The Not So Subtle Art of Being a Fat Girl: Loving the Skin Youre In

I didnt always love the skin I am in.

Like many of us often do, I cared too much about what other people thought. I let bad people and experiences break me down. I listened to bullies, critics, and trolls on the internet. I let cruel, uninvited comments influence how I felt and acted toward other people. I allowed mys elf to be shamed and set the bar low with my expectations of how I should be treated. There were times when I looked at my body and saw nothing but how flawed I was or wished I could look different. I allowed men to abuse me or put me down. I was too soft with people I loved, too grateful for attention or too willing to let people take advantage of me.

When I look back at my life to date it sometimes feels like a soap opera. Its hard to imagine the rollercoaster that has been my life and everything that has happened, or even my own reactions to it. Ive made good and really bad decisions, recoiled and rebelled, procrastinated and just said fuck it and did the best I could. Ive felt worthless and beautiful, been timid and outspoken and reserved and reckless. Ive felt both beaten down and unstoppable. I still have a lot to learn, but now, as I navigate my thirties, I feel like Im a little less of a dumpster fire.

Ive realized that throughout my life there have been moments that have shaped me into who I am, and people who helped me along the way to get to where I am now. It hasnt been an easy journey and I dont have it all figured out; I dont have all the answers. Hell, half of the time I dont even know what Im doingbut I can honestly say I am happy with the woman I am today, regardless of what others think.

So this book is for anyone who was told they werent good enough, for anyone who felt like they didnt matter, that your dreams were too impossible, that you didnt deserve a space in this world because you are different. Sometimes I feel like everyone is looking at me and thinking why her? and I get that. I wonder the same thing sometimes. The reality is, I was born to stand out, to make people question things they thought they knew, and to exist fearlessly in a space that we are told bodies like mine dont deserve to be in. I hope when you read this book you learn a thing or two, or take away that you deserve everything you can dream, and maybe take a little advice from the mistakes Ive made. Im here to tell you that the impossible IS possible, YOU matter, and that almost everything is better fried. Time to dig in!