Original Exposed Post 12 October 2009

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Mish

There’s a little bit of back story to this post..ok more like 10+years.

Esther is a high school friend of mine. I vaguely remember driving in her car to a local grocery store on a fuel tank that was empty. Anyways, I have lost over 100lbs and she Facebooked me years ago asking me how I did it. I told her and then she got picked up by WeighWatchers after she Youtubed her weight loss and then got an ad in Times Square (I guess I’ll take some credit for it ;) .

Last week she posted this blog post and video where she discussed her true feelings about her body, especially since having a baby.

After this post I decided that I wanted to do something for myself, that shows who I really am. I can/could write all of the things which I hate about my body: wish I was stretch mark free, didn’t muffin-top, had a six pack. However, I have this body..in the stage that it’s in. I have to love it, accept it for what it is…and look forward to its positive changes.

Positive Body Image 4

This is me.
This is me Exposed.

I have had this picture sitting on my desktop for a couple of days thinking to myself ‘Can I really post this online? Can I be as brave as Esther?’

Yes.
Yes, because I am not perfect.
My body will probably NEVER be what I want it to be.

However, I have come SO far in loving who I am, shedding 100lbs, enduring the notion of Cancer being thrown around, toying with emergency surgery last year in Japan…and RECOVERING from an emotionally draining relationship where what you see above was not good enough.

It may not be perfect, but I am ok with that.

~M

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The List Of Exposed

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Mish

Here are the other amazing people who have Exposed themselves:

  1. A Merry Life
  2. Heather from Blog To Lose
  3. Eating Journey: It started here!
  4. ExHotGirl: Body Love
  5. Fab Kate: Exposed?
  6. Head Heart Health
  7. Life w/Maggie&Ben
  8. Living Out Loud
  9. Loves To Lose
  10. MizFit Expozed
  11. Noshtopia: I’m Exposed
  12. Ron is getting healthy (another guy steps up!)
  13. Roni’s Weigh: I’ve Been Exposed
  14. The Jungle of Life (our first dude!)
  15. The Naked Truth
  16. Cranky Fitness
  17. Live_for_Love: Exposed
  18. Billy: Exposed
  19. Mandy@Staying on Course: EXPOSED: baring all for better body image
  20. Briciole Di Pane (Italian Women!)
  21. PriorFatGirl Exposed
  22. Cindy–Cancer Survivor Exposed
  23. A Warrior’s Feet and Legs
  24. Katy @ SillyTaterTot
  25. Cynthia–Here I am Exposed
  26. Josie @ YumYucky
  27. Tim–What I’ve Learned So Far
  28. MrsFatass Exposed
  29. Donna D. — Exposed
  30. Glenda — Exposed
  31. Ryan @ NoMoreBacon
  32. Greta @ BigBottomBlogger
  33. Losing Weight After 45 ‘Exposed‘
  34. SkinnyJeans ‘Exposed’
  35. I am a Phoenix Baby ‘Exposed’
  36. Big Girl Bombshell ‘My Life is Weighting’
  37. RealFitMama ‘Exposed‘
  38. Julia ‘Exposed’
  39. Kelly: Exposed
  40. Steve @265and Falling ‘Exposed’
  41. SkinnySushi ‘Exposed’
  42. FitHungryGurlAdventures ‘Exposed’
  43. Joggers Life ‘Your Girl Gets Exposed’
  44. Escape From Obesity “Exposed”
  45. Losin’ It ‘My Arms Exposed’
  46. Jack Sh*t Exposed
  47. Learn Fitness ‘Exposed from The Inside Out’
  48. Leaving Fatville ‘Exposing Me’
  49. LessLauren ‘Exposed’
  50. Kicking My Trash “Me Exposed”
  51. A Future Success Story
  52. All Thing Ron ‘Exposed–The Wake Up Call’
  53. Medicinal Marzipan ‘Exposed’
  54. Kepa @ FatLazyGuy ‘F*@K You: Self Exposed
  55. Brooke@BrookeNotOnADiet ‘I’ve Been Exposed’
  56. The Girl In the Fat Suit ‘I Feel Rather Exposed brrr’
  57. 61 and Exposed
  58. This is me. The cellulite on my thighs, the stretchmarks on my hips
  59. What Would Rocky Do? ‘Exposed’
  60. Undefined and Exposed
  61. SlimminSam
  62. Jen:MakingMesses
  63. NotFat,JustCurvy
  64. Tara:263andcounting
  65. Angela:FitGeek
  66. Destination:Athlete
  67. I’mADramaMama
  68. GirlGoneHealthy
  69. Karen:MuffinFixation
  70. JP:TheFatPersonChallenge
  71. Kareena:TravelingWell
  72. MonicaWantsIt
  73. Jessi’sBlog
  74. Nellie:CookingItOff
  75. LosingWeightAfter45IsABit-h
  76. LisaDouglas’sPosterous
  77. Emily:SkinnieEmmie
  78. Tirah:SheepdoggOnePDoubleG
  79. Beki:WildChildGoneGood
  80. Tiffany:ReleaseTiff
  81. Lissa:SisterhoodoftheShrinkingJeans
  82. Brooke:SmartStrongSexy
  83. Colleen:TheFitBee
  84. Jamee:ANewKindOfNormal
  85. Christy:TheShrinkingJeansofChristy
  86. Trish:JustThe6OfUs
  87. MommyMo:GrowingUpMo
  88. Susan:FoodFoodBodyBody
  89. Barb:QuickLikeABunny!
  90. Becca:GrayandBecca
  91. Mel:MelGetsFit
  92. PubsGal:Oppositelife
  93. Nancy:ShesGettingSerious
  94. Bari:DiaryOfAShrinkingChick
  95. Ann:Ann-ShesGonnaBlow
  96. April:MyLifeAtThirty
  97. Kirsten:LivingInAGirlsWorld
  98. Jen:JenInRealLife
  99. Deb:FitDeb4Life
  100. Erica:3LittleSparows
  101. Karen:Before&After
  102. Sharon:MomGenerations
  103. Debra:FinallyGettingFit
  104. Kris:PowerOfKris
  105. Eric:ErrBearr
  106. Barb:AJigglyChickLosesWeight
  107. Roo:Color-Me-Crazy
  108. Joe:BeyondTheTwoZero
  109. Tracie:Blissfulbedlam
  110. Joy:BeingJoy
  111. Josie:AtTheStartingLine
  112. Carla:WishInAintDoin
  113. Aaron:Stroutmeister
  114. Paula:PaolaSlimsDown
  115. Kendra:KendraThroughTheLookingGlass *new*
  116. Kayle:BreakingDownTheWalls *new*

One Year Reflections 12 October 2010
These are bloggers who posted an Exposed post during 2009-2010 and reflected on the One Year Anniversary of Exposed

  1. Jen: PriorFatGirl
  2. Head Heart Health
  3. Jennifer: ExHotGirl
  4. MizFit
  5. MrsFatass
  6. JewliaGoulia
  7. Mandy:StayingTheCourse
  8. Donna: BeatingLimitations
  9. Mary:AMerryLife
  10. Ryan:NoMoreBacon
  11. JackSh*t
  12. AJLovesToLose
  13. KatyWidrick
  14. Cynthia:ItAllChanges
  15. LeavingFatVille
  16. BigGirlBombshell
  17. Lance:TheJungleofLife
  18. Brooke:NotOnADiet!
  19. Hilda:TheHappinessBusiness
  20. SkinnyMini
  21. Roni:Roni’sWeigh
  22. Mara:MedicinalMarzipan
  23. LearnFitness
  24. Maria:RealFitMama
  25. Elisabeth:AJoggersLife

The Exposed Movement has gained press…check it out!

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Exposed: One Year Later 12 October 2010

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Mish

It’s been one year since I wrote the Exposed post.

One year since I took my binge filled, unhappy self in front of a self-timed camera and began to celebrate what my body has done for me. What my body looks like.

I didn’t think anything of it. I thought I’d get a couple of comments, maybe a high five. But I was wrong. It took off. I feel incredibly honoured to be a part of something which has resonated with people all over the world. I feel privileged.

We are within a culture of not only media, but a head space which has become toxic. I fell pray to it. I wanted to be the perfect woman on the outside and forgot about my soul. I forgot, shut away, hid, suffocated and buried all of the beautiful things my body has…and more importantly what amazing things it has done for me.

Our bodies are amazing.

What I have come to realise over the past year, is that our spirit is the one thing which shines through no matter what shape, size, gender, or ability we are. In the past year my body really hasn’t changed. It hasn’t lost any weight, it hasn’t bounced back from 2 years of a binge eating disorder.

BUT, my spirit has.

I look at my body in a totally different light.I am beginning to evaluate its spirit, what comes out of its pores and radiates from its eyes and shakes in its hips. I am beginning to see the body-spirit connection. I didn’t know if I’d take another photo, but I did. In my swimming suit. It was one of the most therapeutic things I’ve done in a long time. I started to see my beauty again.

I can’t speak for the 60 others who have Exposed themselves. I can’t speak for the countless e-mails, tweets and messages I have gotten saying thank you for the inspiration that these amazing bloggers have given them. I don’t want to.

What I can say is that being Exposed is about being raw with who you are, letting your spirit be at peace and marinading in the beauty of what body you have been given. It may not be perfect, but to sit and embrace where you are in this moment is probably one of the most powerful things you can do. In fact, I believe it will get you to your optimal level of spirit-body connection.

What I know is that sitting in a swimming suit, for all the world to see is damn scary. But I’ll do it until I die, if it means that one person is given a newly found appreciation for who they are.

Thoughts?

~Mish

here are those who have reflected on their Exposed posts

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