In this first column, I thought I would share a little about my fluffy, fabulous life, and my brand, Eat the Cake Too. I’m sure you’re wondering just what that means! No, it’s not just about a big girl who loves cake (although who doesn’t). It stems from that annoying saying “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Well, in my world, you can. This is about living life outside any box society tries to keep us in — especially when it comes to these beautiful bodies of ours. We make our own rules!
There are stigmas and stereotypes surrounding fat bodies, bigger bodies, marginalized bodies and any body that isn’t deemed to be what society considers beautiful. That’s bullshit. All bodies are beautiful.
We live in a society that constantly tries to put us down, when in reality, we should all be proclaiming that we are masterpieces. I want you to know that the body you have today is worthy of loving just as it is. Be unapologetic. Take up space. And understand that you are worthy.
Most of my life, I felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. (Who can relate?) At age 3, I was diagnosed with a condition called lymphedema, which causes swelling and discomfort in my legs and feet. Let’s just say this didn’t make my childhood feel very inclusive or “normal.” Plus, this girl has always been … well, PLUS!
So here we have a big, curvy babe with swollen legs and feet in a small town full of all thin friends. (Again, who can relate?) This is no sob story, though. This was just the beginning of what would be (and continues to be) a very purposeful journey to self love.
Eat the Cake Too came to be after years of being told what I should or shouldn’t do when it came to my own body. “Don’t wear that … it’s not flattering.” “You can’t wear that. It doesn’t come in plus size.” “You can’t be fat and be healthy, or happy, or exist without judgment.” That last bit seems to be thrown in our faces more than any other fat trope out there.
I decided that this kind of message was not one that worked for me, and I knew I couldn’t be alone. Out of this beautiful, fat, worthy, healthy body, I birthed Eat the Cake Too as a platform for normalizing big bodies — all bodies for that matter. It’s a platform dedicated to self-acceptance, breaking silly societal standards and creating our own beauty standards. I’m known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to how we view our bodies and my goal is to encourage you to see the pure magic in your body, perfectly imperfect just as it is.
If you follow me on Instagram @eatthecaketoo (shameless plug), you might have seen some recurring trends: getting naked, body love, fitness, family and positivity. You’ll see that lymphedema plays a huge role in my life, and therefore my social media platforms. One of my goals is to bring awareness to this chronic illness, and make fellow lymphedema warriors feel comfortable and safe to share their own journeys.
If any of the above sparks your interest, this is the column for you. Just like Curvicality, I don’t PhotoShop my pictures … or my life. I’m all about being the most authentic, vulnerable, celluLIT human I can be, and I invite you to join me.
So welcome to Eat The Cake Too with Carmen Rene! I look forward to taking up this space with you and hearing both your questions and your own journeys toward body love and acceptance. I’ll see you right here at Curvicality again in October.
In the meantime, remember this: Not every piece of art is to everyone’s liking, but each of us was born a priceless masterpiece. Claim it. Speak it. Believe it. You are worthy.
XO,
Carmen Rene
P.S. I’d love to hear your ideas for this column. Or, just send me an email to introduce yourself. You can reach me at: Carmenrene@Curvicality.com. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more body love: @eatthecaketoo.
