While tending bar, Mary was doing a lot of spoken word around Seattle. She talked about being Christian and queer from behind the mic and her struggles with the two intertwined. 

Hollis Wong-Wear, Mary’s friend in the Seattle poetry community, was a soundboard for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis for an album they were developing. And Hollis called Mary, sharing a writing opportunity for a song about gay marriage and the church for the album. 

Mary felt like this was the moment she was waiting for, to write about her Christian beliefs and queer identity – with a focus on love. And in about one hour, she wrote the chorus for the grammy-nominated song, “Same Love”!  

Yet, at the time, two months passed following her recording of the chorus, and she hadn’t heard from anyone. So, she assumed they had gone with someone else. 

And then she received an e-mail that changed her life forever. It wasn’t just her words selected for the song but her voice!

The year was 2012 before gay marriage had passed, and the song was a massive success but also caused controversy. As Mary left for tour with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. She ensured her last will and testament were updated because there were protesters and death threats throughout the two years they toured. 

Mary knew she wanted to create meaningful and risky work that challenges the status quo.  And she did just that as a solo artist!

“She Keeps Me Warm” is a beautiful extension of the chorus Mary sang in “Same Love.” It dropped in 2013 and was very well received. 

And then there was the unforgettable Grammy performance of “Same Love” with Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Madonna, and Queen Latifah!

Now known as a queer singer, Mary wanted to produce music that spoke to her fat activism and who she loves. So, in 2014, she dropped “Body Love,” a spoken-word piece Mary wrote years earlier when she was 19. It’s a vulnerable and profound statement about loving oneself. 

And then Secrets dropped, written, and produced to be the commercially successful pop song it became. It was also Mary sharing with the world that she has bipolar disorder. 

The song went Gold in 2015 and was on the pop charts, receiving a lot of positive feedback. 

And later that year, she stepped away from her record label after being pushed to the extremes. Mary chose her mental health and regained complete creative control of her work.  

Mary has gone on to produce music, publish poetry, co-host the podcast The Manic Episodes with her fiancé, and voice acting with her feature in Netflix’s I Love Arlo.

She’s currently orchestrating film scores, writing a book on body image, and is offering her Every Body Is a Baby course. 

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 170 & 234

Transcript happily provided upon request. 

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Learn about Mary’s upcoming shows via her website, subscribe to The Manic Episodes podcast, and learn more about the Every Body Is a Babe workshop.
• Connect with Mary on Instagram and all other social handles @marylambertsing

This episode is brought to you by the Size-Friendly Birth Course—an online training for birth and postpartum professionals ready to provide size-inclusive care for people in larger bodies.

You’ll get:

• 🎥 Over 6 hours of video lessons
• 📘 A 115-page editable PDF workbook with guided activities
• 🕒 6 contact hours for professional development
• 📜 A certificate of completion
• 🌐 Bonus: Access to the Plus Size Birth Circle—our exclusive online platform and mobile app for on-the-go learning and community support

Use code PLUSMOMMY for 20% off at plussizebirth.com!

The post From Same Love To Body Liberation With Mary Lambert appeared first on Plus Mommy.

This conversation is filled with laughter, tears, and the kind of raw honesty that makes you feel like you’re catching up with a dear friend. From childhood pain to Hollywood red carpets, Chrissy shares how she continues to show up, authentically and wholeheartedly.

From Little Girl with Big Dreams to Emmy-Nominated Actress

When Jen launched the Plus Mommy Podcast back in 2018, Chrissy Metz was one of her dream guests. And now, here she is.

“I’m literally just a regular girl…trying to figure out this life thing,” Chrissy says humbly in response to Jen’s excitement.

Chrissy believes in the power of putting your dreams out there and watching them manifest—something she’s done again and again, even when she had just 81 cents in her bank account before landing This Is Us.

Chrissy spoke candidly about her childhood, including growing up as a “sad little girl” navigating divorce, blended family dynamics, and feeling unseen. “If she was seen, it was that she was too much,” she reflects. But through it all, her grandmother—affectionately known as Gram—offered her love and spiritual guidance. “I really believe that things happen for us, not to us.”

Kate’s Story Was Her Story—And Ours Too

The impact of Chrissy’s role on This Is Us cannot be overstated, especially for those who had never seen a plus-size woman portrayed with such care and complexity.

“I’m a big girl, and I don’t see big girls represented,” Jen shares, reflecting on how much it meant to watch Kate’s storyline unfold.

From a powerful miscarriage storyline to navigating fertility and motherhood, Kate’s experiences mirrored the real lives of so many—especially plus size parents who have often felt overlooked or blamed. Jen shared a deeply emotional moment from a blog post she wrote, We Need To Talk About Kate’s This Is Us Plus Size Birth Story, during the show’s run:

“Kate’s loss was my loss, and once again, I felt seen. This Is Us writers gave plus-size loss moms a gift when they didn’t blame Kate’s miscarriage on her weight. Through my tears, I was cheering.”

Chrissy recalls the care that went into crafting that storyline. “There has to be a gentleness to it and compassion around it,” she says. She also shared how cathartic it was to portray a daughter loved unconditionally by her on-screen father, Jack—something she never experienced herself.

“Jack loved Kate in every single way… I never knew that kind of love, and certainly not from a father figure.”

Behind the Scenes: Healing, Humor, and Real Talk

Despite playing such an emotional role, Chrissy found moments of humor and healing behind the scenes. She shared how acting alongside Chris Sullivan (Toby) helped her push through moments of self-doubt: “He looked at me and said, ‘You can.’ And I did.”

Chrissy also talked about what it was like to go from being cast in roles like “Chunk the Cheerleader” to wearing a fat suit on American Horror Story—and how that impacted her relationship with her body.

“When I took off my costume, I was still the chubby girl. Still the big girl.”

It was both a mind trip and a powerful reminder that while others could remove their prosthetics, she was living her experience in real life.

But through it all, she held onto her dream of performing—and found her way back to music and writing.

On Writing, Faith, and Big Feelings

Chrissy’s latest children’s book, When I Talk to God, I Talk About Feelings, is a follow-up to her first book When I Talk to God, I Talk About You. Inspired by the emotional conversations she had with children during readings of her first book, Chrissy knew this second story had to focus on feelings.

“I didn’t feel heard or seen as a kid, so this is going to be very healing and cathartic for me.”

Co-authored by Bradley Collins and illustrated by Lisa Fields, the book features a diverse cast of animal characters and subtle nods to inclusion, reminding children that all feelings are valid—and that everyone is worthy of love.

Accompanying the book is a new album titled Big Feelings, where each song focuses on a different emotion. “We have a sad song, disappointed, mad, excited, happy… all as a way to help kids name and process their emotions.”

A Life of Authenticity and Grace

Throughout the conversation, Chrissy offers so many gems of wisdom. One story that stuck is when Chrissy made a mistake at the studio gate and felt the shame spiral begin. Instead of letting it eat at her, she turned the car around, went back, and apologized.

“That was a very big moment for me in my life… You don’t have to feel bad forever. You can fix things.”

When asked to share a final word of encouragement, Chrissy left us with this powerful reminder:

“Nothing is personal.”

“We don’t know what people are going through… When we remember that, we can offer more grace to others—and to ourselves.”

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 225

Transcript happily provided upon request.

Resources Mentioned On The Show

• Connect with Chrissy via her website, Instagram, and Facebook
• When I Talk to God, I Talk About Feelings
• Actor Jen Ponton Dishes About Dietland, Fat Activism, And More
• Freebie: We Can Do Hard Things: Audio Support for Your Appointments

This episode is brought to you by the Size-Friendly Birth Course—an online training for birth and postpartum professionals ready to provide size-inclusive care for people in larger bodies.

You’ll get:

• 🎥 Over 6 hours of video lessons
• 📘 A 115-page editable PDF workbook with guided activities
• 🕒 6 contact hours for professional development
• 📜 A certificate of completion
• 🌐 Bonus: Access to the Plus Size Birth Circle—our exclusive online platform and mobile app for on-the-go learning and community support

Use code PLUSMOMMY for 20% off at plussizebirth.com!

The post Chrissy Metz Talks Fame, Faith, and Finding Her Way appeared first on Plus Mommy.

In 2008, during the height of mommy blogging years, Jill launched an authentic voice for millions of moms, Scary Mommy. Now in her 40s, Jill’s back with the She’s Got Issues podcast!

If you became a mom between 2007 – 2018, you likely came across Jill Smokler’s work.

As the founder of Scary Mommy, Jill’s blog and social media outlets reached millions of moms struggling to feel “good enough.”

Scary Mommy helped moms find solidarity and community. And a safe space to say, “being a mom is hard, but I love my kids.”

Her new podcast, She’s Got Issues, picks up where Scary Mommy left off to support middle-aged moms with authentic conversations and genuine support.

Jill Smokler’s book Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood – The Good, The Bad, and the Scary came out in 2012. And during this interview, I asked Jill to reflect on things she wrote during those early motherhood years.

We have a raw conversation about motherhood, body image, and fertility. And, through Jill’s vulnerability, she helps us all feel less alone. And she reminds us that it’s okay to be a little scary.

After all, we’ve all got issues!

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 184

Transcript happily provided upon request.

Resources Mentioned On The Show

• Connect with Jill Smokler via the She’s Got Issues podcast and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
• Jen McLellan’s episode on She’s Got Issues.

Jill Smokler is a New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur who became an authentic voice for millions of imperfect moms through her Webby award-winning blog, Scary Mommy. 

Jill returns with She’s Got Issues – a podcast for Gen X women focusing on the myriad issues uniting them, especially the ones we don’t open up about enough and really, really need to.

The post Jill Smokler Has Issues, And She’s Unafraid To Talk About It appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Following the birth of her daughter, Emory, Adiba found herself in the throes of postpartum depression. While struggling silently, she wrote humorous articles about motherhood.  

After finally reaching out for support and getting therapy, Adiba opened up to her community about her depression. In turn, so many women came forward with shared experiences. This wasn’t the first time Adiba used her voice to help others feel alone, and it sure wouldn’t be the last. 

Adiba’s first book, Meet ClaraBelle Blue came out in 2013. This book was born out of frustration that she didn’t see her daughter represented in children’s books during a fateful trip to a book store. 

She searched for children’s books featuring characters with disabilities and couldn’t find any featuring children, let alone a Black girl on the cover.

After finding one Little Critter book featuring a character who was disabled, Adiba said, “My kid is not a critter. What about the kid who is looking to be included?”

And in true Adiba Nelson fashion, she rage-wrote a children’s book featuring a Black girl in a wheelchair in ten minutes! 

Related: What Happens When You See Bodies That Look Like Yours Represented

At first, she thought this book was just for her daughter. But, once her cousin read it, he knew it needed to be everywhere and connected her with an illustrator. 

She went on the hunt for an agent, but everyone turned her away. One publisher even said the world wasn’t ready for this story. So, Adiba self-published on May 4th, 2014. Meet ClaraBelle Blue has sold over 6,000 copies and is in many countries. 

Along with writing, another passion of Adiba’s is burlesque. And for over six years, until she recently retired, she proudly took the stage to help celebrate more diverse bodies. 

When she started, she didn’t see any Black plus size women who looked like her performing burlesque in her hometown of Tuscon, Arizona. So, she felt deeply called to represent herself and her daughter. As Adiba wanted to learn to fully love her body to teach her daughter how to love herself – and burlesque did just that! 

From the burlesque stage to the TedEx stage, Adiba moved hearts and minds. 

Related: Actor Jen Ponton Dishes About Dietland, Fat Activism, And More

In 2018, what she thought would be a two-minute interview turned into a documentary about her life called The Full Nelson.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think this documentary would become an Emmy nominee. Let alone an Emmy award-winning documentary!

And now, her debut novel, “Ain’t That A Mother”, drops in May of 2022. 

Listen as Adiba shares her story in her own words and hear excerpts from her book, thanks to Blackstone Publishing, during episode 159 of the Plus Mommy Podcast. 

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 159

Transcript happily provided upon request. 

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Connect with Adiba Nelson via her website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Learn about Meet ClaraBelle Blue.
• Pre-order “Ain’t That A Mother” from Blackstone Publishing.

Adiba Nelson is an author, screenwriter, retired burlesque performer, disability rights advocate, and most recently, subject of the Emmy winning documentary, The Full Nelson. She wrote and self-published her first children’s book, Meet ClaraBelle Blue in 2013. Adiba’s memoir, “Ain’t That A Mother”, is currently available for preorder and will be available everywhere books are sold May 3, 2022.

The post Adiba Nelson – Inclusion And Empowerment From The Stage To The Page appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Actor Jen Ponton

Jen was treated as “the fat girl” because she was a soft and round child. She didn’t see herself represented in the Disney princess movies she loved watching.

But Jen had a belief that one day she would!

And she went from putting on plays for her neighbors to becoming a theater major in college.

Jen knew she was unique and good at acting.

She spent her years in school pursuing casting calls and getting her feet wet.

By the time she graduated, she knew what to expect and even got a callback from Hairspray on Broadway.

She was 20!

A few years after college, Jen felt she hit the ceiling with her theater pursuits with the limited roles for fat people.

With TV shows like Mike and Molly, she saw herself represented and realized she’d have better opportunities in Hollywood.

Related: Making Lola – A Short Film That Speaks To Every Plus Size Woman

Jen Ponton’s first TV appearance was 30 Rock, which got the ball rolling with her TV and film career.

Listen as Jen dishes about how she almost got the role as Kate from This Is Us. Then, she speaks passionately about her time working on Dietland and why it didn’t get picked up for a second season.

Jen holds nothing back, speaking openly about sexism, racism, and fatphobia in Hollywood and beyond.

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 157

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
• Connect with Jen Ponton on Instagram, checkout her podcast, and learn more about her work.

Actress Jen Ponton is a comedic force, consistently serving up big laughs on screen. A Muppet enthusiast, horror fanatic, and body love activist, Ponton’s seasoned resume continues to grow.

In 2018, Jen recurred on AMC’s critical darling Dietland as fiery fat activist ‘Rubi.’ She has also guest appeared on The Blacklist, 30 Rock, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Deadbeat, Orange is the New Black, Blue Bloods, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: SVU, The Slap, and The Good Wife. She will also be appearing Sesame Workshop’s highly-anticipated Apple+ series Helpsters.

The post Actor Jen Ponton Dishes About Dietland, Fat Activism, And More appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Her path to The Voice began in the church as a young girl. Dana Monique’s grandfather was a pastor, her mother a Minister of Music, and her father played bass in the church and jazz bands.

From a young age, Dana Monique knew music came naturally to her. At the age of twelve, she sang her first solo in church. And by the tenth grade, she was performing alongside major musical talents in Houston, Texas.

Dana Monique began to watch closely and learn how the music industry works. Then, becoming a professional singer became her dream!

Dana Monique

By the age of 23, she was married and pregnant, and her second child was born fifteen months after her first. While her family was her world, she missed a big piece of herself as music became secondary.

Then, her husband joined the military, and her family relocated to Germany. She stopped singing altogether, and this was a difficult time in her life.

Her divorce came next, and she found herself a single mother struggling to put food on the table. With a daytime job and singing at night, Dana Monique did all she could to provide for her children.

Then, during her darkest time, she turned to her faith and meditation. The next thing she knew, doors were opening! She found herself on a cruise ship as a headliner for the BB King Allstar Band.

Related: Emmy Winning Journalist And Actress Heather Brooker Tells Her Story

For four months, Dana Monique performed six nights a week, doing three shows each night.

While she was following her dreams, she had to work incredibly hard. Years prior, when she returned home from Geremy, she suffered from short-term memory loss. Learning songs was challenging, but Dana Monique didn’t allow this obstacle to stand in her way. And she knew her teenagers were cheering their mom on!

She’ll never forget a pivotal moment performing “I Will Survive” on the ship. With her arms wide open, singing her heart out, she felt at home! Nothing else mattered aside from leaving everything on the stage, and she does that to this day.

In March of 2020, a global pandemic shut the world down, and she immediately went home to her kids.

While performing at an event for George Floyd, Dana Monique contracted COVID and got very ill. As she was home recovering, she got a message that she needed to submit a video of her signing for a TV audition. She did her video in one take and went back to focusing on her recovery.

Soon afterward, she got an e-mail, then her phone was ringing with producers trying to get ahold of her. She couldn’t believe this was happening during a pandemic, with her performance opportunities were few and far between.

Soon after, she was in LA and a contestant on The Voice!

Related: Christina Wells America’s Got Talent Semifinalist Tells Her Story

The premiss of The Voice is people audition for the show with the judges back’s to the stage. Dana Monique knew that she needed to leave every part of her on that stage – and she did while performing “Freeway of Love.”

Two judges turned their chairs for her and wanted Dana Monique on their team.

In the end, she picked Nick Jonas over John Legend because he told her she had something to prove. That spoke deeply to her!

One of Dana Monique’s standout performances during her time on The Voice was the song “Free Your Mind” by En Vogue. This song meant so much, especially during this time in our lives, with Black Lives Matter to other injustices in the world. She wanted to make sure the message of freeing your mind was delivered – and she blew everyone away!

Beyond her talent, Dana Monique’s style, with gorgeous outfits hugging her curves, also stood out!

Her path to The Voice ended as a semifinalist in the top nine. But this is only the beginning of the world falling in love with this showstopper.

Listen as Dana Monique tells her story of going from a struggling single mother with a passion for performing to a semifinalist on season 20 of The Voice. Her powerhouse voice and positive outlook on life captivated millions. You’ll feel inspired and fall in love with Dana Monique after listening to this episode of the Plus Mommy Podcast!

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 151

Born and raised in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas, Dana is no stranger to getting down and dirty! Born into a musically gifted family she began singing in church where her mother ran the music ministry and her father performed in a jazz band. At the age of 12 she sung her frst solo, and by 15 she was touring as a background singer. She has shared the stage with some of musics’ most heavy hitters like Zac Brown Band, Musiq Soulchild, Lalah Hathaway and CeCe Winans. From headlining cruise ships to arranging vocal productions Dana constantly surrounds herself with “feel good” music because she knows the power it has to heal! This singer-songwriter gained national notoriety when she caught the ears of coaches Nick Jonas and John Legend on the 20th Season of NBC’s hit show, The Voice. Currently, Dana is grinding in the studio working on her debut project scheduled for release this Summer and enjoying time with her two beautiful children.

Connect with Dana Monique via her website, Instagram, and Twitter.

The post The Path To The Voice With Season 20 Semifinalist Dana Monique appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Heather Brooker Tells Her Story

Heather attended Oklahoma State University with a theater scholarship to study her passions for acting and storytelling.

By her sophomore year of college, her focus shifted to journalism. And following college, she became an anchor and international correspondent.

Heather enjoyed her job and traveling the world. Yet, there was something else she felt called to do – make people laugh! She realized it was becoming harder and harder to tell stories about murders in fires.

“One of the people in my improv group in Tulsa was like; you should really go out to LA to be at the Groundlings because you’d be so good on Saturday Night Live. And I was like, I do want to do that. So we packed up everything we did the Grapes of Wrath move from Oklahoma to California.”

While Heather still got a job in news, she stopped being on camera. By doing this, she had the free time to pursue acting.

She took acting classes, went on auditions, and started doing background work.

“Eventually, I got an agent and joined the union. My first major TV role was on a show called Monk with Tony Shalhoub. And I just was like; I want to do this forever!”

Related: Actress Reid Cox Talks About Fat Shaming And Skinny Shaming

Following becoming a mother, Heather looked for a community of moms like her who worked in the industry.

She didn’t find what she was in search of, so she launched her Motherhood In Hollywood podcast!

“I started my podcast as a way to invite and reach out to moms in the industry who I wanted to either get to know better. Or just meet and hear their story and sort of glean whatever advice I could from them.”

Heather never imagined her decision to start a podcast would lead her back to being in front of the camera!  

Her boss listened to her show and saw the social media following she grew.

Heather was presented with an opportunity to be an entertainment reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles. This was a huge honor!

“I never imagined when we came out here, this part of it, I never thought I would be reporting again. I never thought I would be the first plus size reporter at my station, or possibly even in the LA market, because there’s no other reporters that look like me.”

As a plus size woman, Heather has never allowed her size to hold her back from any opportunity or audition.

Over the past 16 years since moving to Hollywood, she has seen positive shifts. As Heather shares, “When it comes to plus sized women, they have made incredible strides over the last five years, I would say. But they still have a long way to go to be inclusive for plus size women.”

Related: Jisela Delgado of MTV’S The Challenge Shares Her Fascinating Story

The only time she was told her weight limited her was early on in her career with her second agent.

“I told him I want to be on Saturday Night Live – that’s my goal. That’s why I trained at the Groundlings. It’s why I do improv and sketch comedy five nights a week. I want to be on Saturday Night Live! And he said to me, they are never going to hire a plus sized person on Saturday live.”

A few years later, Aidy Bryant joined the cast. Heather was happy for Aidy, but it was a tough blow.

While Heather has enjoyed many minor roles, she still dreams of becoming a series regular on a TV show.

For now, she loves her job and podcast that brings so many amazing people into her life. Plus, she gets to make people laugh all the time!

Listen as Heather tells her story in here own words. She also shares her thoughts on how Hollywood views plus size people, and her tips for being confident at any size.

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 149

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Connect with Heather Brooker via Instagram, TikTok, and Motherhood In Hollywood website.
• Heather’s IMDB videos mentioned during the episode.

Heather Brooker is an actress, Emmy Award-winning journalist, comedian, and host of the popular podcast, Motherhood in Hollywood. She’s appeared in over 40 films and TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Office,” “Fresh Off The Boat,” “The Mindy Project” and more. 

Heather is also in the trailblazing role of multimedia entertainment reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles, where she regularly interviews celebrities and influencers in Hollywood. On her podcast, Heather discusses her two passions — parenting and show business — and has a hilariously addicting, tell-it-like-it-is personality. In the five years since creating Motherhood in Hollywood, Heather has built a community of nearly 1 million followers across her social media and online platforms. She recently spoke at the GirlUp Leadership Summit alongside Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Meghan Markle about gender equity and body positivity. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Chris, 8-year-old daughter Channing and internet famous cat, Gracie I Love You.

The post Emmy Winning Journalist And Actress Heather Brooker Tells Her Story  appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Jisela Delgado The Challenge

On April 1, 2021, The Challenge reality TV show aired a new season called All Stars with many longtime fan favorites, including Jisela Delgado.

A noticeable difference with this new season is how cast members have aged.

Along with wrinkles, we also see cellulite – and we are here for it!

It’s refreshing to see larger bodies on reality TV. Including Jisela, who completely dominates the first episode!

As Jisela shares, “Weight has always been a part of my persona. And I was always very proud of my body. And I always talked about, you know, I talked about my hips and my butt because I knew it was like the elephant in the room.”

It’s hard to believe she was considered larger back in the early 2000s. But she was, and now that she currently exists in a plus size body, she doesn’t allow it to define her or her body’s abilities.

“I didn’t allow it to intimidate me. So one of the greatest things that I’m going to tell you, and I don’t think other people know, Challenge houses don’t have mirrors. We only have one mirror, and it’s in your bathroom.”

The lack of mirrors helps keep the cameras out-of-site and allows cast members to focus less on their outer appearance.

Related: Project Runway Winner Ashley Nell Tipton Tells Her Story

Jisela’s first experience with reality TV was The Real World/Road Rules Casting Special in 2000. She applied to be a cast member to support a friend who wanted to be on the show.

While Jisela thought she wasn’t in the running, she was selected first to be a cast member for the 10th season of Road Rules.

This was the first time Road Rules had a new rule – if the cast lost two challenges in a row, they had to vote someone off.

Jisela went down in history as the first cast member ever voted off the show.

Related: Christina Wells America’s Got Talent Semifinalist Tells Her Story

She would go onto appear as a special guest during the Real World Season 10 and be a cast member during three seasons of The Challenge; Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes, and The Gauntlet 2.

The Gauntlet 2 ended in 2005, and Jisela turned down other casting opportunities until MTV stopped calling.

That was until this year!

Listen below, or via your favorite podcast app, to episode 144 of the Plus Mommy Podcast. Jisela Delgado looks back in time and talks about her journey! She also provides helpful tips for people who are struggling with body image.

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 144

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Connect with Jisela Delgado on her Instagram and Twitter.
• The Challenge All Stars airs on Paramount Plus on Thursdays.
• The Real World/Road Rules Casting Special

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

Use coupon code PlusMommy to receive 20% off the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide that covers everything you could want to know about having a plus size pregnancy.

The post Jisela Delgado of MTV’S The Challenge Shares Her Fascinating Story appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Loralyee Shares Her Birth Story

Around the age of fifteen, Lori was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Her care provider said she would never have a baby.

Throughout her adult life, Lori assumed it would be difficult or impossible to become a mother.

For seven years, Lori and her husband tried to start a family.

Following two devastating miscarriages, they sought fertility support.

Each time she tried to connect with a care provider for fertility treatments as a plus size woman, the response was to lose weight.

After seeing four doctors, Lori decided to focus on her health and stopped stressing herself out.

As she shares, “The last six, seven years before getting pregnant, I had a really hard relationship with my body. I was always mad at it. I was always putting all these different [fertility] drugs in it. And so I thought of it like I was going to cleanse my body, I was going to cleanse my spirit. And I wanted to make my body prepared to become a home for my baby for the next nine months.”

Over on her Loralyee Instagram account, she was transparent about the changes she was making.

As she focused on herself, 2020 hit, and the world shut down.

Lori and her husband spent more time together than usual, and to her great surprise – she got pregnant!

Related: What Fertility Clinics Don’t Want To Admit About Weight Bias

Very early on in her pregnancy Lori went to the OB-GYN because of her miscarriage history.

They couldn’t find her baby’s heartbeat and asked her to come back in a few days.

At the follow-up appointment, they couldn’t find the heartbeat again and told Lori that she would have a miscarriage.

Her care provider prescribed a pill.

“I was like, NO, something feels different this time. Like I had really bad nausea, and I felt pregnant. So she made me sign a form saying that I was leaving, although she told me to take the pill.”

The following week was devastating, and Lori returned to her provider once more, thinking she would take the pill.

To her wonderful surprise, the ultrasound picked up the heartbeat!

Lori’s plus size friend was also pregnant, so Lori switched to her friend’s care provider, hoping they’d be size-friendly.

While Lori felt more supported, this new care provider’s office had her jump through extra hoops because of her size.

She experienced great anxiety as they made her feel like she would develop complications because of her size.

“Like I had a perfect pregnancy besides being nauseous, but every time they were surprised, and the way they acted, they were surprised that everything was going so well.”

Overall she liked the practice and stayed; Lori just wished she felt more supported.

Due to hospital visitor restrictions, she was so sad to learn that she couldn’t have her mother attend the birth. So, Lori felt it was essential to hire a doula to support her and her husband.

Thanks to a close friend’s recommendation, Lori researched different doulas and felt that Denise Bolds was the perfect match.

Related: 7 Things You Should Know About Being Plus Size And Pregnant

“The first conversation speaking to her, I was like speaking like a family member. She was very caring and would listen to my story. She had like the right questions, but she was also very thorough. And that’s what I needed.”

Lori had no complications during her pregnancy, but her care provider wanted to induce her because of her weight. They feared her developing preeclampsia.

The last few weeks of her pregnancy, Lori’s anxiety was through the roof because she feared something would go wrong. She thought she was going to die during birth because of how everyone made her feel.

Being induced helped reduce her fears, and she felt more in control of what was happening to her body.

On a Thursday at 2:00 pm, she went in for her induction.

Lori was 39 weeks and two days along with a soft cervix, but she wasn’t dilated.

She didn’t want her doula right away because she knew this was a long process.

Lori’s induction began with a foley bulb to help her cervix to diolate. She dilated much quicker than anyone expected!

“The cramps weren’t as bad as I thought they were going to be. But also I feel like having PCOS prepared me for that because my PCOS cramps during my period are so bad. So it felt like that.”

Soon after, they started the Pitocin, and her cramps became far more intense.  

After many hours of laboring, Lori wanted an epidural.

They brought in three anesthesiologists who poked her twice before Lori said she wanted her doula there!

Denise was supporting her over the phone the entire time, and Lori was ready to have her in-person.

Related: Know Your Options During Pregnancy And Birth When You’re Plus Size

About an hour or two after receiving the epidural, Lori went into active labor.

The nurses and doctor kept saying she couldn’t be progressing so quickly.

Lior knew her body!

Denise arrived right as Lori’s body was telling her to push.

Immediately Denise went into action and made all the difference!

“She put her hand on my chest, and that feeling, I honestly put chills through my whole body because I felt like it just like released me from the tense feeling that I was feeling before she got there, and it just helps my body relax. And so she put her hand on my chest. She helped me breathe. She like put me in different positions to help me.”

Even the nursing staff was in awe of how Denise was supporting Lori.

Everyone who came into her labor room was amazed by how quickly everything progressed.

Lori gave birth to her son in three pushes!

“I just amazed at myself. I was amazed at my body, right? Because my relationship, my body was so complicated over the years, and I felt so mad at it thinking that it wasn’t going to do what it needed. And then it did. It amazed me, you know, the first my whole pregnancy and then it makes me even more, you know, giving birth. And so I’m just so proud of the way that I was able to do that.”

Listen below as Lori shares her full plus size pregnancy and birth story. She also goes into detail about what postpartum has been like for her and her family.

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 140

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Follow Loralyee on Instagram.
• Connect with Denise Bolds via her website and Instagram.
• Learn more about taking baby aspirin during pregnancy.

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

Use coupon code PlusMommy to receive 20% off the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide that covers everything you could want to know about having a plus size pregnancy.

The post Plus Size Model Loralyee Shares Her Birth Story For The First Time appeared first on Plus Mommy.

In November of 2017, Megg Boggs started a blog to share her birth story with close friends and family.

She never imagined she would become an athlete, author, and highly sought-after Instagram influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers.

In the beginning, Meg wanted to set a good example for her daughter by learning to love and appreciate herself.

Meg starting sharing images of her exposed postpartum belly, and began speaking openly about her struggles with mental health.

Because of that, major parenting sites displayed Meg’s images all over social media. Meg grew a loyal community by never shying away from the tough motherhood topics!

In January of 2018, she started powerlifting and immediately felt like she had unlocked something within herself.

To Meg’s surprise, her powerlifting and exercise content continued to receive a ton of traction!

Related: Champion Powerlifter Becci Holcomb Shares Her Pregnancy & Birth Story

She worked hard to move away from diet culture and break a life-long connection between fitness and weight loss. Above all, Meg knew dieting impacted her mental health.

Meg started noticing the traction her powerlifting content received and asked her community if they wanted to see more. To her great surprise, they did!    

Subsequently, the more she shared, the more her community grew.

Unfortunately, she found her content stolen by people using her body to sell weight-loss products. In addition, Meg could not escape from countless fat-shaming comments and private messages.

To this day, she looks out for her mental wellness by journaling and taking short breaks from social media as needed.

In January of 2020,  Meg attended an event Under Armor put on for athletes and influencers.

Immediately, Meg noticed she was the only plus size athlete. However, she still decided to go all-in and give the experience her everything.

Thankfully, everyone made her feel like she belonged here, and Meg made wonderful connections. Not only that, she spoke up about the lack in plus size clothing options, and Under Armor listened.

That experience changed her!

After that experience, Meg returned home and added athlete to her bio.

A few months later, she wrote her book, Fitness for Every Body: Strong, Confident, and Empowered at Any Size.

Ready for more? Listen below as Meg Boggs shares her story and great inspiration!

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 139

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

• Connect with Meg Boggs via Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and her website. 
• Pick up a copy of Meg’s book – Fitness for Every Body
• Listen to our first podcast episode with Meg as she shares her pregnancy and birth story – This Is Postpartum With Meg Boggs

Meg Boggs is an author, athlete, mother, and self-empowerment advocate. From mental health to fitness inclusivity promoted alongside body-positive imagery, Meg continues to spark discourse about fat bodies and the experiences of plus size women. Meg has been celebrated by CNN, The View, Good Morning America, People, Health Magazine, Shape, and PopSugar. Her debut book, Fitness for Every Body: Strong, Confident, and Empowered at Any Size is out 4/27/2021.

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

This episode is also brought to you by Plus Size Birth! Use coupon code PlusMommy to receive 20% off the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide that covers everything you could want to know about having a plus size pregnancy.

The post Meg Boggs Shares Her Journey To Becoming An Athlete And Author appeared first on Plus Mommy.