“I embrace every day that I’m in this body. Some days, I fall off the wagon, but I tell myself that I am worthy, and I get myself back on. I know that this is the path for me.”
"I joined Weight Watchers when I was 13 years old—and I’ve been a member since. But that doesn’t mean I had poor body image. It was the opposite, actually; I’ve always loved my body and every ripple of my skin."
"Sure, I’d have moments when I’d doubt myself, but my friends and family would pick me back up when I was down. Once when I got self-conscious about cellulite on the back of my legs, my grandmother said to me, “Do you love yourself?” I said, “Of course I do,” and she said, “OK, then I want you to show that.” She then took me to buy a custom-fit swimsuit; it was a racer-back style that accentuated all the right parts. She taught me that the size of the garment doesn’t matter—you should find clothes that work for you. And that changed my thought process in my daily life. Now, when I walk into a store, I know that I could take a range of sizes to try on in the fitting room, and that’s OK. I say to myself, “Whatever fits, fits.” I’m very happy with the body that I’ve been given, and it has helped me open up in new ways."
"I used to never be one to strike up a conversation; now you can’t shut me up. But I stay humble. I make sure to never forget how far I’ve come; I keep my “before” picture close by, and whenever I doubt myself, I say, “If 13-year-old Tracey could’ve made lasting changes in her life, then 27-year-old Tracey can, too.”
