When it comes to shopping online, sometimes its hard to tell what will look good on you. With shipping fees, I really want to make sure I get it right the first time. I enjoy shopping and trying things on, I’ll put on dresses in different cuts/styles to learn what I like and what I don’t. Overtime I’ve developed a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to looking at an outfit and determining 1.) How it will look on me and 2.) What size I should get. Here are two of my most recent online purchases, below you can see how they look on the model and how they look on me.

I’m loving all of the floral prints coming out this season. This is my Cinco de Mayo outfit (it was *just* warm enough to pull this off with Gladiator Sandals) I spotted this floral/polka dot dress on the Torrid.com site and got it in what I thought was my size. It fit, but I wish I would have ordered it a size down, the flowy waist area allows for more room in the tummy area, but I felt like the bust could have been tighter. Oh, and for those of you wondering how I manage to go bare legged without chaffing issues, I swipe Gold Bond Anti Chafe Balm on my inner thighs and I’m good to go!

This dress I found on the Macy’s site, I ordered it in both pink and black because its such a classic cut, they’re now selling it in tangerine and turquoise too! I read the reviews on this dress and ordered it a size down, I’m really  glad I did. It fit perfectly… the only tweaking I had to do was in the bust, the cross body effect left wayyyy too much room for The Twins to pop out, so I took a needle and thread and tacked it. The model has a smaller chest than I do though, so if you’re built like her you shouldn’t have a problem. 

Shop the looks below!

Spring has sprung, well kinda… its freezing in NYC. Anyway, this season is when I love to walk around in a fun, frilly dress. This one below is a few months old, but I found a similar plus size dress on the City Chic site, its called the “poppy dress” if you’re looking.

Photos by Zanography

Dress & Tights: Torrid, Shoes: NYC Costume Shop, Cardigan: Macys, Bag: Vintage, Necklace Gift from a friend

You’re officially invited to sign up for the #PSPfit Pre-Summer Bootcamp!

I’m very excited for the support system we’re creating… So far we’ve had people sign up from all over the US, Canada and the UK!

80% of weight loss is what you eat and clean eating has really resonated with my body (I’ve lost 12 pounds in four weeks!). Our #PSPfit bootcamp is six weeks of professional nutrition/fitness guidance from Nutritionist, Abra Pappa and Trainer, Anthony Truly. I know how expensive nutritionists and gym memberships can be, so I’m happy that I can make these things accessible to all of us at a super discounted rate.

The #PSPfit Pre-Summer Bootcamp will be 6 weeks of clean eating and fitness from April 15th-May 27th. For our NYC members, we will have weekly in person meet-ups on Saturdays from 2-4pm (that means SIX workouts with a trainer and SIX sessions with a nutritionist!) For my US/International PSP’s who can’t make it to NYC we’ll do six weekly nutrition sessions online and we’ve filmed a variety of fitness videos for you.

We’ve also got over $3,000 in prizes to giveaway. Want to see what you could win? Check out our sponsor list!

Lets take the 6 weeks before Memorial Day to really focus on Healthy Curves… Are you in? Sign up today! Registration ends on April 12th.

Purchase your NYC Membership here

Purchase your Virtual (Non NYC/International) membership here

You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other diet program to determine if it is right for your needs.

#PSPfit Boot Camp – New York City

• 6 in-person Clean Eating Nutrition Sessions with Abra Pappa

• “Eating to promote weight loss with PCOS” Guide

• 6 in-person Fitness Sessions with Trainer, Anthony Truly

• “What is Clean Eating?” Guidebook

• Weekly Recipes and Meal Plans

• Private Facebook Group Access (Daily Inspiration, Support and Accountability)

• Free #PSPfit Tshirt

• Weekly Giveaways

• Grand Prize Drawings (based on participation, not pounds lost)

#PSPfit Boot Camp – Virtual (US and International)

• Weekly “Clean Eating” Facebook Chats with CeCe & Abra Pappa

• “Eating to promote weight loss with PCOS” Guide

• Virtual Fitness Sessions with Trainer, Anthony Truly, via YouTube & Vimeo

• “What is Clean Eating?” Guidebook

• Weekly Recipes and Meal Plans

• Private Facebook Group Access (Daily Inspiration, Support and Accountability)

• Free #PSPfit Tshirt

• Weekly Giveaways

• Grand Prize Drawings (based on participation, not pounds lost )

FAQ’s

Is #PSPfit only for big girls? I’m skinny but I want to join!  #PSPfit is open to any women who want to embrace their bodies and focus on their health

What dates/times will the NYC Sessions be held? Saturdays from 2-4pm in Manhattan

If I can’t make every session in NYC, can I catch up in the virtual class? Yes! NYC participants have access to the private online groups as well

I don’t have facebook or twitter, can I still join? Email us ASAP and we can work something out fitness@thebiggirlblog.com

What is “Clean Eating”? Clean eating is avoiding all processed food, relying on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains instead of prepackaged or fast food.

Can men join #PSPfit? Sorry guys, this is for the ladies…

Do I have to stop doing Weight Watchers? No, but I think you’ll find that Clean Eating helps you eat more while using fewer points

Do you have a question not covered above? email: fitness@thebiggirlblog.com

The effects of Clean Eating and fitness are undeniable, I’ve lost 12 pounds in four weeks by working with a Nutritionist and hitting the gym consistently. As I mentioned before, these things can be very expensive and while I’m at a place where I can make a full investment in my health, not everyone can afford that right now. I’ve been working to find a way to make professional weight loss/nutrition/fitness guidance available for all of my Plus Size Princesses and I’m happy to say that I’ve figured out a way to make that happen… so mark your calendars!

From April 15th – May 27th, we will be doing a #PSPfit Boot Camp with weekly giveaways. This boot camp will be a super affordable way to give all of us access to a Nutritionist and Trainer for the six weeks leading up to summer! (Space is limited, for early bird notification and pricing sign up here).

There will be two #PSPfit Boot Camp groups, one for the PSPs who live in the New York City/Tri-State area and another for US/International PSPs.

Here’s what your membership will get you:

#PSPfit Boot Camp – New York City 

• 6 in-person Clean Eating Nutrition Sessions with Abra Pappa

• “Eating to promote weight loss with PCOS” Guide

• 6 in-person Fitness Sessions with Trainer, Anthony Truly

• “What is Clean Eating?” Guidebook

• Weekly Recipes and Meal Plans

• Private Facebook Group Access (Daily Inspiration, Support and Accountability)

• Free #PSPfit Tshirt

• Weekly Giveaways

• Grand Prize Drawings (based on participation, not pounds lost)

#PSPfit Boot Camp – Virtual (US and International)

• Weekly “Clean Eating” Facebook Chats with CeCe & Abra Pappa

• “Eating to promote weight loss with PCOS” Guide

• Virtual Fitness Sessions with Trainer, Anthony Truly, via YouTube & Vimeo

• “What is Clean Eating?” Guidebook

• Weekly Recipes and Meal Plans

• Private Facebook Group Access (Daily Inspiration, Support and Accountability)

• Free #PSPfit Tshirt

• Weekly Giveaways

• Grand Prize Drawings (based on participation, not pounds lost )

Feel free to email fitness@thebiggirlblog.com with ANY questions you may have.

Be the first to sign up, send me your email here!

Giveaways Provided By:

Xersion, Activewear by JC Penney

Lola Getts Active, Plus Size Workout Gear

Nutritious America

Little Lime Dress, +Size Personal Styling

SimplyBe USA

BodyMedia Heart Rate Monitors

Squeem, Waist Cinchers

Tera’s Whey, Protien Powder

BarePlus Bras, by Bare Necessities

BeQue Juice, Green Juice Delivery

Don’t forget we’re sending early bird pricing and registration, soon. Click here to sign up for notifications!

You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other diet program to determine if it is right for your needs.

I was in church a few months ago and one of the eligible bachelors in the congregation brought his new girlfriend to service. This guy is shorter than me, probably like 5’8 and his girlfriend was probably 5’11 with body for DAYS. One of my female friends leaned over to me and said “Um, she looks like she would break him in HALF!”

Last week I read an article written by a woman who is dating someone with a disability. In it she mentioned that people regularly ask them how things work in the bedroom. This got me to thinking about “unconventional” relationships and how the first thing people do is imagine you having sex.

I broached that subject on twitter and got some interesting responses…

Cuz we’re human RT @thebiggirlblog: When we see “unconventional” couples, why do we immediately wonder about their sex lives?

— Moonwalk Jenkins (@MoonwalkJenkins) March 22, 2013

Yes, I agree it is human nature, I guess I just wonder why we do that. If we see a Barbie/Ken type couple do we wonder how they do it? or make comments about how Barbie must really put it down on Ken in the bedroom? No. But when we see couples that aren’t cookie cutter, we immediately analyze their intimacy… hmmmm.

I think my first question is why do we decide which couples “match” based on looks?

Being a Plus Size Princess who dates attractive men, I walk around knowing that people wonder how I end up with such “catches”. I even had a man drunkenly tell me that I was a “very lucky girl”, to be with Robert. I just looked at him and said, “and Robert is a VERY lucky guy…”. When I dated bean-pole skinny dudes, I’d get comments about how I probably hurt them in bed, or that I probably wear the pants in the relationship and that was frustrating. People are constantly projecting their own prejudices onto relationships that they’re not a part of.

We all walk around with this measurement of who can date whom and a good portion of it is based on looks. I say we, because we’ve all done it from time to time, myself included– but if we start thinking about why we decide certain couples “match” and others don’t maybe we’ll realize how silly our rules actually are and let people date/be attracted to whoever they want without criticism.

I’m guilty of saying that, but to each his own. RT @thebiggirlblog: “Can you believe HE is with HER?” (yes, actually I can!)

— Lovely Sunshine(@egyptsgoddess1) March 22, 2013

What we don’t realize is all those snide remarks, rude comments and jokes can make a girl think she doesn’t deserve to be with the guy who is showing interest. It also makes it hard for the guy who might be attracted to girls who don’t look like Barbie/Beyonce, to actually go after the types of girls they like. We make it hard for the tall girl to date a short guy, we make it hard for the hot guy to date big girls and we make hard for the big girl to date… well anyone!

Also, do you even notice that the rules we set up contradict themselves? If a Plus Size Princess dates a hot guy, everyone has something to say about it, but if a PSP dates a Plus Size Prince, people STILL have something to say about it…

@thebiggirlblogor if it’s 2 big people, others always question how they accomplish having sex. -_- lol

— Mean Queen Okerlund (@TheKillerQueen) March 22, 2013

Like I said on twitter, when Beyonce first hooked up with Jay-Z everyone had jokes, but years later its clear they have something. Of course we’re always more forgiving of an attractive woman dating a man she doesn’t “match” with, but when a man decides to date a woman he doesn’t “match” with we tear that woman to shreds… but that’s another blog post for another day.

When I look around at the successful couples in my life, they’re all unconventional or don’t “match” by society’s standards in some way. Some are interracial, some have extreme age differences, some are different sizes, some are same-sex… but they all pushed past who society said they should be with and found who makes them happy– and isn’t that the most important thing?

Don’t let your friends or strangers on the street make you feel like you can’t date who you want to. If you’re a hot guy and you like someone who isn’t the Barbie/Beyonce type, date her confidently! If you’re a Plus Size Princess and a hot guy is checking for you, go for it… you “deserve” him just as much as the next girl (see Superficial Fat Chicks & Other Myths if you need more of a pep talk).

At then end of the day, I’d rather spend time looking for my “perfect match” than someone I “match” with.

P.S. #PSPfit Bootcamp registration is coming up! Be the first to find out when the list opens up by registering here

Sooo… can we talk about taking pictures as a Plus Size Princess for a second?

I know a lot of us shy away from the camera, I was never like that (can’t you tell? lol) But there was a time when I would only take “selfies” at an upward angle, from my boobs up, nothing lower. Even when I took photos with friends, I’d have them huddle up around me and I’d get that camera tilted *just* right. That angle made my face look slimmer, showcased The Twins and hid the rest of my body. Do any of you PSPs find yourselves using that angle as a go-to? I had to force myself to stop because I knew it was my way of “hiding” my body online.

Overtime I’ve realized that I am more than just big boobs and a face. I have feet, legs and a tummy and my pictures should reflect that! So I embrace full length photos 100% (I wont lie, I still prefer my photos to be taken from a higher/slimming angle– Robert has become a pro at this!)

On Saturday night I was hired to sing at a wedding. Being paid to sing love songs is my dream job, so it was a nice gig even if it only lasted one night. After the wedding, I took pictures with the other musicians/singers and as I scrolled through them on my phone, I was like Whoa! What happened to my body??

Looks like I stumbled across a new +size picture trick: Standing in the middle of two people creates the most perfect hourglass shape… who knew??

Tall Girl Sandwich  = Instant Hips & Defined Waist!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, shape is a lot more important to me than size. I’d be okay with my current size if I were more toned, especially in my tummy area. Seeing this photo was good #PSPfit inspiration for me to keep doing those crunches and eating the foods that my nutritionist says will maximize my workouts.

Speaking of the Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge (#PSPfit), I have some updates for us….

Since I began investing in a nutritionist and hitting the gym more frequently, I’ve been seeing some great numbers on the scale. The other day I realized, I always do better with my weight loss goals when I have help… but help can be expensive.

Because I’m a single girl living on my own in NYC, I have the time/resources to invest in things that make my weight loss/health/fitness goals easier and I’ve been seeing the results. For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to find ways to make high quality professional fitness and nutrition guidance accessible for all of us and I think I’ve found some ways to do it:

-This weekend I’m going to film some workout sessions for us with my trainer, Anthony Truly. I’ll post the videos to my YouTube channel so that we can all workout whenever/wherever we want. For those of you who can’t afford a gym or classes, this is my way of bringing those things to you

-My Nutritionist, Abra Pappa is helping me start a #PSPfit pinterest page, which is live now. We are sifting through and finding the best recipes for Clean Eating and PCOS

-We’re going to take the 6 weeks before Memorial Day to do a #PSPfit Pre-Summer Bootcamp (April 15th – May 27th, mark your calendars ). Registration will begin this weekend and the first 10 people to register will get a very sweet prize. Be the first to find out when the bootcamp list opens up by entering your email here

Because I’m hiring professionals to help us on our #PSPfit journey, I’d like to get us more organized so that if any #PSPfit girls have a private question about nutrition or fitness, you can ask and get the answers you need asap. There are two ways you can help make that happen:

1.) Register your email, so you know how to reach us and get an early heads up on giveaways and events

2.) Grab a #PSPfit Tshirt, Your donation will help us keep things running smoothly (We’ve got two styles, one goes up to a size 6x!)

I’m hoping we can all rally and support each other so that we can join in on summer activities and feel strong, or take pictures without worrying about tilting the camera to specific angles… and maybe my hips will begin to show themselves a little more too without any +size pic tricks!

I’ve seen people on social media asking what #PSPfit stands for, so I thought I’d recap what we’re doing!

As a Plus Size Princess, I’ve finally come to the understanding that I will never be rail thin, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be fit, active and healthy. The Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge (aka, #PSPfit) is our commitment to healthy curves. What started as a 30 day challenge has transformed into a daily lifestyle for big/thick/curvy girls on instagram, twitter and soon, facebook!

…we can be +size AND healthy!

Want to join #PSPfit? All you have to do is:

• Exercise four times a week for at least 30 minutes
• Follow your favorite eating plan (i.e. weight watchers, Jenny Craig, Clean Eating, etc.)
• Post your meals on Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr and tag #PSPfit
• Post your workout pics on Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr and tag #PSPfit

Sometimes we even get together for events:

Join us! (Questions? email: fitness@thebiggirlblog.com, follow me on twitter @thebiggirlblog and Instagram @plussizeprincess

I hope you guys are having a fabulous Valentines Day!

Mine is off to a great start, flowers from my Dad arrived yesterday (he’s my #1 Valentine) and Robert is doing a good job coming in second

I’m always a fan of a day devoted to love. I always take this day to remind myself that my relationship status has no bearing on my value as a person. I wrote a post called “I Haven’t Changed” a few Vdays ago where I reminded myself that having a boy in my life doesn’t change/validate me and it still rings true. I will continue to work on loving myself and keep my fingers that the people around me will do the same.

Now for today’s fashion! Don’t forget that I’m giving away FIVE prizes for the Plus Size Princess Style challenge (#PSPstyle). For details on how to enter/win click here!

Here’s my #PSPstyle outfit from last night and todays Valentines day festivities (you can’t tell but I’m wearing fishnets with a seam and cute little bows up the back… and an awesome bra/panty set from Lane Bryant):

Paisley Pink Dress by Igigi, everything else is available below!