Plus Size Princesses can get Brazilian Waxes just like anyone else. I got my first one when I went to Miami a few years back. At first I was scared to have someone all in my “nooks and crannies”, but I found aestheticians that I (and my lil’ CeCe) are comfortable with and I’ve been hooked ever since. There is a lot about Brazilian Waxing that people won’t tell you so… I thought I’d share the in depth conversation I had with my twitter PSP’s about “going to Brazil”.

P.S. Don’t forget to register for the #PSPfit Clean Eating & Fitness Bootcamp!

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.

“For dessert last night, I had apples, a teaspoon of almond butter and some honey!” I declared proudly during my nutrition session with Abra Pappa. Abra is helping me transition into clean eating (no processed foods/refined sugars).

“That’s great!” she replied, “but next time instead of honey, try sprinkling cinnamon on your apples…”

“Why, cinnamon?” I asked.

“Cinnamon reduces sugar cravings, also with your PCOS, the honey is too much for you to have in your system before bed, we don’t want your insulin levels that high while you sleep.”

This is one of the many nuggets of information I’ve been soaking up like a sponge since deciding to invest in a nutritionist. Have any of you worked with a Nutritionist before? I’m learning so much!

Abra is helping me transition into Clean Eating. I’ve tried every “diet” out there and, honestly… I’m over it. I don’t want to be tied to someones points system, shakes or packaged food program anymore. I want to be able to eat well and figure out what’s right for me so I can be free to cook and eat more intuitively. I also want to see what natural foods I can use to manage PCOS and Abra is an expert in all of those things.

When I had my first session with her three things stuck out to me:

1.) Her positivity, I had a mini-meltdown the day before our first session and had been bingeing on all of the “bad foods” I thought I’d never be able to eat again. When I told her what I’d been doing, she was so open and kind and said she completely understood my going into panic mode

2.) Abra never told me NOT to eat anything, she didn’t put me on a cleanse or detox, instead she suggested that I add a few different foods to my daily meals. Even though the changes she suggested were small, I saw big results in how I felt and what the scale said

2.) She mentioned that one of her clients came to her with fertility issues due to PCOS and after working together, the client lost 80 pounds and now has a toddler and a newborn

Abra is an expert in the things I need help with and things are going well! I jumped on the scale this morning and it looks like I’ve lost ten pounds since the beginning of March. They say that 80% of weight loss is what you eat and I’m learning how true that is!

The other thing I love about Abra is that she knows about #PSPfit and she supports what we’re doing! I’m going to be involving her in the upcoming #PSPfit Pre-Summer intensive (Mark your calendars April 15th-May 27th!).

Before we kick that off, Abra has agreed to give one TBGB reader… SIX hour-long nutrition sessions with her (an $800 value). You don’t have to live in NYC to win, she has clients all over the country and can work with you via skype and/or phone.

Want to win? Enter in three steps:

-Follow @thebiggirlblog on twitter

-Follow @abrapappa on twitter

-Tweet the following phrase “Want to win 6 sessions w/ a nutritionist? 1) Follow @thebiggirlblog 2) follow @AbraPappa 3.) RT! #PSPfit #eatclean http://ow.ly/jdIqd”

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

There I was, minding my own business in the grocery store on 116th street, when a woman approached me. “Excuse me, do you know about TendSkin?” I looked at her with a confused look on my face, which she took as a cue to continue. “TendSkin, it will help with those bumps,” she said with a kind smile and walked away.

“Those bumps” were the ingrown hairs that I was battling as a result of managing the hirsutism (excess hair) that comes with having PCOS. As much as I hate that I have to deal with hirsutism, I’m thankful that I don’t have hair growing on my face/cheeks as other PCOS women do, that’s got to be really frustrating. Anyway, I thought my hairy situation was under control, but the side effects to my regular hair removal was giving me ingrown hair bumps which also isn’t cute. I mean, if a lady in the grocery store noticed it… I needed to do better.

Fast forward a few months and I started getting brazilian waxes (yup, plus size brazilians are no big deal, I love them). The aesthetician encouraged me to exfoliate my “little CeCe” with a sugar scrub and moisturize her with an oil (not baby oil, it clogs pores down there and causes… in-growns!). I mentioned to a girlfriend that I was trying different scrubs to prevent in-growns after waxing and she told me that apricot scrub works really well for her.

Thus, my ingrown hair/shaving bump prevention routine was born! I use the following steps anywhere that hair grows, bikini area, underarms and my “PCOS hot spots” and it keeps me bump free!

Here’s my process:

Step 1: When I shave, I use a 5 blade razor so that I don’t have to go over the area too much. I’ve tried cheap 5 blade razors, but I find that Schick is the best brand.

Step 2: In between shaving/waxes, I scrub all areas with Apricot scrub. I think the acne fighting agents are what makes this work better for me than a plain sugar scrub.

Step 3: I moisturize any area that has been waxed or shaved with coconut oil. Coconut oil is great to use all over your body and in your hair!

Step 4: Tend Skin, this is basically a miracle product. Even if I’m traveling and skip the steps above for a while, Tend Skin keeps a girl bump/ingrown free until I’m back home with all of my supplies. I’ve started with the roll-on container, now I buy big bottles and refill as needed.

Do you get shaving bumps/in-growns? How do you manage them?

So… I’m not losing weight.

For the past 2 weeks the scale dips down and then it zooms right back up again. I don’t think I’m in a plateau situation but I’m trying to see what changes I can make to get the scale moving in the direction that I would like. The first thing I’m doing is nixing alcohol from my diet. My life in NYC is very much surrounded by cocktails. My week can have a combination of wine with Robert, after work cocktails, open bar blogging events, etc. and those are calories that aren’t necessary, so I’m starting there. The Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge (#PSPfit) is 100% about getting fit and healthy and I’m definitely doing that but I want weight loss to be one of the results of a stronger healthier life.

The other thing I’m doing is finding inspiration to keep trying. I spent the weekend looking at plus size swimwear by Simply Be and fantasizing about wearing a more daring bathing suit this summer. Of course, I find inspiration from the #PSPfit girls on twitter/instagram/tumblr. I’ve also found motivation in having legit workout gear because new gym clothes make me want to go work out more.

The latest addition to my #PSPfit wardrobe is from JCPenney’s Xersion line, The pieces are perfect for an active Plus Size Princess. Their racer-back tank flares out at the waist, so its not tight on my tummy. Their colorful jackets are designed to loop your headphones through the pocket so you don’t drop your phone. Best of all, they make really amazing workout leggings with reflective stripes and a pocket in the back for your phone/keys/credit cards. Its nice to have plus size active wear that goes beyond leggings and a t shirt. Just call me “Sporty Spice”

Photos taken with the HTC One phone!

The sizing on these items is pretty standard. Everything I have fits like a glove and the shirt and pants have adjustable draw string waist bands. Also note that the tank doesn’t have a shelf bra, so I’m wearing a sports bra underneath, but the shirt is made to camouflage that.

How are YOUR 2013 fitness goals coming along?

Snag Plus Size workout clothes from JCPenney & Xersion below!

Today at 4pm EST, I’ll be doing a live #curvyconvo chat on about PCOS on twitter and facebook. PCOS stands for Polyciystic Ovarian Syndrome and a LOT of Plus Size Princesses have it, whether they know it or not.

I have PCOS and I think its important to discuss it from time to time because there is often a connection between the syndrome and weight. My initial post on PCOS can be found here and a small debate about PCOS and weight can be found here, you can also click on the PCOS tag on the blog to see everything we’ve discussed so far.

The conversation will continue this afternoon at 4pm, hopefully you’ll log on and share/ask questions.

Now onto our Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge! You guys are inspiring me by hitting the ground running this week, here are a few of the girls who are rocking this challenge by eating well, working out 4 times a week and logging their efforts on twitter/instagram:

We are off to a great start! #PSPfit