The Dress
I had been eyeing my prom dresses for weeks before I finally had the courage to put the original one on. Back in April, I stood in my bathroom attempting to stuff myself into it. Much to my dismay, it was no use. I believe in transparency so I’m not going to lie. I cried for exactly 28 hours about it. Nobody else saw the big deal in sizing up but I did because I knew that, despite my body changing, I was neglecting it. I ordered the next size up. Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew I was not making time for one of the most important things in this world, me. After all, a wise woman once said, “I gotta put me first Lucious. I gotta put me first!”.
Between school, preparing for the next part of my life, and just the day-to-day, I had been derailed from my path of health, wellness, and tranquility. I wasn’t sleeping as well. I drank entirely too much coffee, and suddenly everything I ate started to make me incredibly nauseous. I quickly realized that something needed to change. I spent the rest of April taking an entirely new approach to everything I did. I’m talking about a complete overhaul. I did not tell anyone what I was doing or what I was even trying to accomplish. This was a personal goal. It was never about the dress, it was about me being confident in my own body.
What we have to understand is that self-body positivity looks and feels different for everyone. The commonality is confidence. When you feel confident, you have the power to make everyone else feel confident too. That is how you get everyone on the train of body positivity and self-confidence. It’s the same concept as putting your oxygen mask on first before helping others. Before you help anyone be confident in themselves, you have to help yourself. Everyone has off days but the most important thing is that you show yourself the same kindness and love that you extend to others. You matter.
By now you’re dying to know if the original dress fits. It does! When I put it on I basically did a cartwheel. Not because it fits but because I felt like myself again. I was able to stand in the mirror with the same confidence I’m going to have on Prom night. As I mentioned earlier I had to continue to shift my diet but I didn’t want to completely give up some of my favorite foods because, at the end of the day, I’m never not going to eat! With this in mind below is my favorite recipe for shrimp tacos.
Take Care,
Claire
All Baddies Eat Shrimp Tacos (feeds 4-5)
Ingredients
10-15 jumbo shrimp (deveined, tails off)
2tsp. Onion powder
2tsp. Ancho Chile powder
1/2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
2tsp. Old Bay
Unsalted butter
1 whole Red Bell Pepper
1 whole Orange Bell Pepper
2 cups baby spinach
Small corn tortillas
DIY
De-vein in shrimp and remove tails
Chop up shrimp into bite-sized pieces, and transfer to bowl
Add spices and mix
Let marinate for 30 minutes
Chop up spinach and bell peppers
Add a drizzle of any type of oil to a pan
Add veggies and sauté until slightly soft
Add a small amount of butter to another warm skillet and transfer the shrimp
Cook shrimp covered on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes (flip halfway through time)
Once finished cooking cut the heat and keep the shrimp covered
heat up tortillas and prepare to assemble tacos
Once the tortillas are warm, add shrimp, veggies, and other additions
Enjoy!
