Hi! My name is Muffy J. Davis.
I used to go by Lacy J. Davis, but somewhere along the way I started to feel like I wanted to narrate my own story, and changing my name was a part of that plan. I am writer, podcaster, and lifting coach. I own a gym called Liberation Barbell and I wrote a book called Ink in Water: An Illustrated Memoir (Or, How I Kicked Anorexia’s Ass and Embraced Body Positivity). I formerly hosted a podcast called Flex Your Heart Radio and for many years I wrote a blog about health and wellness called Super Strength Health.
In my 20’s I developed a myriad of eating disorders, coupled with body dysmorphia. I had a truly obsessive urge to shrink myself, and even when I knew my habits were a huge bummer, I didn’t manage to actually change them until I decided to stop treating myself like I didn’t deserve to take up space. Though my writing won’t always be about having had an eating disorder, it will always be informed by my process of recovery.
On that note:
I do not believe we owe anyone a certain body.
The messaging we are sold is that we need to be thin in order to be valuable people. This thought is truly, deeply brought to us by those insidious fuckers that cause most of the world’s suffering: capitalism, racism, and patriarchy. These three systems of oppression work hand in hand to teach us that our bodies are inherently unworthy and life gets about 10,000% more rich when we decide that we’re going to make our own rules.
I make rad decisions with my body and use it to do epic shit. I rest when I want to and I eat chips when I want to. I pay attention to my beautiful heart and brain and trust that when I am taking good care of those things, taking care of my body falls into place. It took me a long time to learn to opt out of a dieting mentality, but I’ve done a pretty okay job at this point and I write here because I want to share.
I believe we can all actively respect our bodies by seeking total body liberation. Liberation from rules we make up for ourselves or that companies make up to sell us products. Liberation from self hating practices that hurt our physical, mental and social health. Liberation from secrets and shame around food and body.
We totally deserve better.
Let’s do this.
(Photo by Carrot Quinn, whomst is a brilliant genius that you should definitely check out.)