Cece Olisa's Recent Articles - Refinery29

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How I Stopped Hiding Behind Cardigans, & Learned To Love My Arms

Here’s What Happened When I Embraced Being Overweight

The Dos & Don’ts Of Helping A Friend Through A Bad Breakup

6 Alternatives To Online Dating

My Doctor’s Advice To “Lose Weight” Almost Kill...

This post was originally published on January 17, 2015. “Doctor, my skin is breaking out in a rash.” “CeCe, you really should lose weight

How To Deal With People Who Ask This Intrusive Question

Something about me being over 25 and dating the same person for over a year made people comfortable asking me when I was getting married. Marriage is a big

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Say Goodbye To Breast Sweat With These Tried & True Remedies

What I Know Now: Why Being A Fat Teenager Wasn’t So Bad

I always cringe when I realize that my goal weight today is actually the same weight I was as a teenager. Maybe you're thinking that's a complete

3 Ways To Have A Better Workout No Matter How Fit You Are — Or Ar...

Last week, I walked into a new dance class confident I was about to get a good workout — and that I could keep up with the others. Instead, the class

When My Childhood Bully Friended Me On Facebook, I Had A Decision...

When I was in the sixth grade, there was an eighth grader named Molly who decided that she hated me, and even campaigned to get others hating me

5 Key Workout Pieces For EVERY Body Type

Big girls DO work out. And, this big girl said good bye to baggy T-shirts and sweats a long time ago. Call me crazy, but I exercise a little harder when I

Don’t Wait On Your Weight To Live Your Life

As a plus-size girl, there have been so many things I’ve put on hold, telling myself that they should happen “next year” after I’d

What It Feels Like To Need A Seat-Belt Extender On An Airplane

Every time I get on a plane, I wonder if the seat belt is going to fit me. The first time I ran into this problem, it caught me by surprise. I grabbed the

What To Do When You Hate Your Friends

When I was 12, I wore my half of a “Best Friends Forever” necklace for months after my “best friend” and I stopped speaking. I thou

Why I Love Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day has always been a fun holiday for me (chocolate and pretty pink things everywhere? Yep, I’m in!). Even when I was

Why I’m Unapologetically Fat

This post was originally published on June 10, 2014. The average newborn is 7.5 pounds. I came into the world at 10 pounds, so you might say I’ve bee

How To Stick With Your Workout This Winter

January is such a weird time for me when it comes to my workouts. I have all the motivation to hit the gym — until I look out the window or

The 4 Unexpected Things I’m Grateful For This New Year

This year, I really want to embrace my life and where I am. I’m working to reach certain goals and I want to improve different areas of my life, but

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How I’m Going To Start 2015 With A Positive Body Image

The past few years, I started noticing an unfortunate trend in my new year's resolutions: They were all steeped in negativity. “I'm going t

Why You Shouldn’t Resolve To Lose Weight This Year

I started the year with two goals: lose weight and floss more. What? Dental hygiene is very important! I should have known that if weight loss and flossing

How I Plan To Eat, Drink, & Be Healthy This Holiday Season

Every holiday season, I tell myself that I shouldn’t indulge, so that I can stay healthy. But, what if a little indulgence actually makes me healthie

The 5 Online Dating Mistakes I’m Done Making

When I first started online dating, I made so many rookie mistakes. I chose the wrong site, put up the wrong pics, and said the wrong things. So, if you&rs

What Happened When I Used A Full-Body Pic On A Dating Site

It took months for me to finally upload a full-body photo to my online-dating profile. Because I’m plus-sized, I figured that a head-to-toe picture w

I’m Plus-Sized — But Does That Mean I Can’t Have Deal...

If I'm a dating deal-breaker for some guys because I'm fat, does that mean I'm not allowed to have my own dating deal-breakers? I don't

Why Meeting The Parents Terrified Me

Last fall, I walked into my new apartment carrying a pizza, being careful not to trip over the array of boxes. Straight ahead, I caught sight of something

Diet & Nutrition

Coming To Terms With My Emotional Eating

At the beginning of June, I was six pounds away from my weight-loss goal. Then, in the middle of the month, my aunt passed away unexpectedly — and th

When It’s Okay To Walk Out Of A Date

Walking into the new, chic bar in Harlem, I had the usual jitters that arrive when you’re about to meet someone you've been talking to online. I

Why I Dated A Guy Who Hated My Body

One of my favorite things is to hear a man say something sweet right before he kisses me. You know, like when a guy says, “You smell so good" or, “Hi b

“You’ll Find Someone When You Stop Looking” Is ...

When I was single, I was obsessed with getting dating advice from my married friends. I figured their success with coupledom could teach me a thing or two.

My “Perfect Person” Doesn’t Exist — & Neither D...

My friend Oscar Limon, a playwright who's navigating the NYC gay dating scene, shared a story with me about his recent (disastrous) Grindr date: After

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