Alex Aspasia hasn’t always felt comfortable in her size 26 body – but she's come up with an unusual way to dismiss the haters.
The 5ft11 and 330lb model has branched out into a music career – and her debut single Shake Baby! Is here to prove that you can feel confident shaking your body no matter your size – even if trolls are pained by it.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, the 29-year-old said: “I just want to show people you can be sexy in your own skin.”
Bringing along her two best friends to film the music video, Marci Allison and Pamela Persia, she revealed the trio met in a body positive Facebook group.
Marci, who is also a plus-size model revealed that at 18, she was on the MTV show I used to be fat, a series that took obese children through a transformation summer to shed weight before heading to college.
From unhealthy weight loss habits…
Alex remembered watching the show ten years prior to meeting Marci and becoming her friend.
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“It was so unhealthy, I was working out in the gym for eight hours a day with a personal trainer for three months straight,” Marci told Fabulous about her time on the show.
“Burning 3,000 to 6,000 calories a day and only eating 500, I lost 90lbs in 90 days.”
The friends have all struggled with their body image at one point or another – leading Alex to record a song empowering other plus size women to love their bodies.
To loving her body and helping others…
Now in their thirties, the women have become advocates for body positivity on social media.
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In the music video the trio can be seen on a giant set of scales dancing while the scales tip to 859lbs.
“We grew up in a time in the early 2000s where thin was in and that was the only way you could be, reality work out shows – things that just displayed unhealthy behaviours.
Now as grown adult women we’re plus size and we’re proud and we’re here to advocate for those who felt like they didn’t have representation, so we wanted to become that representation.”
She previously told Fabulous: "As I get older and more confident, I realised no matter if I wear a one-piece or two-piece I'm still fat at the end of the day."
Alex, who has been trained in opera and classical music, said the song was a great way to include all of her hobbies and interests.
“I wanted to create a feel good dance track, where we can all just shake and be free and shake your body, who cares what you look like?”
The song, which has been played in nightclubs across America, was a full circle moment for Alex who just last year was kicked out of these clubs for being plus size.
Alex explains that nobody outright said she wasn't allowed in because of her size, but still felt like she was judged on that factor alone.
"That's the issue that I'm finding as it's hard to articulate in words sometimes because no one looked at us directly and said, you're fat, you can't get in," she adds.
Alex adds that it happened on two other occasions while in LA, but didn't discuss the incidents online.
Alex has been heavily trolled online for her size, being called a ‘beach whale’ but these comments have just spurred her on to make plus size women more visible.
Sensational videos with three big girls
“It encouraged me especially because I feel like as a plus size woman, I’ve seen a lot of artists who admit plus size women who take it upon themselves to make music about us,” she explains.
“Sometimes when they talk about us – I don't like it, it’s like in a jokey way, like she can give me good cuddles.”
The reaction online has been polarising, says Alex, adding “People like the music but the videos we made were sensational, three big girls on the scale.
“People respond to the music but in the comments they’re like ‘oh my gosh they’re so fat, ‘ 300lbs a piece’ and people working out who weigh the most, it’s silly.”
While Alex expected a reaction to the video, she said she did it on purpose.
“So many men and women fear the scale and there’s so much shame surrounding it too, so I was like let's shake on the scale.”
Not only is Alex's weight a point of contention online, but her relationship with her husband also seems to irk them.
Alex loves the confidence her partner gives her, claiming his unconditional love and support was the reason she first stepped out wearing a bikini in public.
But some people can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact he is skinnier than her.
"There's a sense of entitlement especially when it comes to fat people, we live in a society that shames fat people and tells them they aren't worthy of certain things," she explains.
"So when they see an obese person in love with a partner who is very loving and supportive, they get triggered a lot because they believe inherently they're better than fat people because we live in a society that tells people fat is bad.
"When you see fat people just living their lives, wearing a bikini, in love, going to eat, I do feel like it sparks a lot of jealousy in people, especially fat-phobics because they don't understand – they've been taught that's bad and then they see me and they're like she’s got it all, huh?"
But Alex doesn't let the haters get to her or her relationship and thanks her boyfriend for making her feel incredible in her own skin.
"His love and support make me even more comfortable going to the beach. Before him, I wouldn't put on that kind of bathing suit.
"He's a huge influence on how I'm so empowered in my body it takes a special person sometimes to make you feel beautiful."
Alex will definitely be continuing her music career and has one thing to say to the haters “Get up and shake baby, shake off that animosity.”
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