So I'm participating in #marchmeetthemaker this month, which a great way for me to help you guys get to know me a bit better.

🔸Day 1🔸Was "favourite to make".

Admittedly, I don't tend to have favourites but one thing that captures most of the elements I love to draw is my Stag Beetles. I adore depth and detail. I love studying, discovering and bringing to life a new species and these guys are particularly cool to look at. Their shells hold an array of subtle colours and they are so iconic for their incredible antlers. Stag Beetles have an interesting mythology too which I'm such a sucker for! I also love this particular illustration because I felt I managed to balance my love of pointillism and realism but still keep a bit of the uncanny nature that we associate with many of our bug friends.

Hey Loves! 

Chapter One is pretty much just going to be an introduction chapter, I’ll have a page about me, about my bubs, about our relationship together, etc. 

So let’s get to it! 

First of all, I’m going to be changing my name along with the names of those I talk about, just to add a bit of privacy since I’m going to be posting some sensitive and personal information. I welcome any comments, questions, and messages though I do ask that we keep things nice, please don’t be mean, I don’t need any negative opinions or comments on my lifestyle, if I wanted to hear it I would’ve asked, but I didn’t. 

So, I’m Angel, that’s just how we’re gonna keep me. I’m 18, a senior, and my life is an absolute shit show. 

I’m from the south, and the way I was raised is pretty much the polar opposite of how I live my life now. I was raised in the Bible Belt, so of course all of those nasty “Gays go to hell”, “No sex before marriage”, “Go to Church, pray, etc” were drilled into my mind from birth. But here I am at 18 years old, a bisexual submissive with ddlg tendencies and a very active sex life, I also resent 97% of Christian beliefs and lifestyles. 

So needless to say, I’ve strayed about as far from the path that my family wanted me to follow as possible. But I’m happy, mostly, and to me that’s all that matters. 

I think that’s a pretty good start for Chapter 1, the next page will be a bit about my kinks and interests, and then on Page 3 I’ll introduce y’all to Bubs, Page 4 will have a focus on mental illness struggles for myself and (maybe) Bubs, and Page 5 will just brush over our relationship as a whole. 

Hi! I am so happy you’re here! My name is Cristal & I am currently studying for my board exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. During my time in school, and prior to that, I have been so passionate about nutrition, movement, and feeling good all-around ❤ 

A brief introduction... growing up, my parents weren’t quite knowledgeable of healthier eating habits. I’ve always been of larger frame and when 2012 hit, after a rough couple years, I decided to change my life around. I joined a local CrossFit gym and began to learn about ways to lose weight.

It all started with thinking that consuming veggies and protein was the only way to get it done. Little did I know my approach was not quite an optimal one! As the years went by, I began to learn more about portion control, being okay with eating all foods, and how heavy restriction can lead to episodes of binging. At the time, I was working for companies such as Whole Foods Market, Garden of Life, Vega and continued to expand my knowledge with natural foods, different diets, and how easily accessible items were for these special diets. This experience taught me ways and helped me brew ideas on how I can inspire and educate individuals.

Through years of self-experimenting and exploration, I have found what really works for me and this is how individuals should be guided in any goal they wish to accomplish. 

(◠﹏◠✿) 

In the summer of 2017, I decided it was time for me to go back to school and pursue my degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. Being 27 at that time, it felt weird being in classes with younger folks. Looking back now, none of that mattered. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ why would it? I learned that it’s never too late to go after your dreams! During my time in college, I gained weight, experienced challenging life events, and my depression/anxiety grew bigger and bigger.

My financial standing had changed significantly, as I paid for tuition out-of-pocket, stress levels had increased, and daily food choices had definitely changed. But as I got closer to finishing my degree, I begun to make changes. Not so much with the goal of pursuing weight loss, but more so in accepting & loving myself and doing the best I can at whichever moment.

It’s unfortunate that for so many years I had been so hard on myself. Comparing myself to classmates and entering a downward spiral in self-love. Today I am proud to say that I see my differences as empowering. Most dietitians are thin, Caucasian females - I am a full-bodied, Hispanic and PROUD (◕‿◕✿) Health is extremely important to me so I’m not sitting here saying my weight gain is not being addressed but I am accepting what is and doing my best in the areas in which I can control. 

I am grateful to be able to understand individuals on a different level in which some may never. It’s a blessing in disguise. I hope to someday help those that desire to be guided ~ not only with weight loss, but in all areas of nutrition (didn’t go to school for nothing 🤗)! I truly wish to see others accomplish their goals and succeed ❤

This is me! If you’ve read this far...

THANK YOU & WELCOME!