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23 year old mom and student, Krystle Bailey, decided to make a change immediately after giving birth to her beautiful daughter. Being overweight her entire life, Krystle finally had the motivation to make a change…for good…FOREVER. Now after being on the Weight Watchers program for a little over a year, along with becoming much more active, Krystle has lost about 80 pounds to date. Krystle’s story and willpower is remarkable, as she inspires others with her frequent updates and posts on her social networking sites, as well as her blog titled “Skinny Jeans Dreams” (how CUTE is that?!) Well this dream of skinny jeans is no longer a dream….it has become a reality.

How much have you lost so far?  

As of last Saturday I have lost 80.8lbs. I began this particular journey in a size 20 jeans however my biggest size ever was a size 22. I am now in a size 8.

What is your weight loss goal?

Originally I thought I wanted to lose 50lbs. That turned into wanting to lose 100lbs. Now my goal is to lose 100 but if I get to 90 or 95 and feel that I am satisfied with where I’m at then I will stop and maintain my weight at that point. Likewise, if I get to 100 and feel I still could stand to lose 5 more then my new goal will be 105. My goal is to be 100% comfortable in my own skin and have a clean bill of health.

How are you losing the weight?

I follow Weight Watchers and have become 1,000 times more active than I have ever been.

What made you choose Weight Watchers?

I knew that Weight Watchers worked because I had lost a significant amount of weight on it before and have also watched my mom and many others have success with the program. I started out trying to do it on my own and knew that I needed the structure that Weight Watchers provides while still having the freedom that Weight Watchers allows. Now, I am totally an unpaid spokesperson for the program. haha. But notice I call it a “program” and not a “diet”. Diets put you in a box. Weight Watchers teaches you how to change your lifestyle for the long run, which is why I feel so strongly about the program. I never feel that I am put in a box or restricted from anything. I eat pizza once a week!

What made you make such a lifestyle change?

I have been heavy my entire life and I could talk for days about the emotions that go along with being the “fattest girl in school” and the heaviest among my friends for so long. The day I gave birth to my daughter I knew that I would do anything in my power to make sure my daughter never had to experience those things and I knew that teaching her how to live a healthy lifestyle began with me. I had to lead by example. Not only that but I wanted to be able to run around on the playground with her and keep up with her as she got older. Now I love dancing around the living room with her without feeling tired or out of breath. It makes this entire journey worth it.

What keeps you motivated to keep marching towards your goal?

So many things keep me motivated. First and foremost, obviously my daughter. She’s 15 months now and in the monkey-see, monkey-do stage so I love to see her try to do jumping jacks or her yoga poses. haha. Family and friends keep me motivated! I have unintentionally built myself a fan base, for lack of a better term. My friends and family wait every week to see how my weigh ins went and continuously cheer me on and lift me up. My boyfriend is my number one fan. It’s so rewarding hearing him tell me that he is proud of me and loves the fact that I am conquering my goals. Finally, my blog readers (www.skinny-jeans-dreams.blogspot.com) and my Weight Watchers family. Weight Watchers provides an online community that I believe has been key to my success this time around. The weekly meetings are great but having people there day in and day out going through the same struggles and the same triumphs that I am has been an incredible experience. I have made some awesome friends through the Weight Watchers community.

Describe your typical exercise routine and meals for a day.

Well, right now I am out on a back injury and undergoing chiropractic treatment unfortunately. I should be back to working out by next week, God willing! But when I am working out, I don’t have a specific routine. I do whatever makes me happy for that given day. Some of my favorite workouts are Turbo Fire, Kettlebell routines, walking or jogging on the boardwalk, and any class I can get into at the gym with my sister in law, Tamara. My favorites are Turbo Kick and PiYo so far but I haven’t tried all the classes and I am always open for new experiences. As far as eating goes, that varies also. I follow my given PointsPlus value for that day and try to keep things interesting. Typically I eat eggs and egg whites, turkey bacon, gluten free waffles, or oatmeal for breakfast and always with a piece of fruit. Lunch is usually a sandwich of some sort, Boca burgers or Boca chicken, or leftover dinner. Dinner is such a wide variety of foods. My favorite thing to cook, and I have 1,000 different ways to cook it, is eggplant. I use the website www.skinnytaste.com almost every night for a new recipe. I also drink at least 100oz of water per day, get in all my fruits and veggies, dairy servings, whole grains, daily vitamin, and healthy oils, all of which have played a large role in my success.

Aside from being able to purchase a whole new wardrobe because of your brand new body, what else would you like to accomplish due to your new look and new insight on a healthier lifestyle?

Yes, buying a new wardrobe has been awesome! When I started out I never would have imagined that my goals would be anything more than to lose some weight. Over the past year I have grown a passion for helping others. Now, my ultimate goal is to become a Weight Watchers leader. Accomplishing this goal would not only solidify this journey as a successful one but it will give me the opportunity to help guide others on their weight loss adventures as well as keep me focused and motivated to keep the weight off because reaching goal weight is just the beginning of a new journey - the challenge to keep the weight off. I also dream to open a center for young girls where they can come and learn about self esteem, self image, and self confidence and just learn to love themselves for who they are while also learning the importance of healthy living and staying active.

How do you feel when others tell you that they are inspired by your story?

It’s such a surreal feeling. I’ve been hearing this for several months now and even still when someone tells me that I am an inspiration, my instant thought is “They can’t be talking about me! I’m just…ME!” It’s really hard to even put into words what it feels like. My mom told me about a guy who lost over 100lbs who said “It took me a year to lose the weight physically and 10 years to lose it mentally.” I can relate to that statement 1,000%. I am honored to be an inspiration to others. Hey, maybe this is my true purpose in life! 

What advice do you have to those who want to lose weight, but never find the strength or willpower to just do it?

Do it for YOU. If you’re doing it for anyone else besides yourself, you will not succeed long term. Don’t do it for the attention of a man or woman or because your family tells you you need to lose weight, do it because you truly want to change your life and when you put your mind to it, there is nothing in this world that can stop you. Be your own coach. Most of us can’t afford to have Jillian Michaels in our living room so we have to push ourselves. If you’re not giving your all, you’re not cheating anybody but yourself. Nothing worth having comes without hard work and dedication. The day I decided I wanted to lose weight my boyfriend told me “There’s nothing to it but to do it!” - so I did it. You can too.

To follow Krystle’s weight loss journey, follow her blog Skinny Jeans Dreams, and her updates on her Twitter!

Leave all feedback on the blog, and if you would like to be featured on my blog, please send your story to featuremerobincredible@gmail.com ! I welcome all artists, entrepreneurs, students, and people with inspiring stories.

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I had the opportunity to interview a really good friend of mine, Kathryn Butler. I had the honor of working with Kathryn for 2 years, and we became very great friends. Kathryn is an amazingly attractive tattooed model that has been sighted in Inked Magazine, Tattoo Revue, T-shirt line T.I.T.S (Two In The Shirt), a number of music videos and TV appearances. She also is a crazy talented makeup artist and has had the opportunity to be on set of some great jobs all over the US.

Since we both moved to two different states with two insane schedules, its hard for Kathryn and I to stay in touch as often as we’d like! I finally got the chance to sit down and talk with her to catch up, see what’s new with her career, address some tabloid rumors, and more!

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First and foremost, I would like to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me!

-  Aww oh my god! Not a problem!

Where are you from and how was it growing up in your town?
- I’m from Philly, Northeast to be exact. Grew up there for basically my childhood years up until I was 13. It was great and humbling for sure. Growing up, my family didn’t have much and we lived in your old school Irish Catholic neighborhood. I loved it because the neighborhood was like a family. I definitely learned that street smarts living there at such a young age but kinda had to. Once I hit high school age my family moved to south jersey and it was QUITE a change. My mother inherited some money and we moved to a gorgeous, shore town, 5 minutes from the beach. TOTALLY different from where we were from but felt so blessed that we were able to make that change.

When did you begin your modeling career?

- What most people who know me don’t know is I’ve actually started when I was around 4 years old. My aunt and grandmother would arrange these over the top photo shoots. All for different events. I met Donald Trump at my first shoot. I was SO young but who can forget that hair! [laughs] I stopped for some time and focused more on acting, singing and dance. Did ALL of that for years. Randomly one night, I was around 21, I attended a movie premier for Bam Margera and the main photographer of the event enjoyed taking my picture! I had fun with it then just shrugged it off. A few months later, Jasen and yourself are the ones who really set it off. Once those photos were released to the public, it took off. You’re so creative and Jasen is such a great photographer, that it really made a deep impression on everyone!

What made you start modeling?

- I’ve always loved the spotlight, the camera….anything that let me shine! I feel like a simple image can really portray a million different messages, let alone emotions. I love anything that’s ART. I’m very sexual, so I feel like that comes through a lot but its simple art. You could just take a picture of my eyes and get any emotion I’m feeling or want YOU to feel. It’s just so powerful.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your modeling career?

-Well, that’s tough! [laughs] I’m proud of them all. Magazine covers are thrilling but when I was walking through a casino and saw a guy wearing the T.I.T.S. shirt with me on it, I kinda freaked and giggled like a little girl.

Aside from modeling, what else do you do?

-I am also a makeup artist, and sell make up for a VERY prestigious makeup company. It’s so much fun. I do a lot of promoting, go-go dancing at events and I am also an exotic dancer….and not ashamed to say it! [laughs]

What and who inspires you?

-I was never good at these questions. I’ve always felt like thinking of who or what inspires me kind of takes it away, because it’s always something random…it just hits me! For instance, I was visiting the tanning salon and instantly wanted to do a photoshoot involving orange skin. [laughs] At other times, something as simple as a certain fabric I see can trigger something. I suppose the answer is just life.

What is the biggest misconception about you?

-[laughs heartily] Boy where do I begin!! I would say, probably that I’m a snobby, hot shot bitch. It’s sad because I think people misjudge and listen to gossip TOO much. I’m actually a very shy girl and usually keep to myself. So many people interpret that as being bitchy, or think that I’m too good for everyone. Like I said, I didn’t grow up with much, so I’m very humbled. I worked to get to where I’m at and am able to have the things I do. I refuse to ever live a poor life again. Seeing my parents struggle was heartbreaking, and I just try to help them and take care of myself. I don’t think that’s snobby but who knows! I am the biggest dork ever! I don’t look at myself and think ‘Yes baby, WORK!’ [laughs]  I’m just me.

Kathryn was recently exploited on the tabloid site “The Dirty” (http://thedirty.com/2011/08/gets-mad-at-everyone-because-she-did-porn/) with claims being made that she did porn, is an exotic dancer, and is self centered.

How do you feel about what was written about you on www.thedirty.com?

-Listen, people are going talk no matter what you, me, or anyone does! People who criticize others are weak and insecure human beings. Does it bother me? No. I know the truth and everyone who knows me does as well. What bothers me is people have nothing better to do than cause trouble. I am NOT ashamed of anything I have done or still do.

Are any of the things said true?

-To a certain degree, yes. But most was false.

What would make someone take the time out of their day to say something like this?

-Oh gosh, that’s a WONDERFUL question! I barely find time to fucking scratch my left tit let alone make up some crap and post it on some website. My guess is that they don’t have any ambitions of their own, and feed off of drama. Those people also usually don’t have a job and have lots of time in their day to waste on others.

Who do you think did it?

-My initial reaction? I busted out laughing. I thought it was hilarious. It’s a bit flattering that people care enough about me to do such a thing. Just sad that they do.

What can we expect from you in the future?

-I have some tricks up my sleeve and plan on doing a lot. More magazines, get back into TV and film and just transform the modeling world, one tattoo at a time.

Where can fans see/contact you?

-I’m on Facebook! Search Kathryn Butler. Also on twitter, @ahh_kathryn is my username. I’m also on Inked magazines website and if you google me, there’s some other fun blogs and sites :) I love you ALL !

What advice do you have for ladies trying to get into the modeling industry?

-This is tough, as I really never had any guidance. I just did my own thing. But based off of my experience, modeling is something where you want to just be yourself and you’ll stand out and go where you want to go. Don’t take NO for an answer. If you’re told “no”, use that as a drive to get you what you want! And remember, it’s all in the eyes!

To book Kathryn for photoshoots, events, videos, etc, email : contact.kathryn@yahoo.com

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