MTV's Chelsea Settles Into Some Conversation w/ Nina Taylor

If you turn on the TV lately, you’ll see that there is a lot of “Real” missing in “Reality TV.” Very rarely do you find a character that you can laugh with, cry with and secretly scream at your TV for home girl to “snap out of it.” Then we tune into MTV to watch Chelsea Settles. Chelsea was the plus size young woman who reminded us that it is okay to step out of our own way and allow ourselves the opportunity to dream and most importantly shine. In the first episode, Chelsea hid fast food bags in her car, weighed in at 325 lbs and would go to class an hour ahead of time to pick out a chair she could fit in comfortably. Despite the tribulations there was an inner light that shined much brighter. Chelsea allowed us into her life and many women were able to relate to her story and most importantly learned so much from this young woman, who is humble, articulate, funny and driven! Read on to find out more about MTV’s heroine Ms. Chelsea Settles.

Nina: Have you ever had an instance where someone treated you differently because of your weight? Please describe what happened and how you overcame it.

Chelsea: I was the one treating myself differently because of my weight. I was just so embarrassed and disgusted with myself! It was much easier to wallow in pity than to actually take charge of my life. But even at my highest weight my body cooperated with me, kept me breathing (heavy ha-ha but breathing nonetheless), moving, and functioning; so I owed it to myself to learn to live the right way.

Nina: It’s difficult to change your way of thinking and your lifestyle. What motivated you to continue on with your weight loss journey?

Chelsea: I kept telling myself; I was only dedicating a small window of time, to receive a lifetime of change. I’m still in the middle of my weight loss journey, but I changed from the inside out! THAT was the greatest reward.

Nina: In hindsight, what advice would you give the plus size you?

Chelsea: Learn to love and accept yourself, for the right reasons. Look beyond the aesthetics and the superficial ideals of the world, and embrace your good qualities. Looks fade & we can alter our appearances all day long, but having a genuinely good heart and rich spirit is something that can’t be faked. Those are things that mean everything to me!

Nina: What is your favorite beauty secret?

Chelsea: Smile, Smile, Smile — even when it hurts! I’m also learning to layer that smile with a little confidence, something I’ve never really had before!

Nina: What is your favorite new fashion trend?

Chelsea: Mixing patterns and textures! Far isle motif is my favorite.

Nina: How have you adjusted your life since the show aired?

Chelsea: No, and as weird as this sounds – I hope I never do. Having a TV show about your life, heck, being on TV in general – or having any kind of platform that places you in the public eye is NOT normal. I don’t ever want to become jaded by any of this. I go to sleep every night thinking, what just happened? Well, I don’t know but I’m blessed to be here.

Nina: Looking back on it, would you have tried harder to make friends in LA?

Chelsea: I try to live my life without regrets; but definitely! It was a true learning experience though. Now I know how important it is to be open to new people and things.

Complete the Sentence….

A. Looking in my closet I see a lot of ………..color and clutter :/

B. Love is…………all you need

C. I feel most beautiful when………I finish a tough workout (Seriously! I have this glow, and no it’s not sweat!)

D. Dating is……….. *crickets*

E. I really want to………..make my family proud

Nina’s final note: Thank you Chelsea for the interview!! You are amazing and I wish nothing more but continued success for you! “Reach for the Moon, because if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”