Kinda Fit Kinda Fat
Looking “good” is something almost everyone wants at some point in their lives. It is something people work so hard for, yet seem to never be satisfied. In 2014, KFKF’s founder, Dean, was working as a physical therapist and was in a growing and developing relationship with physical fitness. His relationship with fitness at first was to simply “achieve abs,” thinking that if he looked like all the famous actors and IG models, then he would be happy. Although the efforts he was putting in were informative and impactful on his fitness journey, they were unfortunately paired with feelings motivated by self-loathing and self-deprecation. Dean’s knowledge in his physical fitness grew, but his mental wellness began to suffer. He constantly compared himself to fellow gym goers and social media models which negated every compliment and every bit of progress he made toward his fitness goals.
Overtime, Dean began to see his fitness journey in a different light. He began to share his journey with others and in turn, received many stories from others who shared similar success and struggles on their fitness journey. This sparked discussions on body image, self worth, and many other topics on food and fitness. It was through the sharing of these stories and these discussions that the Kinda Fit Kinda Fat community was born.
In 2017, Dean’s Instagram bio that read “Kinda Fit Kinda Fat '' transformed into the clothing brand you all know and love today. But it wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight. From home drawn prototype shirts worn at the mall, to a full blown registered and globally trademarked clothing brand, storing inventory on an at home Ikea shelf, to managing an entire private warehouse, from using a mobile hotspot to run the website, to moving into the official, fully functional KFKF office, from a small group friends, to a growing and expanding team and a supportive community, Kinda Fit Kinda Fat has grown tremendously in the last 4 years.
But the community still has much they wish to do and accomplish. KFKF strives to open up the discussion of body diversity, discussions on the relationship with food, and how fitness isn’t just a linear journey, but is many times a nonlinear one that looks different for each individual. KFKF strives to promote balance: a balance between physical fitness and mental wellness. KFKF knows that one cannot excel while the other suffers. KFKF’s goal is to show that you don’t have to wait until the “end result” to love the skin you are in, even if it is a work in progress. You are allowed to love yourself throughout your journey, not just at the end. At KFKF, we are willing to tackle difficult topics and continue to challenge, listen, learn, and grow within the community.
So what does looking good mean anyway? The definition of “good” is many times subjective. Looking good can mean anything. The journey to “looking good” can take any path. But until “looking good” is not associated with the standards of having to look a certain way in order to love oneself, until all sizes are equally represented and the fitness community is easily accessible to all, until body diversity reaches the masses, KFKF will continue to stay hungry.
- Arleen with Kinda Fit Kinda Fat
Hungry for more? Read more from the KFKF Community here!
Still hungry? Shop our Kinda Fit Kinda Fat Bakery!