Body Positivity Over Perfection || Brandi Mallory is #PerfectlyImperfect

If there is anyone on planet Earth who could bring me out of a year long Perfectly Imperfect hiatus, it’s this lady right here…

Brandi Mallory is not only an Extreme Weight Loss superstar, but she’s also a friend near and dear to Chris’ and my heart. This girl is the real deal. So honest, so authentic?the epitome of confidence and loving yourself no matter what stage of transformation (or life!) you’re in.  A true beauty queen from the inside out.

If you don’t recognize Miss Brandi from her incredible transformation with us on EWL, you may know her from a video that went viral a couple of months back. It was an instant sensation! And when I say sensation, I mean it in every sense of the word. After posting a video of her confidently dancing, proudly allowing her loose skin?aka “jiggle”?to hang out while wearing just a sports bra and leggings, Brandi?s following skyrocketed from 1,000 to over 40,000 people in just 24 hours! Check out her video and the encouraging words of self-love she posted (below).

@brandimallory  When you appreciate it all…even the jiggle, bc that once was solid FAT…as in DIDN’T MOVE WHEN I DID…lol! I was, “Heavy…real Heavy”! “Light on my toes,” has always been my descriptive…oh but now! Now…Proud of Myself is an understatement! I can’t think of any other word in the English dictionary to describe how I feel abut my life or God’s amazing grace and favor over it! #MadebyBeasts #TrainedbyBeasts #TheonlychoiceistoEAT #Beastmodedaily THANK YOU #STLOUIS YOU’RE ALWAYS SO GOOD TO ME! ?

After watching her video, feeling the confidence she truly exudes, and reading her words, it’s no wonder why fans were instantly drawn to this gorgeous gal. Her pride in letting her jiggle wiggle is PROOF that Brandi loves the skin she is in. The best part of it all? You can feel the sincerity of her self-love. It’s not fraudulent, forced, or a mask trying to cover her own insecurities. It’s REAL. 

During Brandi’s year on EWL, she was one of the few who did NOT qualify for skin removal surgery after the weight was lost. With so much excess (because let’s face it?her transformation was UNREAL, and the skin we have doesn’t always bounce right back!), fans were left wondering how the excess skin would impact her life post-show…not only physically, but mentally as well.

While I could spout off a million and one amazing things I love about Brandi, one of them that always stood out was that she starts with the end in mind. As soon as the show was over, she KNEW the end of that journey was simply the beginning of another. She knew very well that continuing her journey after the show would be a challenge if she didn’t take action.  So…she flew to Arizona, got her PURPOSE tattoo (Roman numerals one thru one million, representing the million lives she wanted to change, after Chris’ tattoo), then went home and got to work! Upon returning home, Brandi found a group of like-minded people and kept doing what she was most passionate about: dancing! And clearly, she never let her excess skin?which can often get in the way?slow her down!

The video above wasn’t intended to be a stand against body stigmas, it was just Brandi being Brandi, loving the body she has and appreciating the journey she has traveled. But the world saw this video differently. They (and I) saw it not only as a stand against body stigmas, but also as the ultimate example of self-love and TRUE body positivity. Brandi’s video has raised awareness on the idea that beauty is not just a size 0, tight abs, perfect skin, and amazing hair. Beauty is what you make it to be, and it is the most attractive when worn on a secure, confident woman?no matter what size or shape she is.

I caught up with Brandi recently to get her take on what Perfectly Imperfect means to her, how she is staying authentic to herself, and what she’s up to now!

While skin surgery IS still a goal of hers, she doesn’t deem it as a requirement for happiness. She said, “Perfectly Imperfect means that I may not look or seem to be perfect because of the ‘world’s view’ of what is acceptable or beautiful, yet I embrace those flaws because I?m not a cookie cutter object! I appreciate my body for all the hard work it has put in. I define beauty for myself, and I don?t allow other people to dictate their feelings over me and how I choose to live my life! I?m Imperfectly Perfect in every way!” 

Do you see why I adore her?! Confident, beautiful, and Perfectly Imperfect. 

A key part of Brandi’s positive attitude about her body is because she is boldly authentic?what you see is what you get. She says, “Authenticity is being transparent no matter what situation you’re in! I love being able to share my true self with others. There are too many fake people and things. Being authentic is living your truth!”  

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Brandi is using her experiences and platform to spread a message of body positivity across the country, and she is living her dream of empowering others to be confident in their bodies. She knows firsthand that hard work, resilience, and authenticity are vital to transformation and loving your whole self! She summed up her life in this sentence: “We are traveling the country changing lives, and I’m preaching dream chasing, promise keeping, and transformation, and Cardio Queening it while doing so!”

Brandi Mallory, you ARE Perfectly Imperfect exemplified. I am beyond proud to call you friend and to be a small part in the way you’ve encouraged millions of woman to love the skin they’re in. You, sweet girl, are a true inspiration! 

Want to join the Perfectly Imperfect movement?! You can grab this Raglan Tee (so cute! on sale now for $19.95). 

And you can also snag a Perfectly Imperfect Affirmation Bracelet to complete the look?click here.

Xoxo,

Heidi

Related reading:

What Are Hips Dips & Why You Should Embrace Your Perfectly Imperfect Self
What ?Transformation? Really Means
Sarah Nicole is Perfectly Imperfect || A True Beauty?s Transformation Story
How I Manage My (Im)Perfectly Balanced Life
Perfectly Imperfect, The Series: Shannan Martin!

17 Responses

    1. Brandi Mallory died on November 9th, 2023 at age 40, from “complications of obesity,” according to an autopsy report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner.

  1. This is my favorite blog post. I love how encouraging it is both from Brandi and from you. We need more of this everyday, lifting each other up and encouraging one another. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today…”

    Thank you for consistently encouraging all of your followers!

    (Instagram @jlsaid25 )

  2. This is my all time favorite! I love following your life, it?s my motivation every single day! Rock on and keep it up Powell pack, you?re changing so many lives ? @courtbrousek

  3. This is so great for someone to read that has gone through an eating disorder. It?s amazing to know that you are beautiful no matter what. Body positivity is the key to a happy lifestyle!! (instagram: @rachelxoxo5)

  4. Brandi was one of my absolute favourite transformations on EWL (and I saw all of them!) it takes real courage and bravery to love the skin you?re in, perfect imperfections and all. Hoping to feel the same one day 🙂 Thanks for sharing Heidi!

  5. I love the body postitivity and self love movement going on right now! How I wish I would have practices this all growing up, there is no better time to start! ??
    @kellbaird instagram

  6. I love the body postitivity and self love movement going on right now! How I wish I would have practices this all growing up, there is no better time to start! ??

  7. Leaving a comment here for the band give away (michellemade84 is my social on IG) but this has been one of my recent fave posts!! I am ALL about body positivity, self love, and this one was wonderful to see and read! <3

  8. Hello Heidi,
    I love the work you have done to get so many people started with getting healthy, with Brandi being one of them. She too is a great inspiration.
    How can I get started with your program? I am 379 lbs and need to lose weight to have back surgery and was diagnosed last year with lymphedema. The body is not releasing the fat, which explains why I could never lose weight off my thighs when I lost weight. Please HELP ME. I am not use to not being able to get out nand walk or even shop. Between the back injury and the lymphedema, I feel debilitated. The doctors are recomrnding the gastro surgery, if I don’t get the weight off. I also suffer from asthma and COPD, but I have not given up on losing the weight on my own. The breathing problems causes me to have to rely on steroids to open up my lungs, therefore causing me to put on more weight. I am trying new shot for allergies to stop the frequent (monthly) asthma attacks. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!

    1. Hi Deborah: Thank you for your comment and for sharing your story with us. You can begin your transformation journey today with the tools in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. These are the same tools Chris and Heidi use on the show, and they work! You might also be interested in Chris and Heidi’s app, Transform with Chris and Heidi, as it offers you a totally customized nutrition and workout program. You can learn more about the app here: http://thetransformapp.com. And please discuss any nutrition and exercise program with your healthcare team first and then follow any modifications they may recommend due to your health issues. You can totally do this, one baby step after another!

  9. Im amazed at woman that have that confidence. I wish I could be like that maybe it would help me with my weight loss. I hate hate being overweight but I can’t seem to stick to losing it. You would think that would be motivation enough to work hard and lose it but I’m having such a hard time sticking to it. Keep up the great work Brandi hope to someday to have your confidence.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CHOOSE A DATE: