If you’ve ever felt a knot in your stomach at the thought of exercising, or spent years forcing yourself through workouts because you felt like you had to (not because you wanted to), you’re in the right place. 

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with fitness instructor, body confidence coach, and CEO of Loyobo, Courtney McCarthy. Courtney is a non-diet fitness instructor in a fat body who uses her platform to help women all over the world heal their relationship with movement and stop letting diet culture dictate how they feel about exercise (or themselves). Our conversation was jam-packed with insights about body image, confidence, joyful movement, and how to navigate fitness in a world obsessed with weight loss. If you want to write your own rules with exercise and find movement that feels joyful, accessible, and empowering instead of punishing, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

How Courtney Became a Non-Diet Fitness Instructor

Unlike many fitness professionals who came from athletic backgrounds, Courtney didn’t grow up dreaming of teaching group fitness. Her journey started with something incredibly personal: a painful relationship with her body, exercise, and her weight.

Like many women, Courtney grew up learning to fear weight gain. She watched her mother struggle deeply with body dissatisfaction and internalized the message that being small was the key to being worthy.

For years, she chased that ideal — dieting, overexercising, and pushing herself to achieve a smaller body. And when she finally got there?

She still didn’t feel confident, “good enough,” or “at home in her body. 

But everything shifted when Courtney took a Zumba class led by an instructor who created a judgment-free, body-neutral environment. It was the first time she moved for fun, not for weight loss. She felt safe, connected, and like movement could be for her, not against her.

It was the class that sparked her desire to teach fitness differently.

One day, a woman in her bootcamp class gave her honest feedback. Courtney had used the term “tank top arms,” a phrase that made the participant feel excluded and ashamed.

Courtney realized that even with the best intentions, fitness culture’s language and assumptions can cause harm. From there, she dove into body positivity, anti-diet research, and joyful movement…and completely reimagined how she teaches fitness.

Reclaiming the Word “Fat” And Why Language Matters

Courtney openly describes herself as a “fat fitness instructor.” While that may shock some people at first, she does it intentionally. Here’s why:

1. It takes the power back

“Fat” has been used as an insult, a weapon, a source of shame. Using it as a neutral descriptor is a way of reclaiming power and rejecting stigma.

Words like “overweight” imply there is a “correct” weight we should all aspire to, a belief rooted in diet culture and the flawed, racist origins of the BMI system. “Obese” is a medicalized term tied to weight stigma.

2. It’s more accurate and less harmful

“Fat,” on the other hand, is simply a descriptor,  like short, tall, brown-haired, or broad-shouldered.

3. It challenges assumptions about fitness

People assume “fit” means “thin,” but Courtney lives the truth that fitness, strength, and health exist in all body sizes. By naming herself a fat fitness instructor, she sparks conversation and breaks down stereotypes.

What It’s Really Like to Be a Fat Fitness Instructor…Especially Online

Courtney is the first to say: fitness culture didn’t know what to do with her at first. 

The positive side: representation. So many women have told her,  “Seeing you makes me feel like I can do this too.” Her presence alone creates accessibility. It shows women in larger bodies that they don’t need to change themselves to participate in fitness or to belong.

The hard side: judgment and bias. Online, people often question her credibility because she’s not in a small body with comments like:

• “How can you be a fitness instructor if you look like that?”
• “If you’re so active, why don’t you fix your diet?”
• “You can’t be healthy and fat.”

These comments reveal how deeply diet culture has tied thinness to health and morality. But Courtney doesn’t let it silence her;s he uses it as fuel. Her strategy for trolls? She’ll sometimes respond with, “Tell me what’s wrong with my diet, ” and the trolls go silent. Other times, she blocks, deletes, or turns their comments into teachable moments. She stays firm, grounded, and – in her own words – a little sassy.

“You Can Love Your Body Without Loving How You Look”

This was one of the most powerful things Courtney said in our conversation.

We’ve been taught that loving your body means loving your reflection. But the truth is deeper than that. Body respect comes first.

You can respect your body, treat it with kindness, trust its cues, and meet its needs without loving how it looks every single day.

Body image fluctuates; that’s part of being human. But body worth shouldn’t.

Courtney helps clients build body trust, self-worth, a stable sense of value, long before focusing on appearance.

That’s when something magical happens:

Once you stop obsessing over how your body looks, it becomes so much easier to appreciate it.

How Fitness Helped Courtney Rebuild Trust With Her Body

Many people assume that joyful movement means “just do what feels good,” but truly healing your relationship with movement requires a mindset shift. 

Courtney explains that fitness was the gateway to reconnecting with her body because it taught her how to notice her strength,capability, breath, emotions, and physical sensations. In other words, movement gave her a way to feel in her body, not at war with it. 

That’s why she teaches her clients the same, focusing on: 

• Reconnecting with physical cues
• Using curiosity instead of judgment
• Building strength from the inside out
• Focusing on function over aesthetics

This creates a ripple effect that spills into body image, food healing, self-confidence, and overall well-being.

Don’t Like Exercise? Here’s Courtney’s Advice

Courtney hears this all the time:

• “I’ve never enjoyed exercise.”
• “I’m not an athletic person.”
• “Movement is uncomfortable.”
• “I’m too tired. My joints hurt. I’m too busy.”

Her response? Start with compassion and curiosity.

Our bodies are designed to move. Kids move constantly because it’s instinctive. If movement has become stressful, painful, or dreaded, something interrupted that instinct: shame, punishment, comparison, trauma, or painful experiences with exercise.

Courtney helps people explore:

• What past experiences shaped your beliefs about movement?
• What expectations or rules are making it harder?
• What would movement look like if weight loss wasn’t the goal?
• What sounds pleasant, not punishing?

Here’s the thing: movement can be tiny. Courtney encourages movement “snacks” throughout the day: stretching in bed, dancing to one song, walking the dog, lifting light weights

You don’t need to go from zero to a 60-minute workout. Simply start with 30 seconds of connecting to your body.

The Difference Between Pushing Yourself and Resting

Courtney gives clients permission to rest without guilt, something diet culture rarely allows.She teaches them to ask:

• Am I physically exhausted?
• Am I emotionally depleted?
• Do I need stimulation or restoration?
• Will movement help me feel grounded or overwhelmed?

Sometimes movement is supportive, but sometimes rest is what your body is begging for. Neither is “good” or “bad.” Both are valid parts of respecting your body.

Why Writing Your Own Fitness Rules Is the Ultimate Act of Rebellion

When you let go of the “shoulds” – workout more, burn more, sweat more, shrink more – you create space for something so much more meaningful:

• Strength
• Joy
• Connection
• Confidence
• Embodiment
• Trust

Diet culture thrives on controlling women’s bodies. When you reclaim movement, you reclaim power and build a relationship with exercise that supports your life.

Final Takeaways

Here are the biggest lessons from Courtney’s story and wisdom:

1. Movement should feel joyful, not punishing.

If it feels like punishment, the problem isn’t you. It’s the rules you’ve been taught.

2. You can love your body without loving your reflection.

Self-worth isn’t dependent on appearance.

3. Fat is not a bad word.

Using it as a neutral descriptor takes its power back.

4. Fitness is for every body.

Health and strength have nothing to do with body size.

5. You get to write your own rules.

Your relationship with movement is yours to define, not diet culture’s.

If this episode resonated with you, make sure you listen to the full interview with Courtney. And if you’re ready to rebuild trust with your body, heal your relationship with food, and make movement feel good again, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and join my weekly newsletter for more support.

You deserve a relationship with movement that feels empowering, not exhausting. And you deserve to feel at home in your body, exactly as you are.

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