They say your message only counts when you yourself live it. Well, this past week I had a real, ‘Do I believe what I teach’ moment.

HELLO FITNESS PHOTOSHOOT 5 MONTHS AFTER HAVING A BABY

Lets back track slightly. For years (almost as far back as I can remember) I’ve been in good shape. With a passion for running and a love for toning too, I have managed to maintain a fit body and healthy lifestyle. I’m not going to pretend that genes don’t play a part too, they do – THANKS mum for your skinny legs! But all in all, my body has been toned and healthy skinny for a while. And I loved it that way.

Then I fell preggers and while I did manage to exercise during my pregnancy, I still put on 14kg’s. Losing that weight hasn’t been as easy as I had imagined. Yes the initial weight loss is quick (my first 10kg’s) but then you’re left with a body that quite simply looks like a stretched version of your old self. I was fortunate not to get any stretch marks but I do have the lose tummy skin. On another note, while I stayed fit during pregnancy, I haven’t been privileged to maintain this fitness post-partum/baby as exercise affects my breast milk. And I wanted to breastfeed.

So when ESJAY contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in modeling for their brand, I first smiled and then responded with a very natural “I’d love to, thank you, but would you mind if I wait a few months to get my body back in shape first.” And then it HIT ME. I’d done the very thing that I spend everyday teaching clients NOT to do. I put my ideal body on some pedestal. I robbed my body of the love it deserves. Today. I forgot who I was for a moment. And so I picked up my phone and messaged ESJAY again, saying that I was game to do a shoot this week.

And as only God can do…He used this moment to create an ever bigger AHA-EXPERIENCE. I got a cold and had a sickly non-sleeping babe and so I literally did not do 1 form of exercise in the week leading up to the shoot.

Looking back now, the actual shoot was amazing. I’m normally incredibly awkward and tearful in front of a lens, but I suppose arriving as my very normal self must have put me at ease, as I loved being in front of the camera.

 

Loving yourself from the inside out means giving your body the respect it deserves. I loved putting this into practice this week!