It's Time To Confess...
- Ever made a batch of raw cookie dough that never saw the inside of your heated oven? Yip
- Ever had to have your wedding rings cut off your finger because your fingers had got too big? yes and not when I was pregnant!
- Ever avoided the gym because you were self conscious of your postpartum body and was worried about what people would think? Yes especially since my latest bubs was born
- Ever angled your body just right in front of the pantry so that you could sneakily take a mouthful of your sugary fix without your little ones seeing? For sure
- Ever volunteered to go to the supermarket to pick up a few things for dinner, when all your really wanted to do is sneakily get your latest delightful craving? Heck Yes
- Ever taken the wrappers or packets of your binge session and hidden them under a pile of rubbish in your bin so your partner wouldn't know how much you'd consumed? I've been a pro for years
- Ever polished of an entire chocolate block - yip I said block not bar all on your own in just 5 minutes flat? Thats a story for another day.
- Ever told yourself that today would be the last time you’d overindulge and then woke the next day as if in groundhog day? more times than you know
In a world where illusions and filters are the norm these conversations aren't often heard or shared. That can leave you feeling more alone than ever. In this day and age the idyllic picture-perfect-moments are celebrated and championed with likes and shares, yet 99% of us relate more to the unfiltered, unedited realities of the lives we live.
But what would happen if we truly gave each other room to live authentically.
Warts and all. Without judgement or fear of being shamed.
How differently would we live? What parts of yourself would you reveal?
The heart of this blog series is to invite you to join me on a revolution of extending ourselves grace to make room for our imperfections. A reality where it’s ok not to have it all together. A place where we can share the moments where we stuff up and also a place where we can celebrate when we find a path to joy and hope.
As a personal trainer I’ve been pondering this idea of sharing my personal stories. My struggles, my heart ache, the wins and the embarrassing fails of my postpartum journeys.
So whether it was from a lack of sleep over the past six years as a mum of three young boys (anyone else feel me) or something else, I’ve decided now is the time to be brave. To put my big girl panties on (you know those ones hiding at the back of your draws, those high waisted maternity beasties) and take a giant leap and hope that I don't fall on my face!
And yet, if I do, maybe it makes someone smile, or laugh and brightens up their otherwise tough day - Then it'll be worth it. As a personal trainer people can have this unrealistic view that we never struggle with our own health and fitness, but the reality is we're human too. We can form unhealthy habits, feel unmotivated, get out of shape and feel self conscious and lose our confidence.
But my hope is that by sharing these moments of my life and postpartum journey that maybe there would be another mumma out there who wouldn’t feel so alone! That instead of trying to hide behind perfectly angled selfies that we would be real with each other. May my stories give you hope, amusement and a dose of reality that though our postpartum journeys aren't always smooth sailing, we can still enjoy the ride and find strength and courage along the way.
Confessions of a Personal Trainer - No filters or illusions needed, because beauty and life is found within our imperfections.