36 Sep/Oct 2017 oxygenmag.com.au
Cover Girl
of my comfort zone. But it was either that or go
down a long road of health problems that would
likely turn chronic. As much as it pained me, I
wanted to begin exercising and eating healthy as
a preventative measure, instead of when it was too
late.
I began researching everything I could
regarding a healthy diet. I didn’t want anything
extreme, I didn’t want a quick fix, I was simply
searching for how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. I
never believed in removing carbs completely from my
diet, or that fats were bad for you. Since I had been
eating in such an extreme way my entire life, I didn’t
want to go to the other
extreme and not allow myself
to ever enjoy food, and I didn’t
want to push myself to a possible
yo-yo effect. So, I began eating
whole natural foods, balanced
between protein, fats and carbs,
removing all packaged and
processed foods from my
house. I had no idea
where this journey
would lead me and I
simply took each day
as it came.
Around the same
time, I decided to
make an Instagram
account to keep me
motivated, because to
be honest, I had zero
motivation. Not even
the prospect of feeling better was enough to keep me
on track because I hadn’t yet understood the difference
of how much better nourishing your body helps
you feel. Connecting with like-minded people on
Instagram and seeing that others were on their
own journey going through similar struggles
helped me realise I wasn’t alone - and if they
could persevere, I could too!
Fast forward nearly a year, and I had yet
to post a picture of myself. That Instagram
page was never intended to be about me and
I was quite shy as I was still learning and going
through my own journey. One day when I finally
worked up the courage, I shared my 9-month
progress photo and the response was INSANE. I started
receiving hundreds of messages a day asking how I did it,
what I ate, what workouts I did. I started writing my top tips
in the notes of my phone so I could copy, paste and send out
to anyone who needed help! I understood what it was like to
start from knowing nothing about health and fitness and being
intimidated, but I also understood the immense joy I got from
pushing through that struggle and achieving my goals.
Social media is a great tool for people to reach others in their
fitness and weight-loss journeys. However, if not careful, social
media can easily send the wrong message in regards to how to
live a truly healthy lifestyle. Instagram is a visual platform and
it’s easy to fixate on the pictures you see of the most toned and
fit women, and unfortunately many girls take drastic measures
to get there.On a weight-loss journey,
there are many ups and downs
along the way, and those downs are
nothing to be ashamed of. They’re
lessons and experiences we can
learn from to make our journey
even better and to help us manage
a healthy fitness/life balance.
My health is what has continued
to motivate me throughout my
training. Our bodies are not self-
sustaining. If I want
to live the fullest life
I possibly can, I must
continue challenging
it, continue pushing it,
continue setting goals
and achieving them.
I also have had to
fight against my junk-
food upbringing. When
you grow up eating junk
food and fast food, those
cravings don’t go away.
I still love the idea and
the taste of junk food.
Just because I understand the
difference between healthy food
and junk food doesn’t make it any
easier to make the right choices.
Making healthy decisions requires
a conscious effort that I’m doing
what’s best for me, and I never
regret it.
I have since realised that a
fitness journey is about so much
more than the physical results you
obtain: it’s about the mental and
emotional benefits, the non-
physical benefits, and even
the trickledown effect it has
on improving other areas of
your life. Training makes me
feel empowered. As a woman
who grew up seeing fitness as
a male-dominated space, it’s
empowering to know I’m just as
capable of setting out to achieve my
own fitness goals, and to achieve them is
empowerment in its purest form.
I would like to see the fitness industry talk more
about mental and emotional health. This journey is very
emotional and has a huge impact on our mental health. Health
and fitness can also help improve our mental health! But there
needs to be a bigger discussion around how to do that, not to be
ashamed of needing help, and even when to take a step back in
the event a fitness journey becomes obsessive and is triggering
mental health problems.
The advice I would give to women wanting to get in the
best shape of their life is to do something that is a complete
challenge to them. Our bodies are masters at adapting and to
get into the best shape of your life, you must push yourself out
of your comfort zone! But be sure it’s something you enjoy.I BEGAN
RESEARCHING
EVERYTHING I
COULD REGARDING
A HEALTHY
DIET. I DIDN’T
WANT ANYTHING
EXTREME, I DIDN’T
WANT A QUICK
FIX, I WAS SIMPLY
SEARCHING
FOR HOW TO
EAT A HEALTHY,
BALANCED DIET.