14/08/2026
Social media paints this narrative of what youāre supposed to look like if you consider yourself āhealthyā, āfitness-orientatedā or, in my case, a āpersonal trainerā.
I should be lean. Have abs. Defined arms and legs. A cute, perky bum- no matter what.
The list goes onā¦
And every now and again, I let it get into my head.
I let the body dysmorphia take over. I self-sabotage. I question whether Iām even in the right career because I donāt currently ālook a certain wayā.š®āšØ
And when you actually step back and think about it, itās crazy.
Forget everything youāve learnt. Forget your qualifications, your experience and the knowledge youāve built over the years.
Forget how you support your clients, how much you care about them and the results you help them achieve.
Apparently, the only thing that matters is how your body looks.
Iāve been having a down week about my appearance, but I was reminded something that I needed to hear: women want authenticity. Something to relate to, to not feel alone with.
My clients donāt need me to have abs. They donāt need me to look āperfectā. They need me to be knowledgeable, supportive, trustworthy and caring.
And thatās exactly who I am.
Iām 12 weeks post-op. My stomach is bloated. There are no abs in sight. My bum jiggles. My body looks and feels different. Thereās no quick bounce back.
And you know what?
This is normal. This is healthy. This is human.
Maybe being a personal trainer isnāt about having the āperfectā body.
Maybe itās about showing people that you donāt need one to know exactly what youāre talking about, to love fitness, or to help someone else feel stronger and more confident in their own body. š¤
I am slowly working on me, mentally, emotionally and physically, at my own pace & thereās nothing to be ashamed of šš»
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