I met Maree many years ago at university. She was one of the first friends that I made
there and one of the only ones that stuck. She’s always been like a big sister to me. I stood next to her as she got married, she was right up the front at my dad’s funeral and together, we laugh ourselves silly. Basically, we’re family.

I see a side to Maree that all of us can relate to. I’ve watched her struggle with body image and I’ve watched her transform her attitude towards it by becoming more educated and surrounding herself with the right kind of people who encourage her rather than “constructively criticise” her. Haven’t we all had healthy doses of ‘constructive criticism.’

“All you have to do to lose the weight is this, this and this.”
“No, that diet and exercise plan is all wrong, all you have to do is this!”
“OMG, don’t bother with the Paleo diet, Atkins diet, soup diet, poo diet…try THIS diet! You just need to lose around 10 kilos and you’ll look better, darling.”

Sorry, got a bit heated there. Back to Maree. 

I sat down with Maree and we talked about her journey with body image and health. We discussed her past and why she developed some complexes about her body, her motivation to keep fit and healthy and what helps her stay determined and committed to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. As I mentioned before, Maree’s story is like so many of ours.

‘I’ve always been body conscious and I think it stemmed from comments that my family would make to me. Especially when I was wedding dress shopping. I also had a lot of really thin friends who I would always compare myself to and I was focused on becoming more like them rather than catering to my personal needs. When people make negative comments about your body, they think they’re being constructive, but it’s really hurtful. The comments go to your head.

 

 I used to diet and skip meals for a little while, not see any results and then give up. Or I’d do a workout and then eat something bad, because I’d justify it by the fact that I had burnt some calories. Now, I’m surrounded by more like-minded people who are supportive and educate me about nutrition and exercise.’

Maree has fallen in love with Crossfit and has made a great group of friends with the trainers and people who go to the same gym as her. She mentioned her coach Hayden LaVanda from Crossfit Artax in Midland who I know has given her a sugar free diet plan and has given her and her husband amazing tips about realistic, fad-free nutrition. She also mentioned that she went to a seminar with nutritionist Claire Hargraves who educated Maree about digestion and how to take care of your gut.
‘Having a support system like good friends and a gym I like has really helped me.’

One of Maree’s best friends, Monica Liston, is an amazing triathlete. She has educated Maree about the power of the mind.
‘I’ve become mentally strong which is the secret. I now think of my brain as a cabbage while I’m working out.’ (Want to know what she means? Read this article about improving your mental strength when working out: Mental Strength )

‘I’ve become more patient and consistent and now I’m seeing results. I used to skip meals thinking it would make me lose weight. Now I’m more educated because of the people around me. Crossfit people have helped me, my husband Chris is really accepting, as are most of my friends. I’ve also learnt a lot about the importance of the timing of meals, portion sizes and staying away from fads. It hasn’t been easy, though. I used to be able to eat a whole family pack of lollies. I still could! The first two weeks of giving up sugar, I felt like a drug addict. Now, I’ve done about 14 weeks and I’ve only really had two bad things in that time. It’s really hard to get through because you have to be prepared and organised, but it’s the best way. I also keep fitness goals in my wallet and cross them out once I’ve achieved them. There’s no point training, if you’re not training for anything.

For me now, it’s not about dieting. It’s about living a certain lifestyle that caters to me. Just for my general wellbeing and happiness. I still find it really hard to take compliments and I don’t know why. But, I like that people are commenting on my progress now, because I’ve never really had that. I now understand that my body is unique and I can’t and don’t have to look like somebody else.’

Maree inspires me with her determination and she has some great tips for living a healthier lifestyle. I think it’s safe to say that we’re always going to be striving to better our bodies. Looking after yourself is something that you have to do forever, however  it is important to remember that we need to be kind to ourselves. We need to love and nurture our bodies and surround ourselves with positive influences. It can make all the difference. 🙂

 

Lots of love,

Magda xx

P.S. Want to have a laugh? See how good terrible I am at clean eating: Inside the Mind of a Dieting Foodie