Mum, interior designer, fitness blogger and now model, Kelsey Wells has posted an inspiring message to her social media followers about the 'journey' since having her baby over a year ago.
Kelsey follows Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide which she writes is "basically the greatest workout program ever created. A week of the BBG program typically consists of three resistance training sessions and three cardio sessions. The workouts are only 28 minutes and are totally do-able from home!"
The fit mama's blog, My Sweat Life, chronicles her workout regime with a good dose of humour.
"Anyone that doesn't agree with leggings as pants can physically fight me," she writes.
She describes herself as a "wifey and momma – who doesn't share fries or chocolate." She eats clean, doesn't avoid carbs and enjoys one 'cheat meal' a week.
I'm warming to this woman already, though I don't fancy my chances in a fight over the leggings issue, she would own my flabby ass.
In a recent post she shared a triptych charting her progress from 8 weeks post-partum and implored her followers to "screw the scale". Her brilliant rant makes an excellent point about how focusing on the number on the scale can distract from the amazing progress one is making in terms of strength, endurance and overall health.
The photo on the left shows her starting weight, 8 weeks post-partum, in the middle is the mum at her lowest weight after 8 weeks on her program, and the one on the right shows her looking fit and happy some months later and only 5 lbs less than her initial starting weight.
A photo posted by K E L S E Y W E L L S (@mysweatlife) on
She writes:
"PLEASE STOP LETTING YOR WEIGHT HAVE ANY AFFECT WHATSOEVER ON YOUR SELF ESTEEM, like I used to. To any of you who are where I once was, please listen to me. I am 5' 7" and weigh 140 lbs. When I first started #bbg I was 8 weeks postpartum and 145 lbs. I weighed 130 before getting pregnant, so based on nothing besides my own warped perception, I decided my "goal weight" should be 122 and to fit into my skinniest jeans. Well after a few months of BBG and breastfeeding, I HIT IT, and I fit into those size 0 jeans. Well, guess what? I HAVE GAINED 18 POUNDS SINCE THEN. EIGHT FREAKING TEEN. Also, I have gone up two pant sizes and as a matter of fact, I ripped those skinny jeans wide open just the other week trying to pull them up over my knees. My point?? According to my old self and flawed standards, I would be failing miserably. THANK GOODNESS I finally learned to start measuring my progress by things that matter -- strength, ability, endurance, health, and HAPPINESS. Take progress photos and videos. Record how many push-ups you can do, etc. And if you can, your BFP -- there is only a 5 lb difference between my starting and current weight, but my body composition has changed COMPLETELY. I have never had more muscle and less body fat than I do now. I have never been healthier than I am now. I have never been more comfortable in my own skin than I am now. And if I didn't say #screwthescale long ago, I would have given up on my journey. So to the little teeny tiny voice in the back of my head that still said "wtf is this- not 140!?" last week when I stepped on the scale, I say SCREW. YOU. And I think you should probably say the same to your scale too."
