A photoshoot after holidays 😎

Well, the last few weeks have been absolutely hectic but I finally feel like I have my time back and I am SO ready to get back to the routine that makes me feel good.

The last 2 months consisted of 9 flights, god knows how many different beds, lots of wine, bread, dinners, desserts, and very little training.

Not your typical photoshoot prep!

I’ve written an email before about how I felt in the run up to my photoshoots with MyProtein last week.

I knew I was going to be in a good place, by practising acceptance around my priorities over the last two months (fun and work - my health took a back seat!)

You might be sick of hearing me talking about practising acceptance, but I want to emphasise that this doesn’t mean loving your body all the time.

I would be lying if I told you that I looked at photos and thought I looked my best.

I could see the extra weight I’ve gained over the last few months.

But that’s it. I didn’t associate negativity to it. It’s not a bad thing. I haven’t had any moral failings for gaining 5kg.

I noted it but I also knew that this wasn’t a result of my usual behaviour.

I knew that when I got back to the habits that are in line with my values (health, fitness, happiness, routine etc), that I would look leaner and feel better inside.

This is where the body positivity movement might be difficult for people who don’t have a good relationship with their body.

It’s not about loving your appearance - it’s about accepting it as it is.

Your body and the amount of body fat is controlled by so many factors, including your values, your behaviours, your environment, your health, your hormones, your abilities etc.

Some of these you cannot control e.g. if you have a medical issue or injury, you might find it more difficult to lower your body fat than somebody of similar size without said issue.

But what can you control?

You can control your behaviours and your environment, to name a few.

Accept what you cannot change and change what you can.

Also, loving your body doesn’t have to mean loving your appearance.

It can mean that you feed your body in a way that nourishes it and improves your health.

It can mean moving your body so that you feel stronger, fitter or to improve your physical and mental health.

Loving your body can mean listening to signs to slow down instead of pushing through a workout.

Loving your body can be reducing stress whatever way you can.

And the funny thing is, when you do this - you can end up feeling like your body loves you back.

If you need help with this, you can join The Furnace today by clicking the button below or feel free to reply if you have any questions before signing up!

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan “Glad I had fun the last two months” O’Hagan