THE UGLY TRUTH
JAN 11, 2020
SHEREE'S TIPS
THE UGLY TRUTH I HAD TO FACE...
I know it might seem like I have the answers, now, when it comes to nutrition, training and wellbeing, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, I was once confused, lacked confidence and constantly concerned about my weight. I was plagued by hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue, gut issues and injury. I cycled through weight loss and weight gain, beating myself up with negative self-talk, self-doubt and judgement.
So let me take you back a minute… I wanted to share with you a little more about my journey. I’m about to get vulnerable as f*** and dive pretty deep in the hopes that it helps even just one person.
Even as I write this, my whole physiology changes. I become deeply saddened and closed off. It takes me right back to that moment, those feelings, those thought patterns and beliefs.
I WASN'T HAPPY
I was 19 years old, 9% body fat, eating 1300 calories a day, exercising 5 x week twice a day and yet I still wasn’t happy with the girl who was looking in the mirror. I cycled through weight loss and weight gain, beating myself up with negative self-talk, self-doubt and judgement.
Being diagnosed as a Coeliac at the age of 22 months, all I grew to know was food restrictions. As I got older, I only made matters worse by enforcing further restrictions on myself in attempts to lose weight – I had never felt comfortable in my own skin.
For me, the real struggles began when I was a teen. Despite being active, I always felt conscious that I wasn’t lean enough, and never quite felt happy when I looked in the mirror. (Sound familiar?)
I started over-analysing every gram of food that went into my mouth, every calorie, even all my veggies were weighed. This kickstarted a journey that took me from extreme workouts to obsessive calorie counting to binging and bulimia.
I was fighting a battle not just with my body, but with my mind.
I was no longer consuming the food, food was consuming me and it was affecting my physical and mental health.
I WAS TRAPPED IN A VICIOUS CYCLE
Despite studying for four years, getting both a degree and diploma in nutrition and sports science, I was conditioned to think that in order to lose weight you just had to eat less and move more, it was that simple.
I was trapped in a vicious cycle. Punishing and rewarding myself with food, then hating myself for over-eating. I felt stressed, anxious and overwhelmed by every thought being centred on food.
Even though I had got to the point of just 9% body fat, I still hadn’t achieved my ‘perfect body’ or those ‘lean legs’ I had been so fixated on. One day, looking in the mirror and seeing what looked like the body of a pre-teen boy, I finally realised that things had to change, and that ultimately the underlying issue had nothing to do with my body image…
What I felt ran far deeper… I wasn’t ENOUGH!
As a born people pleaser, I never felt ‘good enough’. I wanted to lose weight, yet what I was really searching for deep down was gratification and attention. As I fought for control over my life (through controlling what I ate), I continued to be fraught with set-backs and self-doubt.
Over-exercise led to injury and two necessary knee surgeries. Over-work led to adrenal fatigue and burnout. My hormones were haywire – and so were my emotions. As hard as I tried to keep them bottled in, my loved ones would bear the brunt of my negative outbursts. Despite trying my best to please others, I was pushing them away while denying myself happiness.
THE HARSH REALITY
The harsh reality was what I also saw looking back at me, someone who continued to play the victim card. Someone who was living out a perpetual story of self-doubt and emotional hardship. Someone who wasn’t being the partner, friend, daughter, sister or personal trainer that I truly wanted to be. Someone who, despite what it looked like on the outside, wasn’t living life with happiness, energy and wellness.
I realised that in order to heal my relationship with food, I needed to heal the relationship with myself and the negativity in my mind first. Once I understood what was going on in my mind, what was going on in my body and connecting with my soul that enabled me to be where I am today (as well as an incredible support network and coach that helped guide me through).
I became free of the mindset that plagued me, balanced in all areas of my life and fuelling my body to nourish, not punish.
Admitting things needed to change was the first step, and perhaps that’s why you’ve found yourself here too. You’re ready to listen to your body more intuitively, to look at your body with love in the present, and to accept your body for where it is and care for it in the way it deserve.
PRIORITISE HEALTH
These are all things I have learnt myself. Having finally prioritised my health – mental, emotional and physical – I transformed my relationship with food and exercise and was finally able to achieve acceptance and love for the person I now see in the mirror. It was when I slowed down, removed caffeine, stopped under-valuing myself, dropped the ego and finally put myself first, that I began to embrace the journey my body was on. I began to strive for progress, instead of instant change, and developed a healthier, happier life in the process.
Wellness isn’t just about the food we eat and the way we move our body. It’s also about forgiveness and love for ourselves. It’s about rest and balance. It’s about understanding that life is also about enjoying occasional indulgences – guilt-free!
I know this because I’ve lived it. My journey wasn’t easy, but it’s given me unique insight into the challenges that so many women confront when it comes to wellness and weight loss. Now, it’s my mission to help you achieve not just a body you’re proud of, but a life you love.
Now, I am here to help you do the same.
Please know you are strong, powerful, and beautiful, inside and out!
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
Yours in Health & Happiness,
Sheree xo
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
