What do you mean my fitness instructor doesn't have rippling abs?

Chizzled body, toned arms, big booty cause she “clearly squats all day long!” – that’s what you pictured your group fitness instructor to look like, right? But, what if you came in to find that your instructor in fact didn’t look this way? You come to find that opposite of having a 6-pack, she had a 6-month postpartum mummy tummy!

That my friends, describes me – the owner of Aradia Fitness Edmonton. The owner of four fitness athletic facilities that promote total core and upperbody engagement, calisthenics, and aerobic workouts! I love fitness, I love strength building, but I’m also a huuuuuge foodie. And I’m not talking the cutesy “oh, I love cheesecake too!” – exclaimed by the portion controlled, only needing once slice a year, individuals. I’m talking… “please provide me with the largest piece of birthday cake possible, and I’ll dibs seconds while we’re at it.”  It’s been a roaring joke in my family, even – don’t worry, Chantelle will always eat it.

The reason I write the blog today stems from a recent incident that happened on a Facebook Moms’ Group. (The worst kind of group, I know). A close friend of mine had told me about some incredible results that her mom had achieved from a  particular diet. The diet certainly did seem extreme – guaranteeing that I would lose 20 pounds within a single month. Being a fitness instructor, I asked this soon-to-be vicious group of moms if anybody had any experience with it, and if so – would it be appropriate for a fitness instructor, or would I be losing muscle instead of fat on this diet?

(And let me add, I don’t like the word diet. I’m not trying to deny myself essential foods just to lose weight. Admittedly however, I do have terrible eating habits that I am looking to control – I am looking for a lifestyle change!)

To my surprise, the moms’ dived in full force. These were the comments that I received:

Mom A: I creeped your profile and noticed that you were the owner of Aradia. Does that mean that Aradia doesn’t work? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying

Well Mom A – I am not an expert in nutrition, but I do know that weight management is 70% what you eat, and 30% exercise. Aradia works to build muscle. If you continue to consume a large amount of calories each day, as I do, you won’t lose weight. Trust me, I have lots of strong muscle, but I also have a layer of insulation over top of that muscle!

Mom B: I creeped your profile, and I see you made a post telling your clients to love themselves. You need to practice what you preach:

Thank you for your honest input Mom B. I do have to ask however, how does me wanting to lose unnecessary body fat insinuate that I hate myself? Quite the opposite, I have lots of confidence and love for myself, and because of that, I realize that I need to put down the cheeseburger and invest in some leefy greens to properly fuel my body.

In this new “Body Positive” era, we are so terrified to talk about things that make us uncomfortable about our ownselves. I almost tend to think that denying it altogether actually makes it more difficult for us to admit it, and therefore work on it. I absolutely love my body – unlike when I was a teenaged girl, I no longer stand in front of the mirror and think “ugh. Nobody could love me like this.”
Just as sometimes my husband makes decisions that I’m not fond of, doesn’t mean that I would love him any less. As goes for my eating, I have made decisions for my body that I am not fond of – but I do not love it any less.

But I have to say that the worst comment came from Mom C: “Don’t do that diet. On the simple fact that your clients will find out, and think you are a farce, and a lot may leave. You may potentially lose your business. Like other’s said, be the example you want your clients to be.”

Lose my business? I don’t think that my clients are half as shallow as that, thankfully! The Aradia Family is an incredible community, and we all

support each other through the good times and the bad. I want my clients to know that I am a human! I am not the face full of make-up, and long curled hair that flips so well in a poleflow. I am a woman who mainly spends my day running my business behind my computer – in my PJ’s because I am too tired to get dressed, as I also have an 11 month child. Sometimes I can’t remember the last time I did my hair, or washed my face.

So there you have it – I am a fitness instructor who knows and has a lot to offer the pole fitness community and industry. I am confident in what I teach. Thankfully for you, I do not offer nutritional advice. Although it might seem related, they are completely two different worlds of knowledge, and I do not have the education, nor expertise in it – but this does not make me any less of a group fitness instructor.

I am strong. I am fit. I am confident – and nothing will change that.