The Londre Bodywear Photoshoot

The holiday season is in full swing, which means lots of get togethers, dinners out, late night cocktails, eggnog, cookies, gingerbread, and all the other goodies that come with the season.  I am here to interrupt your regular scheduled holiday fun to remind you that it is absolutely ok to indulge a little (or a lot) and not hate yourself for it.  Health is very important.  I’m a big believer in nourishing my body with whole, healthy foods, and everything in moderation.  I’m also a big believer in enjoying life without stressing over calories, fat content, and carb intake.

I spent way too many years feeling extreme guilt after the holiday season.  I jumped on the “I need to loose weight” bandwagon every new year and was always disappointed when I didn’t reach the unobtainable goals I set for myself.  One of the biggest ah-ha moments for me was realizing that I can eat healthy most of the time and still be perfectly ok with some indulgence.  It is also perfectly ok for me to be comfortable with my body, the way it is today, all while continuing to work on my fitness and strength.  It doesn’t have to be all in one way or the other.

To give these words some fuel, I did what many women are not super keen on doing smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, in (almost officially) winter.  I put on a bathing suit!  I put on a bathing suit and got a bunch of pictures taken in it.  I didn’t crash diet before the photoshoot.  I didn’t even bother to get a spray tan.  This is me.  I have lines on my hips, squish in the middle, stretch marks all over, and more boob than I’ve ever had before.  It’s not brave.  It’s just a women in a bathing suit.

So ladies, my Christmas wish for all of you is please show yourselves some love and give yourself some grace.  You are so beautiful just the way you are, you are absolutely enough, and you deserve all the love and happiness in the world.

A huge thank you to the beautiful Babes of Londre Bodywear for asking me to shoot with them.  I was so honoured to have been asked and I am so grateful to have been pushed outside my comfort zone.  Please be sure to pop over the the Londre site to read about this amazing local Vancouver brand.  Their gorgeous garments are made from recycled fabric that is primarily derived from discarded plastic water bottles.  So cool, right?

swimwear: Londre Bodywear
photos: Ainsley Rose Photography