I’ve been that skinny kid and I’ve also been the bigger kid. Somewhere in between I became the frail cardio girl struggling with counting every calorie I consumed before I became that hardcore fitness lifting girl who drove in every snowstorm just to get to the gym. Years later, I became that bikini competitor girl back to counting my macros and now I’m that new mom kinda girl in a whole new world of struggles of my own that only mothers’ can understand.
I don’t need to tell you that my body has been all different shapes and sizes. Have I struggled with self love? …abso-f**king-loutely! Absolutely
When I was younger, every ounce of my self confidence hung on my weight and my physical appearance. I prided myself at being 80lbs when I was 20 (for reference I’m 5’4”). This was until one of my best friends pulled me aside and was frank enough to tell me others have been concerned about my frail frame. I was fortunate enough to meet some very important people in my life who then educated me in wellness and fitness. I slowly learned to get over my fear of food and my obsession with calorie counting. Fast forward a few years to my bikini competitor life and here I was back counting my calories and feeling the pressure to be lean but still possess feminine characteristics like a tiny waist paired with a busty chest. I’ve felt the pressure to have a larger chest when I was at my smallest and even more when I started competing, in order to achieve that perfect hourglass shape. While everyone around me was jumping on the breast implant train, I was always torn about undergoing an invasive surgery for the sake of having a larger bust. However, I’d be lying if I said never just wanted a temporary added subtle boost to compliment an outfit.
Having been a part of the fitness community for a good fraction of my young adult life, I never realized how much of my self confidence still hung onto my body until I had my daughter. Being in my late 30s, having my baby girl via emergency cesarean also meant that the bounce back would be slower than if I was in my early 20s. I have on multiple occasions found myself crying in front of the mirror cringing and hating my body. I had to learn to love my body at each and every stage of my life but this wasn’t easy. It took new priorities in my new chapter in life to finally be able to truly find self love.
Whatever phase in life that you are in, I wanted a product that was comfortable to wear without underwires and itchy elastics throughout the day, while allowing each one of us to feel beautiful at our base. To be confident to know that you are ENOUGH in any form but also embrace the options for added support and lift WHEN you want it, on your own terms.
BaseLayer is more than just a brand, it is a community focused on embracing our inner strength…our bodies…at our very base to help promote self love. I hope you enjoy BaseLayer as much as I do and are able to find self love while living your best life in them.
