Kayla Itsines Claps Back At Body Shamers Who Say She Is ‘Too Skinny’

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Being the mega-successful founder of the BBG workout plan and having a following of 11million plus on Instagram alone, Kayla Itsines is used to hearing from plenty of fans. The flipside? Becoming the target of nasty online behaviour.

But now the Aussie trainer has clapped back. In an IG post earlier this week, she addressed the people who've come at her with unnecessary and derisory comments.

'You’re too skinny”, “You need to lift”, “You will struggle to have kids”.... you name it, I have heard it,' she write on the caption.

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"You're too skinny", "You need to lift", "You will struggle to have kids".... you name it, I have heard it. But do I let these comments affect me in any way? Not at all. Bullying online or in person is something that I absolutely DO NOT tolerate 🙅🏽‍♀️. Not for myself, my family and DEFINITELY not for the #BBGcommunity. ⁣ ⁣ To anyone who has ever been bullied or is currently struggling with bullies, hear this. When someone says something hurtful to you, it is a reflection of themselves and how they feel - NOT you! Rather than directing your anger at them (and I know this is easier said than done), try to empathise with them. Learn about their circumstances. WHY did they say what they said? WHAT do they have going on in their personal situation? WHO made them think that it's okay to talk to people that way? The more you understand the person who has bullied you, the more you can understand why they said what they did.⁣ ⁣ Now, empathy does not necessarily mean forgiveness and it is not about acknowledging that they are right in any way. Nor does it give power to their actions. What it DOES do is help you to understand that when someone bullies you, it is often NOT as a result of your actions. So ladies, if someone says anything to you (online OR in real life), try not to take it to heart. You are NOT the problem. Know that the person bullying you most likely has problems of their own and is just taking it out on you. Be STRONG. Keep your head UP. Don't let them bring you down!! 👊🏽 ⁣ ⁣

'But do I let these comments affect me in any way? Not at all. Bullying online or in person is something that I absolutely DO NOT tolerate 🙅🏽‍♀️. Not for myself, my family and DEFINITELY not for the #BBGcommunity. '

She went on to explain how she thinks about those who exhibit this sort of behaviour.

'When someone says something hurtful to you, it is a reflection of themselves and how they feel - NOT you! Rather than directing your anger at them (and I know this is easier said than done), try to empathise with them.'

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Let's talk about the so-called "bounce back". We've all heard it used to describe women's bodies after they've gone through the most AMAZING journey of pregnancy BUT the term ignores SO many of the emotional and physical changes women go through during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and #postpartum. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ One thing I've learned from the #BBGCommunity and my experience as a personal trainer is that no two women have the same experience. I'm so grateful that pregnancy gave me and @tobi_pearce Arna, but let's not pretend pregnancy is always easy on women's bodies. Trust me, no one immediately "bounces back" from the experience, even if it looks that way.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ In saying that, I've also been an athlete my whole life, and a personal trainer for 10 years. I LOVE to work out and feel strong and fit, but it's also my career, and being pregnant didn't change that. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Those of you from the #BBGCommunity who followed my pregnancy posts know I DIDN'T always feel amazing during my pregnancy, but I did workouts modified for pregnancy when I could, up until a few weeks before Arna was born. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ Birth itself takes a toll on your body, and if you had a c-section delivery like I did, there's additional recovery from surgery. Even though I am a trainer, I had to wait for clearance from my health care professionals before I was allowed to exercise again. Regaining my fitness and strength has been much tougher than I thought it would be, but I'm a trainer, so it was always going to be one of my goals (seriously, you should have seen me on the treadmill for my first postpartum workout - it might have only been a slow walk but I was STRUGGLING). BUT judging any woman as having "bounced back" because of how they look disregards what a massive journey pregnancy and postpartum really is. Every woman faces their OWN challenges, whether it's the emotional side, finding time to look after ourselves, or the physical challenge of being where we want to be in terms of health and fitness. There's no such thing as a "bouncing back". It can be HARD work. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Forget the judgement. As the #BBGCommunity know, there's so much more to be gained when we support each other! 💕💪

'Learn about their circumstances. WHY did they say what they said? WHAT do they have going on in their personal situation? WHO made them think that it’s okay to talk to people that way? The more you understand the person who has bullied you, the more you can understand why they said what they did.⁣'

She then detailed that empathy does not always translate to forgiveness. Instead, it's all about knowing that the person in question likely has problems they're dealing with – 'and is just taking it out on you.'

Her final word?

'Be STRONG. Keep your head UP. Don’t let them bring you down!! 👊🏽 ⁣'

This article originally appeared on Women's Health UK.

Claudia Canavan

Claudia looks after all things beauty and health across Women's Health UK. A devotee of natural, organic and cruelty-free skincare and of nurturing a banging mind-body connection, she’s here to make your make-up bag and wellness goals kinder to yourself – and the planet.

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