Blogger praised for 'real' body transformation photos

An Aussie fitness blogger says she's happier now as a size 16 than when she was a size 10. Photo / Instagram

An Australian fitness blogger has earned praise from fans after opening up about her "weight gain" and revealing her life is "so much better now".

Kate Writer shared a series of stunning transformation photos with her 131,000 fans, showing what her body looked like in 2014 compared with the current day.

In the older snap, she looks smaller — telling fans she was "stuck" in a phase of being obsessed with dieting, hoping "that the thinner I was, the happier I'd be".

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Losing weight is not the cure for poor body image 🙅🏽‍♀️ - When I was stuck in the diet mentality, I kept thinking that the smaller I got, the more I’d love myself. That the thinner I was, the happier I’d be. That the lower that number on the scales was, the worthier I became. And you know what, I got thinner, and thinner, and no matter what, it was never enough. I’d always find something to pick at, to improve on, to fix. More weight to lose or a lower measurement to work towards, how messed up is that!?! . - Changing your body does not magically improve your body image, in fact for me it made it a whole lot worse 👎🏼 It wasn’t until I realized that my worth is not dictated by my appearance or my weight, that I was actually able to focus on other things! I was able to care less about my body, and more about who I was and things that actually matter in my life. . - Think about it, those with a healthy body image aren’t the thinnest among us, they’re the ones who know that they have value and worth beyond their appearance. Because being thin or losing weight is NOT the cure for poor body image, its not really about your body at all...

A post shared by Kate |📍AUS (@dedikated_lifestyle) on Jun 5, 2019 at 3:30am PDT

However, in the most recent photo, she's gained weight, and while she said at times it was "hard", she explained she would "much rather be curvier/bigger/thicker" if it meant she could be "free" from diet culture.

"When I was stuck in the diet mentality, I kept thinking that the smaller I got, the more I'd love myself. That the thinner I was, the happier I'd be. That the lower that number on the scales was, the worthier I became," she wrote.

Despite losing more than 50kg, Kate said "it was never enough".

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Losing weight is not your life’s purpose ❌ . - You were made to do MORE than weigh, measure, track, restrict and constantly control your body. The size on your jeans or the number on the scale does not make you a bad person, and just because you lose weight or wear a smaller size does not make your life any more perfect 🤷🏽‍♀️ - Seriously, when did we decide that you are a good or bad person because of the foods you eat or avoid, the workouts do or don’t do, or how healthy you are or aren’t. - Your life won’t all of a sudden have more meaning just because you’re living it in a thinner body 🤦🏽‍♀️ - Remember ladies. Losing weight is NOT your life’s purpose, and if you’ve dedicated your life to the pursuit of weight loss, you’re likely missing out on what you’re truly passionate about ❤️

A post shared by Kate |📍AUS (@dedikated_lifestyle) on May 15, 2019 at 3:09am PDT

"I'd always find something to pick at, to improve on, to fix. More weight to lose or a lower measurement to work towards, how messed up is that!?!

"It wasn't until I realised that my worth is not dictated by my appearance or my weight that I was actually able to focus on other things.

"I was able to care less about my body, and more about who I was and things that actually matter in my life."

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Sometimes gaining weight is just a side effect of living your BEST life 🤷🏽‍♀️😁 - For me, when I stopped dieting and started eating intuitively, weight gain was the result. After years of deprivation and dieting, it was inevitable that I was going to eat beyond the point of fullness, and give my body all of the foods I had restricted for so long. But you know what, that phase is only temporary, it will not last forever! Don’t get me wrong, it can be daunting, but my god it is worth it! 🙌🏼 - I let my body go through it’s own recovery, in its own time. I didn’t freak out when I gained weight, I didn’t feel guilt when I had a day off the gym, and I didn’t give up when I over ate. I simply let my body do what it naturally wanted to do. Without stress, without obsession and without over thinking 🙅🏽‍♀️ - Sure gaining weight and not fitting into your old clothes can be hard (like REALLY hard), but comparing my happiness, relationship with food and overall lifestyle-I can genuinely say that my quality of life is SO MUCH BETTER NOW 🤗 . - I would much rather be curvier/bigger/thicker, be free from diet culture and have freedom around food, than be “lean” and consumed by weighing less, seeing those numbers go down every day and counting the calories in my lettuce leaves. . - “Heathy” looks different on EVERY BODY, so trust yours and let it do its thing 👍🏼

A post shared by Kate |📍AUS (@dedikated_lifestyle) on May 3, 2019 at 3:18am PDT

Kate's brutally honest post has clearly resonated with her followers, as the teacher from Long Jetty, New South Wales was inundated with praise for being "real".

"You are an amazing person to follow! I find myself obsessing over who I used to be then you help me snap out of it and realise I'm happier now," one said.

"You look gorgeous in both, but you got your swag back with the current pic for sure. Such a positive role model," another wrote.

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Loving your body when it doesn’t look like it “used to” isn’t easy. . - Our bodies change for a number of reasons, which are not always negative, yet when we compare, we automatically focus on what we don’t like. But just stop and think for a second ... . 🤷🏽‍♀️ Gaining a few extra kilos is ok because your mental health is stronger than ever. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Stretch marks and loose skin are ok because you grew a beautiful human. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Cellulite, lumps and bumps are ok because they show memories, a social life and enjoyment. . 🤷🏽‍♀️ Scars and marks are ok because they’re signs of a life saving surgery. . - These may not all apply to you, but I want you to apply the positive thinking behind them. Body changes are not always negative. A lot of the time they are a result of an amazing life you’re now living, or a past memory that YOU SURVIVED 🙌🏼 - Now those few extra kgs aren’t such a big deal right? Perspective is everything, and when you learn to accept your body and it’s changes, you can move on, move forward, and focus on what really matters ❤️

A post shared by Kate |📍AUS (@dedikated_lifestyle) on Feb 8, 2019 at 1:17am PST

Another said: "Totally relate to this, Kate! Though I still struggle with the topic …"

"This SPEAKS to me. Killin' it in 2019 girl!" someone else shared.

"Thanks for sharing this. Such an important and relatable message," another agreed.

In another post, Kate described in more detail how she felt about the change to her body image, telling fans "gaining weight is just a side effect of living your best life".

"For me, when I stopped dieting and started eating intuitively, weight gain was the result. After years of deprivation and dieting, it was inevitable that I was going to eat beyond the point of fullness and give my body all of the foods I had restricted for so long," she said.

She went on to describe how "gaining weight can be hard" — but when comparing her happiness and quality of life now to what it was before, it is "so much better" since she stopped dieting.

Kate - who still eats well and trains but has "zero obsession" with diets - shared her weight loss story with news.com.au in 2016, explaining she'd initially gained weight because she loved takeaways.

Her decision to start dieting came when her then size-20 frame began giving her health issues, explaining her feet once became so swollen, she was left in crippling pain and unable to drive.

She went on to drop five dress sizes and used intense Crossfit workouts to maintain her weight loss without having to go under the knife.

Now a size 16, she's embraced her natural figure and become a successful body positive ambassador, sharing videos about her journey to self-love on her YouTube channel Dedikated Lifestyle - where she said she no longer weighs herself and has accepted her "flaws".