Fit mum who asked ‘What’s Your Excuse?’ eats her words...

It’s likely that you have heard of Maria Kang, the mum-of-three and fitness blogger who caused controversy with her ‘What’s Your Excuse?’ attitude to exercise.

Mums all over the world were left angry and disillusioned when Maria shared a photo of herself looking toned and fit, standing behind her three young children, claiming that she ALWAYS finds the time to work out.

At the time, she claimed that she knew all about what it was like to lack time and energy as a mum, but she ‘brazenly’ maintained that if she could find the time to exercise, everyone else should be able to.

I usually have several rituals before I do a photoshoot: - If I'm not within my desired weight range I would diet 10-12 weeks prior - Two weeks before I shoot I would up my cardio and decrease my carbs - A week prior I would start prepping my clothes, applying facial masks and doing a manicure - The day of I would try to eliminate extra water from my body, ensure I was shooting in the morning (before I ate and was refreshed). HOWEVER - in the last several months I've been over-traveling, over-stressed and over "it" as I'm undergoing many life challenges and changes. While my sister n law, @brittenphoto in town, I decided just a couple hours before she had to leave on a plane to do an impromptu photoshoot. It's been over a year since I could get in front of a professional camera because I never felt 'ready enough'. There were constantly events, children, stress and even some depression, that prevented me from following through on my quarterly goals. Despite how 'unready' I felt, I thought about all the women I encourage to be proud of how far they've come and to celebrate their body at every stage of progression. I am in no way out of shape, but I am definitely and admittedly hard on myself because I rarely see extra skin, cellulite, muscles or a size greater than a 2 on a magazine cover. I rarely see Asians in the media! (that's a different topic!) So I have all those things. I shot this in the afternoon after eating a donut (thanks to my bff who owns a shop!) I didn't exercise for 4 days prior and was tired after a day working and being with my kids. AND I am 10lbs up since I shot that "What's Your Excuse" photo! So here I am. This is a raw photo with absolutely no retouching, no preparation and no shame. I'm finding my beauty again, I'm discovering my strength again and I'm relearning what it means to be brave, bold and unapologetic about where I am in my life's journey. #noexcusemom #mariakang #brittenphoto

A photo posted by Maria Kang (@mariakangfitness) on Sep 29, 2016 at 10:11am PDT

Clearly, Maria is going through a difficult time, and her Insta followers are pleased to see she has decided to eat her words with her latest photo shoot.

Posting a photo of herself wearing a bikini, Maria revealed that she ditched her pre-photo shoot ritual in the run-up to these photos being taken – that meant no dieting 12 weeks prior to the shoot, and no extra beauty food or beauty rituals.

“In the last several months I’ve been over-travelling, over-stressed and over ‘it’ as I’m undergoing many life challenges and changes,” she explained.

Re-post Special request. "What's your Excuse?" Don't like sounding too harsh but if you have just 20 minutes in a day, you can train with intensity. The rest of your 23 hours in a day is all about consuming the right foods. Having given birth in 2009, 2010 and 2011, I KNOW about lacking time, energy and motivation. I know what it feels like to work all day then cook dinner, clean the house and find more energy to train. I know what it means to be in your thirties, struggling with poor genes and overcoming an eating disorder. That is why I so brazenly asked "WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?" If I can do it, so can YOU! #fitsporate #ig_fitness_girls #igfit #fitspobook #get_fit_motivation #fitmom #girlswithmuscle #instafemmefitness #tone #ig_fitness_freaks #sofit #instafemmefitness #ig_fitness_freaks #nutrionable #fitnesspageforall #fitgirls_inspire #instagramfitness #muscleandhealth, #mumsthatlift #whatsyourexcuse #filipina #noexcuses #chinese

A photo posted by Maria Kang (@mariakangfitness) on Sep 17, 2013 at 2:18pm PDT

“I shot this in the afternoon after eating a donut...I didn’t exercise for four days prior and was tired after a day working and being with my kids. AND I am 10lbs up since I shot that ‘What’s Your Excuse?’ photo,” she added.

Apparently, Maria has had a total change in attitude towards fitness and exercise, and she is embracing a less regimented attitude.

A photo posted by Maria Kang (@mariakangfitness) on Sep 7, 2016 at 5:55pm PDT

“Here I am. This is a raw photo with absolutely no re-touching, no preparation and no shame. I’m finding my beauty again, I’m discovering my strength again, and I’m re-learning what it means to be brave, bold and unapologetic about where I am in my life’s journey,” she wrote.

While exercise is important for healthy minds and bodies, it’s vital that you take it at your own pace. We’re glad that Maria is taking a more relaxed approach.