Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. As your child grows inside of your swelling belly, you bond with them a little deeper every day. One thing that women seem to see as a definite “downfall” of their pregnancy, however, is stretch marks.

Unfortunately, stretch marks are a natural byproduct of carrying a baby for most women.

Sometimes they look like small little scratches. For others, though, it can look like a tiger ripped through their skin. Needless to say, these stretch marks can take their toll on women. Not just physically, but they can leave lasting scars in their self-consciousness as well.

Sharny Kieser was just one of the millions of moms who have felt this way. Now a flourishing fitness guru, there was a time, a long period of time, where Sharny didn’t see how beautiful she really was. That is until her husband managed to inspire her to change her mind.

A couple of years ago, Sharny decided to share about how her husband made her realize that she’s not beautiful in spite of her stretch marks, but because of them.

“I used to not see the point in exercise because my body was covered in stretch marks.

“What’s the point in having a great body if I will never wear a bikini?” I’d think.

If I was ever invited to the beach or a pool party, I’d always decline. On the odd occasion I couldn’t avoid it, I’d stay inside, helping with the food or the cleaning,” Sharny’s post began.

The mom of six went on to explain that, though she would dream of a perfect bikini-body, she would confine herself to board shorts and oversized T-shirts to hide her body.

One day things changed for Sharny when she eavesdropped on her husband talking to his friends about her stretch marks.

“Then one day I overheard my loving husband explaining to a bunch of his friends why he thought stretch marks were beautiful,” Sharny’s post continued.

Far from the ugly smattering of scars Sharny believed them to be, her husband saw her stretch marks as a testimony to her beauty. A beauty that goes far beyond skin-deep.

“They were a sign of being a woman. They are a result of the great love a mother has, that she would scar her own body to bring a child to life… on and on he explained and the more he talked, the more I got it,” she explained.

After struggling for so long with her self-image, she was finally learning to see herself through her husband’s eyes. She was finally starting to understand the reality and essence of her true beauty.

“I had hated myself for the very reasons he loved me. My body wasn’t ruined or disgusting, it had transformed from a selfish girls body into a selfless mothers body and the scars were a symbol of that transition. A daily reminder that I was a mother. I looked at my stretch marks and I felt pride. I felt love. The love of my husband and the love of my children. Each one of them had been nurtured and lived behind those scars for 9 months. I felt pride. I felt love. I felt love for myself,” she wrote.

Once Shanry had changed her mind about how she looked at her stretch marks, it was the beginning of a long and beautiful journey of self-discovery.

She began eating healthy every day and developed a workout routine that gave her the body she wanted. Not the photo-shop perfect body she had dreamed of before, but the real, fit, scarred body of a woman who has lived life to the fullest. The body of a well-loved wife, and a strong, brave, and loving mother.

Sharny was so successful in changing her attitude, and thus her body, that she’s now developed several health programs for other moms. She reminds them that above all, in order to succeed they have to change their minds about themselves.

“…It started though, with me loving myself first. Being grateful for what I had, not wishing for something better … I want all mums around the world to be proud of themselves and love themselves. I want all mums to realise how perfect their bodies are. Stretch marks or no stretch marks, IVF of no IVF, vaginal or C section. Breastfeed or bottle feed, it doesn’t fucking matter. Even if you chose not to have kids or couldn’t have kids…You’re perfect. Your kids love you. You should love you. Stop beating yourself up and start loving yourself. For the magic that is a woman’s body is what you have.”

All we can say is any fitness guru that begins their fitness plans with a self-love and care routine is worthwhile in our book. To learn more about Sharny’s amazing journey to loving herself read her full post. If you want more details about how you can join her program, visit her here.

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H/T: Spotlight Stories