The professional ballroom dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse reveals how she maintains a positive outlook on life, and why she is proud of her body and her personal weight loss journey.
I have always had a zest for life. Even during the pandemic, I try to remain positive. Everyone asks me where I get my energy from but I truly believe if you are happy in yourself and passionate about your work, then you feel blessed. I still see myself as this girl from South Africa who’s been allowed to experience amazing things in life and I’m appreciative of that daily.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up and move away from negativity. I am lucky that I have my husband and a tight group of friends who are my support circle. Honest and uplifting friends are what everyone needs. They are the ones who have encouraged me to go for my goals, so I never feel like I am facing challenges on my own.
The hardest thing I struggle with is finding balance. I never like to say no to projects, but then I want to fit in as much family time as possible, too. I turn 40 this month [April 2021] so I’m embracing life even more, but one of the things I need to learn to do is slow down.
Motsi makes real self-care a priority
I can’t talk enough about the importance of self-care. Being healthy to me comes from being able to love myself from the inside out. I don’t define myself by my body or obsess over what I weigh or look like. I see my body as an instrument to keeping me alive. By self-care I don’t just mean grooming, I mean what you feed your body and mind, too. Being healthy is about being able to love your flaws, not being as skinny as possible.
I have always loved food and never deprive myself of anything. If you want to eat pizza and pasta you should, but it is about doing so in moderation. That is exactly why I love being involved as an ambassador for WW [previously called Weight Watchers] as it is a lifestyle programme. It provides you with a healthy mindset around eating. Losing weight is a journey that does not happen overnight.
I’ve never been a massive fitness fan but I know the importance of being active on a daily basis. I teach dance, yoga, and I’m even doing some meditation, as I’m aware it is the perfect solution to any negativity you have going on in your life. Plus, the benefits of getting your fitness levels up are that you feel stronger and, for me, I sleep much better.
The best piece of advice I have been given is to have no fear. One of the biggest hurdles in life is the fear of losing or not reaching something – just try to have no fear. Of course, there are the trolls every celebrity has to deal with on social media and as a judge on one of the most popular shows on TV, I’m always going to come up against people who disagree with me. I have a love/hate relationship with social media and don’t let the trolls ever get to me.
I have always embraced my curves. The dress I wore to the Strictly Come Dancing final was quite tight, but I loved it – what’s more, so did the fans and viewers. Afterwards, I was flooded with messages from women telling me they loved how I looked, how I had embraced my figure, and that the confidence I have in myself shines through. That means so much to me. If I can pass my positive vibes on to others, that is wonderful.
Motsi Mabuse is a celebrity ambassador for WW.
Picture courtesy of WW
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