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Gabriella Menezes Van Rooyen

@_chatty_gabby

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This isn’t just a before-and-after. This is my story. 🤍

There was a time when I hated looking at photos of myself.

I was bullied relentlessly about my weight. I heard things about my body that no person should ever have to hear — comments about my legs looking like “tree stumps,” jokes about my size, and words that may have been said casually by someone else but stayed with me for years.

And the truth is… those words hurt.

But what people didn’t see was why I was struggling in the first place.

Something happened in my life that broke me in ways I didn’t know how to explain. I lost my self-esteem. I lost my sense of worth. I stopped recognising the girl in the mirror. I was hurting, and food became a place I could turn to when I didn’t know where else to go.

The more I struggled, the more I ate.
The more I ate, the worse I felt about myself.
And the worse I felt about myself, the harder it became to change.

It was a cycle.

Until one day last year, I looked at myself and thought:

“Girl… it’s time to get your life back.”

Not because other people told me I wasn’t good enough.

Not because I suddenly stopped caring about what anyone thought.

But because I finally decided that I was worth fighting for.

I started choosing myself.

I started choosing my health.
I started moving my body.
I started changing the way I nourished myself.
I started working on my mind.
I started putting myself first — maybe for the first time in a very long time.

And no, it wasn’t easy.

There were days I wanted to give up. There were days I questioned myself. There were days when the old version of me felt safer because at least I knew her.

But I kept going.

And today, when I look at these pictures, I don’t just see weight I’ve lost.

I see a girl who found herself again.

I see strength.
I see courage.
I see healing.
I see confidence.
I see life.

I am healthier. I am stronger. I am happier. And most importantly, I am alive, I am here, and I am proud of myself. 🤍

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August and everything it was 🌸💖

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✨ “Confidence isn’t walking into a room thinking you’re better than everyone; it’s walking in knowing you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone.” ✨

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Change is as good as n holiday #healthyourney #peaceofmind #proudofmyself

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April recap:

1. Did a Hyrox shakeout run at @theninefour with maatjie @leozetteroode 💕
2. Got an uncalled for amount of needling and shockwave sessions 🙂
3. Birthday beach dip for mama 🥳 @carmenburger
4. Birthday breakfast for mama 🎂
5. I did my first Hyrox mixed doubles!!
6. Got dog sick 🤧
7. Did I mention I did my first Hyrox 😆
8. Recovered (kinda)
9. Ran Two Oceans Ultra and got my Sainsbury medal🥹🏃🏼‍♀️
8. Celebrated my sister @edenburgerr’s bday and got zero photos (so here’s my cute lil pup niece Leia 🩷)
9. Oh yeah, I have a full time job!
10. Went to Rocky Horror with my tjommies 💅🏼
11. Turned 27 🎂
12. My favourite human came to visit ❤️ @_chatty_gabby
13. Back to the drawing board
14. Worked some more (with a little motivation)
15. Ran some more 🫶🏼
16. Ate some more carbs 🥪
17. Resonated with this quote so much 🩵
18. Re-watched Comrades Down documentary and cried my eyes out.

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April Hallelujah’s 💖🥹

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Celebrated another trip around the sun with my nearest and dearest 🫶🏼

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a girls date is the best therapy! 🥹 🧖🏼‍♀️

@spierwinefarm

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🧖🏼‍♀️ a spa day in the winelands 🌿

the best quality time with you @_chatty_gabby 🥹🥰 so grateful we got to have this week together!

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Some fun in the sun 🌞
Awesome weekend spent with my girls ....👌

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⚠️WARNING: You have to see it to believe it!
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Inus and Menike's guests understood the assignment and brought some SERIOUS choreography to the dance floor .

@cornejonck_ & the other two Joncks your energy and incredible moves made the #funheerden wedding unforgettable. You guys are the real MVPs! 💖🕺💃"
.
🎬 - @cornejonck_

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Meet Peet & Gabby 🥂 They decided to elope on the beach and we got to capture every part of it! 🥂🤍

@mosselbaypicnics
@gabrielajones.artistry

#bride #elopementwedding

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