Gemma McLean Style Coach

For a long time, my wardrobe wasn’t chosen by my personal taste. It was dictated by my health—specifically, by chronic bloating and the constant, exhausting fear of it.

When you live with near-constant inflammation, getting dressed ceases to be about what makes you feel confident, stylish, or creative. Instead, it becomes a calculation:
✨Will this waistband cut into me by 2:00 PM?
✨Is this fabric forgiving enough to hide a flare-up?
✨Do I need to wear oversized clothes just as a safety net, just in case my body decides to change shape halfway through the day?

The fear of becoming bloated is almost as limiting as the bloating itself. It steals your confidence. It makes you feel disconnected from your own skin, constantly hiding behind loose layers and “safe” outfits that don’t actually feel like you. You end up looking in the mirror feeling insecure, not because you don’t love fashion, but because you can’t trust how your body will react from one hour to the next.
But this is a snapshot of where I’ve been, not where I’m going.

I’m currently embarking on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) to identify my triggers, eliminate inflammation, and give my system a chance to reset. My ultimate goal isn’t just to fit into specific clothes again; it’s to build a sense of security. I want to look in the mirror and feel like myself. More than anything, I want to heal to the point where I can finally trust my body again—and wear the outfits I actually love, completely uninhibited.

I’m not doing this alone - I’m following .richards AIP plan and I’m also doing it with a friend! It’s really helped me stay accountable so far (almost two weeks in)!

What holds you back from wearing exactly what you want to?

A little May recap. Things have been quiet here because life has been life-ing. A beautiful trip to New York and a new little member of our family ❤️

LOTS of bagels 🥯 were consumed in NY but for the month of June (and a few more) I’m on an AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet to figure out what’s causing g my bloating snd find my trigger foods, so Im just dreaming about French toast bagels now 😅

We also are a tonne of pizza but that was consumed so quickly there is no photographic evidence 🫢 🍕

It’s a weird weird world when we can continue talking about clothes and makeup and wellness hacks, when others are fighting for their lives. It’s not wrong, it’s just weird. We all cope how we cope. ❤️