Ever since she became a public persona, Jules Merchant – who we all met as Jules Robinson during the 2018 season of Married at First Sight when she fell in love with her now-real-life husband Cam Merchant – has been proud of her voluptuous curves.
“I’m never going to be super-skinny and I don’t want to be,” she tells WHO.
WATCH: Cam Merchant gets creative exercising in lockdown
But after gaining 20kg while pregnant with son Oliver Chase, who was born in September 2020, and then gaining another 20kg during the first eight months of his life, the Figur shapewear entrepreneur and Moira Muse fashion designer realised – thanks to what she perceived to be an unflattering pap picture – she was at her heaviest.
“I was nearly 100kg,” the 39 year-old shares. “In the past 18 months I’ve been a size 10, a 12 and up to an 18. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I felt unfit, tired and because I want to get pregnant again, I felt that I needed to make some changes for my wellbeing.”
How did you do it?
I signed on as a Jenny Craig ambassador and it took me 24 weeks to lose 20kg. I didn’t rush things! I’m wearing a size 12 now and I couldn’t be happier. I basically ate the Jenny Craig meals, did daily walks and gym workouts and I had a weekly check-in with my coach, which really helped keep me on track. Because I’m a full-time working mum, the meal delivery, while I was doing that, was a game changer because I didn’t have to think too hard about food.
What made you decide to lose weight?
I think that a little while after childbirth you get to a point where getting your body back to where you want it is part of the quest to feeling like yourself again. For a while, it’s almost like you go, “Well, this is who I am now, this is the new me,” but you eventually want to fit back into the clothes you love and that make you feel like you.
You’ve always been very vocal about body positivity at any size. Do you expect any backlash at all from fans for losing weight?
No, I don’t think so because I’ve done this for me. I’ve always felt great and rocked every outfit, no matter what size I am. But I’m also a woman whose bedroom looked like a tornado hit it because I couldn’t wear what I wanted to wear. So I’ll happily admit at times I was frustrated. I know I do have a presence on social media in the body positivity space, but I do feel like body positivity is about being comfortable wherever you’re at and I’ve always been vocal about that. But for me, at this stage in my life, this was a journey I wanted to go on for myself.
You’ve mentioned that you and Cam want to have another baby. Do you have a time frame for that?
I turn 40 in March, so I want to have a big fun party for that milestone and then we’ll get busy trying! I want to go into my next pregnancy feeling as fit, healthy and strong as I can.
How does Cam feel about your new look?
It’s funny, because as part of my advertising campaign with Jenny Craig, I have this life-size “before” cardboard cut-out of me – which is now at home. When Cam saw it, he was like, “Wow, you can really see the difference.” He’s so amazing though, he always tells me that he just loves me for me, no matter what I look like. He’ll say, “I only ever just think of you as being my beautiful wife.” He’s really just so supportive of everything that I choose to do. I’m very lucky.
Have you made any other changes?
My hair is longer and darker, and I’ve had my teeth straightened, too. I’m feeling like a million bucks! Having said that, doing this swimwear shoot was a bit of a change for me. I’ve been shot lots of times in my shapewear range, but doing a swimwear shoot was something different for me. I felt really great on the day though, and I love these photos!
If you don’t feel like going to the gym, do you have any other workouts you do?
Ollie is now 15 months old and weighs nearly 14kg. Most days, I walk him to day care, which is 20 minutes from our home, by carrying him in my arms. It’s quite the workout, let me tell you!
Do you have any so-called vices that you have on cheat days?
I do love my chocolate, but now I’ve switched to an all natural chocolate called Bounce. It’s really yummy.
You and Cam celebrated your official second wedding anniversary recently. How did you mark the occasion?
It’s funny because we actually look back to our TV wedding on Married at First Sight as being our anniversary, so we feel like we’ve been married for three and a half years now since we met on the show! But for our actual anniversary in November, we just went out for a really nice meal together and chatted all night and enjoyed lots of belly laughs. Of course, we spent most of the evening talking about Ollie, too!
So you’re going into 2022 in a really good place?
Definitely. I’m feeling really good and I’m excited about turning 40. It’s the new 30 really, isn’t it?
Photography by Julian Rinaldi.
Hair and Make Up by Cheveux Hair and Beauty.
Swimsuits by Marvell Lane.
Kimonos by Camilla.
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