The Postpartum Weight, The Autoimmune Diagnosis & The Real Reason I Started

By Faiza Akthar | Founder of The Fai Club

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You might know me as a model. But I didn’t start in front of the camera. And I definitely didn’t plan to be here.

I want to tell you the real story—because I think it matters that you know.

I Didn’t Start As a Model

I started with postpartum weight I didn’t know how to lose, a body I barely recognized, and a baby I had just brought into the world. At the time, I was living in Kuwait, far from my home in Canada, adjusting to motherhood in a place that felt both beautiful and isolating.

My journey didn’t begin in a gym. It started in my living room, after putting Adam to sleep, and forcing myself to get up and try again.

That’s when I started writing down notes. Thoughts. Rants. I would go live and just speak them out loud. It was raw, it was unscripted, and to be honest—I didn’t think anyone was listening. But they were.

Then, Life Changed Again

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis—an incurable autoimmune disease that flipped my world inside out. I suddenly had to rethink everything: How I ate. How I moved. How I rested. How I lived.

Food became more than a lifestyle choice—it became a healing ritual. Movement went from optional to non-negotiable. And slowly, through the symptoms and setbacks, I started to rebuild.

I returned to HITT workouts. I cleaned up my diet. I cut out inflammatory triggers. But most importantly—I started listening to my body. Something I had never done before.

Content Was Never the Goal

I didn’t have a content strategy. I had lived experience.

And that’s still the foundation of everything I share.

I speak as someone who’s been there—in the bloat, the pain, the shame, and the confusion. As someone who has felt what it means to not feel good in your own skin. I didn’t become a model to look good in clothes. I became one because I fought for the body I live in today—and I wanted to show her off.

Why I’m Telling You This

Because it matters.

Before The Fai Club, before the skincare and the studio, before the lights and the camera—there was just a woman trying to feel better. And every post since then has been a continuation of that healing journey.

I’ll dive deeper into my autoimmune story and the anti-inflammatory lifestyle I now live by in future posts. But for now, I just wanted to start with the truth.

This is my origin story.

Tell Me Yours

Have you ever had to start over because of your health? Leave me a comment or DM me. I want The Fai Club to be a place where we talk about the real stuff—not just the curated kind.

Let’s heal together.

Tags: #AntiInflammatoryLiving #UlcerativeColitisJourney #PostpartumFitness #HealingThroughExperience #RealWellness #FaiInTheCity #TheFaiClub