I fell for social media lies we all believe. You see, I gained a few lbs while traveling for 6 months. Is this this end of the world? No! I struggled with it at first. I have had plenty of time to reflect about this while I have been away. It wasn’t because I ate “bad” food or because I did not exercise. I stopped torturing my body and my mind. There’s a dirty little secret in the fitness industry. To get clients and to gain influence you have to look a certain way.
The Standard
I have always been a little different in my industry. I stick out, why, because I don’t look like everybody else. What you look like sells your product, I totally understand. One of the social media lies we all believe is that a super lean “ripped” body, often not achievable to most, is what is desired. The pursuit of that “image” can cost you. It will do a number on your head and your overall health.
The Trap
I won’t lie, I fell into that trap years ago. I thought I had to look a certain way, physically, to make a difference in the lives of people. It’s one of those social media lies we all believe. I made some mistakes and treated my body poorly. I’m done. I’m still going to feed my body what it needs to thrive and I love to exercise. I truly enjoy the way exercise makes me feel. I want to continue to make a difference in the lives of others. I am happy with who I am on the inside and now I can accept my exterior form. I know that my outer form is not who I am. It is only what you I like. If you work on the inside stuff the outside stuff comes easier.
Social MediA
Here’s what I don’t want. I don’t want to make you feel like you have to lose weight. Honestly, if you are at peace with where you are then who am I to change that and make you feel bad about it? Social media has made things very difficult for body image. We all say, “it’s not real”, “it’s photoshopped” and those things may be true but we still compare. It’s one of those social media lies we all believe. No one owes you the truth. If someone only wants to post edited pics, they have the right to do that. They don’t owe you anything. Think about it, do you always post what is really going on in your life? Do you post only unedited pics and only your thoughts, not shared memes?
It’s Fake
No one owes it to you to share their struggles, to share the negative things that go on in their daily life, or post what they look like without makeup, the list goes on and on. Don’t allow yourself to think someone’s life is perfect when we all know no one’s life is perfect. Social media could never come close to scratching the surface of real life.
Make Peace
I cringe when I hear women say they have to get swimsuit ready. I have news for you, if you have a body, you are ready for a swimsuit. I am here to tell you, you no longer have to be ashamed. Make peace with where you are and what your body looks like. If you can’t make peace than make a change, it’s that simple. It all starts in the mind. Get your mental health in line and everything else will follow. Happiness radiates from the mind. You will have bad days, we all do. Remind yourself that you are worthy of self-love because you are an amazing human!
Perfection is Boring
The world and social media will always try to sell you perfection. Perfection is boring, it’s the disease of a nation. Can you imagine a world where we are all perfect? BORING!! Think about why you really want to lose weight. Is it because it will truly make you happy or it because someone made you feel like you need to do it? When you answer this question honestly, you will truly begin your wellness journey.
Social Media Lies We All Believe
I have come to understand that health and wellness is not based on looking like someone else wants you to look. A social media lie we all believe is that health and wellness is tied to weight. But it’s not about weight at all. Let’s not be too quick to compliment someone when they lose weight. They may still be struggling with mental health and our compliments may be doing more harm than good. Health and wellness starts in your mind. Mental health is the start of any wellness journey. Join me in breaking the cycle of the social media lies we all believe and embrace your mental health to reach true wellness.
No Comments