Today I made the leap and did something that I was very hesitate about doing. I posted my before picture, alongside my progress picture onto my Instagram. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done so far, and I’ve had three kids lol. I made the personal choice to post these pictures, and be completely vulnerable to the world. Despite being slightly uncomfortable, I don’t regret my choice. I’ve personally noticed that there seems to be a shame, with people showing their before and progress pictures (mostly women). It almost seems as if people don’t want to see the hard work that’s being put in, they just want the glossed over version. You know the one, the comparison picture where you pick the most unattractive photo you’ve got of yourself before you lost weight. Then you post it right beside an attractive current picture of yourself. Never mind the fact that this current picture is one of thirty other pictures you took, because you were attempting to get the perfect angle, lighting and look.
News flash most people do it, and I’m not shaming people who do but it’s not real life. I want to see the ugly sweaty picture you take at the gym, or after your workout. I want to see pictures of you looking like a hot mess, because I know that’s real. Real is what inspires people, we don’t need to be comparing ourselves to people in magazines. The people in the magazines are wearing makeup, they’ve got a professional photographer taking their picture. Heck even their pictures are photo-shopped, before they go in the magazine.
So far I’ve only had positive comments on my pictures, I’m sure that’s most likely because I’m under the radar. My account is unknown compared to a lot of other people. I haven’t been body shamed, in comments anyways. I know that’s not the case for everyone though. Am I promoting obesity, and being overweight..heck no. I’m aware that I’m considered obese, and I’m in the process of changing that. That doesn’t mean that I can’t love how I feel and love who I am now. Is it such a crime for someone to love how their body is changing, and is starting to look as they start to adapt a healthier lifestyle…I don’t think so.
I’ve got thick skin if someone was to message me insults I could handle it, after all I made the choice to expose myself to the entire web. Ultimately I’m posting these photos for myself, so that when I’m feeling like crap and I’m slipping into old habits. I can look back and say “no keep going, look how far you’ve come!” I’m posting these pictures so that one day when I do achieve my target body, I can look back and see how far I’ve come. I’m posting these pictures for other people who are like me, that feel like they can’t do it because I know that we can! The internet is such a large space, if you don’t like what someone posts keep moving. We are only given one life, and it’s too short of a life to spend shaming someone for being obese, overweight, or even underweight. Life is too short, to worry about what others think of you. Focus on being the best person that you can be, and as long as you are happy with your choices and how you feel it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
“When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.”