Lately, I’ve been thinking about the “health” images we see social media touting this exercise regimen or that diet. There’s always some ripped guy/girl pushing the product or service, as if you can expect to have that same body if you follow their “proven program.” It just makes me chuckle. Frankly, it’s more than a little misleading, and potentially dangerous, for that matter. Nothing good can come from swiping through images, thinking about all your physical “flaws.” As they say, “comparison is the thief of joy.” All those flawless bodies do not represent typical people. Developing and maintaining the “perfect bod” is generally time-consuming and challenging for even a very active person. Don’t get me wrong, a few outliers exist who, through good genes and/or sheer will, have developed incredible physiques; these represent a small minority. The majority of the perfect physiques we see on social medial, the spokespeople and models, have an obvious agenda: THEY ARE GETTING PAID.
Think about it, who are the “health models” we see on social media? Actors, fitness models, social media influencers, etc. They are all paid to maintain a certain aesthetic or fitness level. IT’S THEIR JOB. For them, being out of shape could mean poor athletic performance or losing a gig to someone else; It could mean a complete loss of income. And that’s a big deal. Would it be easier to maintain a chiseled physique if you were paid to exercise? If you could afford your own chef? If you had a team of experts managing your wellness? Yes, yes, and yes. What kind of motivation would you have if you were promised $5 million to look a certain way? Do you see what I’m getting at? That does not represent most people’s reality. These people have substantial resources: time, money, people, etc.
Life for the rest of us likely looks much different. We have significant pulls on our time: jobs, families, church responsibilities, service, lawns, honey-do’s, chauffeur duties, to name a few. By the end of our day, we may have 30 minutes to exercise after the kids are asleep. At least that’s how it is for me.
So, before you get down on yourself for not having the body you want or not working out as much as you should, or eating healthy, just remember this—you’re normal. You are not the first person to struggle with these issues and you won’t be the last. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to exercise or eat right. What I am saying is that you need to stop comparing yourself to the impossible ideal you see on social media. Start comparing yourself to who you were 6 months or 6 years ago. Focus on your own progress, not on what you’re still lacking, and ignore the periphery—including social media’s visual deceptions. Cheers.