You guys know how much I love internet phenomena, so it should come as no surprise that today I'm drawing from yet another picture that's making its rounds in the online community this week. What's a bit different than usual is that it's actually something positive!
You know those before-and-after photos you see in essentially every weight-loss commercial/ad/etc. known to man? Yeah, me too. You know how they make you feel like you're some great, unfinished work and if you could just lose that weight that drives you crazy, you could be as happy as those "after" picture people? Yeah, ME TOO.
So you can only imagine how much it brightened my day when I found this gem from fitness blogger Mel V.:
(Sorry about the awkward sizing, I'm still figuring out the blogging world!)
Here's the full caption that she posted with this photo:
"Check out my transformation! It took me 15 minutes. Wanna know my secret? Well firstly I ditched the phonewallet (fwallet) cause that thing is lame, swapped my bather bottoms to black (cause they're a size bigger and black is slimming), Smothered on some fake tan, clipped in my hair extensions, stood up a bit taller, sucked in my guts, popped my hip- threw in a skinny arm, stood a bit wider #boxgap, pulled my shoulders back and added a bit of cheeky/Im so proud of my results smile. Zoomed in on the before pic- zoomed out on the after & a filter. Cos' filters make everything awesome. What's my point? Don't be deceived by what you see in magazines & on Instagram.. You never see the dozens of other pics they took that wernt as flattering. Photoshop can make a pig look hotter than Beyonce."
Cue round of applause!
I actually went to Mel V.'s blog to check out what she's up to, and it turns out this whole "screw the transformation pictures" thing is like, a movement or something.
Here's another one for all the guys out there reading along! This is Andrew Dixon, a personal trainer:
The caption on this one reads:
"I decided to take my own transformation photos to see what was possible with just a few easy tweaks... I was feeling particularly bloated on the day, so I asked my girlfriend to take a before shot. I then shaved my head, face and chest and prepared for the after shot, which was about an hour after I took the before shot. I did a few push ups and chin ups, tweaked my bedroom lighting, sucked in, tightened my abs and BOOM! We got our after shot. As you can see, I'm no bodybuilder, but I had enough muscle on me to catch some shadows from the all-important overhead lighting."
Here's another one he did where he tries to replicate "a few months of hard work and dieting" over the course of an hour:
Another round of applause?
Alright, enough clapping. In all seriousness, I think that seeing these is so important for us because we live in what Mr. Dixon calls "a world of manipulation, false promises and exaggeration." We all see those before-and-after photos and we wish we could be the "after"s- by Christmas or by our next birthday or by our next big date even, we could be thin, tan, beautiful, and (supposedly) so much happier. But you know what? Just like the high fashion ads I'm always ragging on, these transformations aren't real. Not even close.
I'm going to quote Mr. Dixon again here because he really just gets what I'm all about:
"Forget about the quick transformations and focus on a life of healthy eating, well-managed stress levels, quality sleep and plenty of movement. Spend time with people who have similar goals and values and take time to appreciate yourself the way you are right now. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a cookie, just enjoy that cookie and everything else life has to offer.
We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don't waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else.
It's all smoke and mirrors."
Boom. If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.
Also, I know a lot of us are entering that high-stress period of finals that drives students crazy, so if this is you, please try to remember that your well-being is the single most important thing in your life. Take care of yourself, take care of your body and keep everything in perspective- just like a few pounds don't decide your future, neither does a test. Trust me: I've been there, I've failed that test, and I lived to tell the tale.
Alright ladies and gentlemen, that's the slice!
Much love,
Sonja
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