Social media typically has a bad rap, although most of us spend an insane amount of time on various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook. The world of social media can be toxic as you can’t help but compare your everyday life to someone else’s highlight reel or comparing yourself to someone else’s perfectly posed and photoshopped body. Often people spend more time on social media than they do being present in real life, it becomes an obsession and we find ourselves endlessly scrolling TikTok for hours.
But social media isn’t going anywhere and recently we are seeing more and more authenticity, from real untouched photos embracing our bodies, the expression of raw emotions we feel in our imperfect lives, and the brave individuals sharing their truth and their healing journeys. Here are a few ways you can embrace social media to help you achieve your goals:
- Weight loss is more than a diet
There are a million accounts for weight loss gimmicks and false promises that if you drink this juice or wear this belt, the weight will magically melt off. If we are being real, we have also tried them all and know they won’t work. Follow the accounts of people with the same goals as you, follow people who are sharing their weight loss journey authentically, the people who offer tips that you can actually use. Allie Scofield, a weight loss and health influencer is using her platform to share her experience in losing weight and promoting self-love and confidence. When the pandemic began Allie was two weeks post weight loss surgery and at home recovering. While she was doing everything she could to avoid the refrigerator, everyone she knew was filling their time baking, eating, and drinking alcohol. Allie began tackling her mindset and working on her relationship with food because she no longer had her coping mechanism. Her feed is filled with before and after photos showing her progress (down 140 lbs!), her mindset on food like not calling your dinner out a cheat meal, and tips like not beating yourself up if you had one too many tacos because self-hate and punishment just don’t work.
- Embrace cooking and experimenting
Many of us cook out of necessity rather than enjoying the process or finding the magic in trying different foods and using new spices. We typically rush through meals between activities and appointments, many Americans no longer sit at the table for dinner. Eating quickly, mindlessly, and on the go will not only cause us to make poor food choices but it also causes overeating, food sensitivities, and more. Krysten Dornik of Krysten’s Kitchen shares food in a way that will make you eager to hit the kitchen and whip up a new recipe. Her philosophy is “Be Real. Eat Real.” because we are all unique and require different nutrition or remedies based on our genetic makeup, food allergies, and intolerances. Recipes range from snacks and desserts to weeknight dinners and holiday meals. She is inclusive of all diets, whether you are gluten-free, paleo, vegan, or Whole30 and includes product recommendations and substitutes to still get the best flavor. Because she believes in healing your body with food and her recipes carry benefits, her no-bake pumpkin donuts actually help with digestion and nutrient assimilation while tasting delicious. I mean if you’re not indulging in everything pumpkin this fall, are you even alive?
- Body Positivity > Body Shaming
Find the gems on social media platforms that are keeping it real, cellulite and all. We spend so much time comparing ourselves to what we see portrayed on TV, in magazines, and even on social media. Danae Mercer is giving us the real-real on just how fake these images are and why living our lives is so much more important than a number on the scale or the dimples on our butt cheeks. Her page sounds off on how these perfect pictures we see everywhere are achieved, by exposing every posing technique, the little tricks like tucking a bra into your jeans for a perfectly plump booty, and the manipulation of clothes to create the illusion of a perfect abdomen. Danae shows us that even the influencers, models, and actresses in these images don’t look like that in real life, and she shines a light on why we should not spend so much time comparing ourselves to this unachievable perfectionism. As an eating disorder survivor, she leads the way in disrupting the illusion of a perfect body and encourages self-love and body positivity.
There is a lot of good on social media, but you have to use your time there wisely. Your algorithm is a mirror of the content that you are consuming – you better check yourself before you wreck- you get the point. Can we all just agree that we will unfollow the accounts that make us feel bad and use social media to embrace community and support each other?