Selfies are for those who are in love with themselves, right?
Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there are a few who may go a bit ‘too far’, but who the hell cares? They can do what they want. But what do we really get out of taking these pictures?
I’ll be the first to admit that I used to be a judgemental sod, myself, and those who took pictures of themselves every time they went to the gym were a bit…annoying.
Now look at me!
So what’s the story?
The Gym Selfie
I’ll be super honest and tell you my reason behind the occasional self-taking picture – after some serious grafting and a change in lifestyle I can now say that I’m proud of my body (it’s also less embarrassing than asking someone to take one for you). Want to know another reason?
Progression.
I’ll let you in on a little secret…I hardly ever weigh myself.
You can lose body fat but still weigh the same. What would you prefer?
I don’t own a set of scales and have no intention of buying any because (I’m skint) how much you weigh sometimes isn’t always the best way to find out whether your workout plan is actually working.
Taking shameless pictures like this, whether you like it or not, is a great way to see your progression. It’s never just about the scales; they mean nothing to me. But looking at yourself in the mirror and comparing photos will show you the changes. And if you’re happy with them, then what great motivation to keep going.
Now you don’t have to take these pictures in front of everyone and if you’re really against taking a ‘selfie’ then go ahead and ask someone you feel comfortable enough asking. But doing this every week or so will really give you an idea of what is, and what isn’t working.
I take mine at the gym because the lighting in my room at home wouldn’t even attract a moth (you also can’t help but feel better about taking a picture after you’ve trained your arse off).
Even the smallest of changes will get you fired up.
You may notice that you’ve ‘lost it’ a little and that you need to give yourself a good telling off, work harder and stop giving yourself a pat on the back by eating cake.
You might see a muscle you didn’t know existed, you might notice your face is changing, or you might even find yourself smiling for once. It’s not always about your appearance, but noticing positive changes in your body means whatever you’re doing is working.
And if you feel confident enough to share this with other people then go and bloody do it, you deserve it.
There are many things that I’ve learnt over the last year but one of them is that you don’t need to feel bad about being happy with yourself – why on earth shouldn’t you be? Not being comfortable in your own skin is a horrible place to be, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being chuffed with your own body…own it (look at me being sassy)!
If you’re training hard, eating well and most importantly keeping it consistent you will notice the changes and when it comes down to it…who cares how much you weigh? If you look in the mirror and you’re happy with what you see, that’s really all that matters.
Let’s think about it this way…
“Hey you look amazing”
or
“I bet I could lift you up, you look less than 60kg”.
Now I’m certainly not saying that weighing yourself is a waste of time, nor should you be smashing up the scales, but what I am saying is don’t let yourself get too obsessed with it, it’s not the be-all and end-all.
I am lucky enough to be surrounded by experts, and I’m learning something every single day, which is why I can continue to be happy and healthy, without any stress, but you too can have a crack at it.
Get in touch today, find out more, have a chat with some of the pro’s and see what UP can really do for you and your goals.
Until next time.
Sam
If you enjoyed reading this piece, why not learn more about fitness and read about Sam’s 12 week transformation journey.