Guys, don't forget that it's a JOB for lots of people on instagram just to look good. They can build their whole day around eating and working out. But us "normal" people just don't have as much time to dedicate to look certain way and we shouldn't beat ourselves up for that.
I actively Do Not follow any fitness/health/etc ppl on Insta. I have never found that content to be inspiring, only ever made me feel inadequate and crap.
you are one of the handful of people that I adore in the online fitness industry because you're SO real and SO honest! Never ever stop what you are doing! xxxxxx
This video just showed up in my suggested, presumably because I just made a video on the SAME idea, and honestly I loved seeing this from the female point of view and I am INCREDIBLY happy that you are just as fed up as I am!
Not to mention what a privilege it is to be able to work out regularly!! A lot of people don't have access to good gyms in their area or they don't have enough money for a membership and transportation, or even for a set of weights to work out at home with. I work and study full-time and don't have the spare time, money, or energy on a good day to make it to the gym at ALL, let alone a couple times a week! For instagram models and celebrities bulking for a role, it's literally their job to train their body to look a certain way, and they have access to so many resources the average person doesn't, and this is rarely talked about either.
exactly i cant afford gym gear let alone a mmebership! i have bad joints so running on concrete doesnt help me so i struggle with getting fit. Things like protein bars and shakes are heiniously priced. i just make sure iget enough vegetarian protein and try and go on walks
Don’t forget about fitness models who have a pear shape to start with for example which makes their bum naturally more round, they have a tight gap and they make it sound like it’s their fitness program that made them look this way. Or they just get Lipo and fat transplants 😅
Anita Sadowska ugh yes I hate that. Women who've already bbl's, had ribs tooken out, have butt implants etc. Suddenly join the fitness scene, and sell some random crap product claiming it gave them their body ugh.
True...Thigh gap is part of a person's morphology. I've always been insecure cause I have a HUGE one cause I've always been skinny and I try gaining weight to fill it in and even with 5 to 10lbs more, it won't close... my hip bones are too whide and that's that, I'll never be able to fill it just like some ppl will never be able to have one and no one should care.
I'm a bit older and have never thought about how different growing up with Instagram and these "influencers" must be for young girls. I can't imagine what that must be like. It's damaging enough for me as an adult woman to compare myself to these images (because they're not even people, they're products that have been lit and edited to look a certain way). Every single person's body is different. I've done all the workouts and diets there are and my body doesn't move much from a set point. (I'm naturally VERY skinny and putting on any muscle is nigh on impossible for me.) Eventually I just accepted it and now I love my body; I do yoga to take care of it and try to eat well but am not perfect. (Loving my face is a different story, but I'm working on loving it too.) Thanks for putting this out there for all the young people, Mel.
I know he was just an example but I thought it was funny; in an interview Hugh Jackman actually talked about how people shouldn't aspire for his body type from Logan or Les Mis because the way he achieved the super muscular look was through extreme dehydration before shirtless scenes to lose water weight, which he stated was (obviously) very dangerous and required a medical team to monitor him!
My favorite is the IG model who shows her 6 week postpartum picture and she’s completely ripped again and her stomach is completely flat and I’m sitting here almost 2 years after having my baby just reaching my prepreggo weight. It makes us feel like, what’s wrong with me... why aren’t I as driven and motivated. Why am I focusing my energy on enjoying my newborn baby when she’s spending her days in the gyn... ugh. Those IG accounts are counterproductive
"Why am I focusing my energy on my newborn instead of the gym". Exactly; family and enjoying our lives, while doing what we can to set ourselves up for HEALTH is more important than looking a certain way, fitsspo literally breads orthorexia and other mental health issues. Obviously engaging and bonding with your child should be your first priority, but those accounts create unnecessary self-esteem issues. PS pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause huge hormonal changes that cause all sorts of problems, you should be proud of what you've achieved knowing that many women are NEVER able to get back down to their original weight.
OMG YES. Instagram and Social media are used as advertising platforms more so than ever before. So in a way it feels like the line between manufactured advertisements and people's real lives are becoming much more blurred. Which is such a difficult thing to understand and separate yourself from. Comparison to other people can lead us to feel so bad about ourselves, but it's such a strong way of making us buy in to things that it woks as an excellent tool to sell products/ideas/lifestyles. Especially in diet and fitness industries.
jenna marie That's very true. If you see hair model for Loreal shampoo on a TV, it's easier to tell yourself 'it's just an ad for hair product, there is a whole team of professionals behind this image', but when you see it on instagram it kinda seems it's the 'real life' and how people look all the time without really trying.
I really needed to hear this. I have a very complicated relationship with my body, sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. When I compare it to Instagram models I feel super insecure. Thank you for being so honest and explaining some things, it really helped❤️
I am as mad as you are. How can she promote a lolli as a way of suppressing appetite, even though most of her followers are young girls who believe these people advocate for good purposes. Nobody is perfect! It is hard to live in a world where perfection means money and is sought to be the goal. Thank you for addressing these topics Melanie i love you and the genuine approach you have to these topics.
Sarundo Inoue Thats so stupid. Everyone i mean EVERYONE.. man or woman.. has been doing anything for APPETITE SUPPRESANT. Ive been listening A LOT of famous MEN sharing their diet and appetite suppresant is their MAIN THING IN THE MORNING. They eat butter, they drink certain things the first thing in the morning. Theyre old, they age, You may be 16 you do not know the changes you face at 35+.. they do that not to be "skinny".. they do not spend the whole day looking in the mirror like snowflakes millenials thinking about 'body dysmorphia', they work for their kids send money to 8 diffrent families each month. They suppress appetite purely for their health
I always believed low calories and running for miles every day was the only way to lose weight, I did so much cardio I lost my period and haven't had it for 2 -3 years. I just recently joined the gym and started doing strength training 4 times a week, basically do no cardio except 10 mins walking on the tredmill before and after my workouts, increased my calories quite a lot and have leaned out more than I ever would of before. You don't need to slave away working out every day to get the body you want.
“Carbs make you fat. Biggest lie I’ve ever heard, no they don’t.” 😂 so true just loved the way you said it. Sounded like James Smith, aka the Gordon Ramsey of Fitness.
pile333 I think it is also important to note that not every younger person who has slight body image discomfort had body dysmorphic disorder. I was diagnosed with BDD my senior year of HS and it seems I started developing it from a very young age but at the time I was diagnosed I had severe suicidal tendencies and thoughts, I hated myself and it transcends only body image. It gives you a sort of inferiority complex in all other aspects of your life and it’s crippling.
I'm a 15 year old girl and am so effected by fitspo.I'm going on holiday tommorow and feel so insecure and not 'beach body ready' Thankyou for this video xxxx
molly R-T whatever body you have when you get to a beach is a beach body, you don't have to fit into a box that is impossible to fit in ❤️ you're so much more than your body type, and trust me I get it because when I was 15 I was the same (still struggling with it at 22) but I promise, it gets easier ❤️ people don't care as much as we're led to believe, and there's more to you than what you look like ❤️ you got this, it gets easier I promise ❤️
all bodies are 'beach ready' you just put them on the beach! But seriously no one will be looking at you.... They have all been made too self aware but this society we live in anyway!
Your body is beautiful, it’s strong and it supports your life. Treat it right! Don’t wait until it’s too late to feel comfortable with your body, enjoy your youth, enjoy your life!
Molly R-T as a woman that has double your age and have been in 3 different sizes during her lifetime, I tell you to that the beach body is a BIG FAT LIE. If people went to the beach only when they had a beach body then the beaches would be empty! People will not look at you because they also worry about their beach body. If anyone dares to say anything about your body shut them up and point them their defaults, see if they like it.
'Mentality of the quick fix'. So bloody fucking true. The thing is, if you want to see a (positive) difference in the mirror, you will, and then embrace it, they are your own! And they count. And this is so difficult to accept when you look on yourself through this lense of constant dissapointment. Well, I hope this made sense. Anyway. ^^ Great important video!!
It would be so interesting to see a video where you and your boyfriend talk about the pressure to look a certain way growing up and now. You do not often hear men talk about it but i think it can affect them just as much as women and you two make a fun cocktail in videos and i think you would be great to talk about it. Please consider it :)
I am a 19 yr old eating disorder fighter of orthorexia; ANYTHING fitness and lifestyle related causes a trigger. I feel lifestyles should be completely unfiltered and a “what I eat in a day” shouldn’t be promoted as perfect because in reality, we all have a cheeky snack or “bad food” once in a while if not once every day! As well as this “routines” don’t help because no human wakes every morning to a gallon of lemon water or cider vinegar hits the gym then eats a banana and feels like Jesus! The true struggle behind lifestyle changes and healthy habits should be promoted to let us all know WE AREN’T FAILURES FOR WANTING OR EATING A PIECE OF CAKE
Claire Whysall thank you so much! ❤️ you’re so right about passion! When every day is such a struggle with “what to do and eat to benefit my health and body most” it’s infuriating when others rub it in that they have got there lifestyle and diet SO RIGHT AND ITS SO EASY and everything I am doing is SO WRONG lol x
I'm 42 and still get mesmerized by the perfection bodies and face and skin on the Instagram even though I KNOW they all had plastic surgeries, using filters, using posing tricks and lightings and it is actually their job is to look good and they are paid a lot to be so. So I do feel so sorry for the young generation and it is scary the effect it is getting on them and how they are making such fawnies as their inspiration in life.
as a teenager I really struggle with the idea that teenage years are our ‘prime years’ in terms of looking good and I feel so guilty and mad at myself because I don’t look like a lot of people who are my age and I feel like I owe it to everyone around me to lose weight idk if this even makes sense but I feel like a let down and failure because I think I’m fat even tho I am in a healthy BMI for my age and height and stuff :( I just feel at my age I should look better. The other day I got my hair cut short with a fringe and my mum said I looked like you tho so I was really happy hehe 💚
hi it’s Aoife people who say that teenage years are the prime years may be a bit too far removed to remember what it's really like as a teenager. Maybe it comforts you a bit, I'm in my mid twenties and while I'm not always 100% confident, I'm pretty happy with myself now! It took me some time to find who I am, find my sense of style (which also helps immensely with feeling confident in your body) and I now appreciate what my body does for me (running half marathons etc). All of my friends feel the same, we wouldn't trade our bodies with our teenage selves. It's not all downhill from 21 ;)
If it makes you feel any better, my teen years were a wash for my looks. I only grew into them in my mid-twenties. Don't think of your teen years as your prime for anything in your life - they're most likely not! I don't miss being a teenager one bit. I really love my life as it is now and I'm nearly 30. It will get better
Prime years.. bullshit! Not for loads of people. I got quite bad anxiety as a teen and as I got to early adult years I realised how important it was for me to gain and get to a healthy weight for me and all I wanted was a healthy BMI! A healthy BMI is something you should be proud of :) Took me ages to get there and I love my 20's body more than my teen one. Still hate some things like hair removal but hopefully it all gets less meaningful in a few years. I find a lot of adults care about looks less so there's less pressure (if you surround yourself with the right people)
thank uuuu this was actually something I was thinking a lot about recently; I stopped using Instagram for a couple of months until I made a new account to stay connected to some friends because I could not handle the lies and bullshit Instagram had to offer (as of now I am 15, and I have been weightlifting for over half a year). Its upsetting that people play it out as simple, because its sooo much about discipline and its not as easy to get in shape as people find it and I am just very glad you made this video because it truly seems everyone in social media just won't ever speak truth (also people constantly edit their photos, or take them in early mornings before they bloat, or some people even use fake weights to mimic progress) and this whole genre really deserves to be called out so thank you so much
Melanie, I recently started weight training after struggling with body image for years. I don’t do it for the aesthetic benefits, but for mental health. I love how strong I feel. As a woman, I think it is so empowering to be able to lift. Thank you for much for this video, you’re an absolute star!! 💕☺️
"It can take months to see any difference in the mirror, but the emotional changes come really quickly" ^ This is what I need to always remind myself of! Exercise helps with my anxiety & depression SO much, but I lose sight of that all the time ... and when I forget that that's my "why," I lose motivation almost immediately. Thank you so much for this video ❤
If anyone wants to learn more about fitness without feeling insecure or just basically crushed by the people you follow, I suggest subscribing to *Natacha Oceane* here on youtube. She knows a *lot* about health and fitness, she never starves herself (or limits her calorie intake), and whilst she does go to the gym a lot and obviously looks incredible, she puts pictures on instagram of her struggling with exercises as well as succeeding. She's also really lovely.
Ruth Croft ooh good suggestion, love her on Instagram but never seen her UA-cam! I love that she shows that even she finds the exercises hard, such refreshing honesty
I do not like Natacha at all. I used to watch her before but she seems fake to me. Her workout routine is always way over-the-top and it makes me feel really useless and powerless. She seems like a nice person, outside all of that, but to me, she doesn't advertise a healthy and positive body image. I don't mean to offend anyone, just sharing my opinion!
Honestly, in regards to girls lifting heavy weights, it's good for our protection. How can a girl protect herself in a dangerous world like today if they have no strength to fight back? We need strength just as much as men
I often think about this, but currently bored of weight lifting especially as I can't afford gym membership and want to avoid fixating by following videos in the UK heatwave :') was wondering if you could recommend other beginners exercise with similar strength benefits?
You are one of the most truthful youtubers I'm subscribed to. I think it is really great that UA-cam is filled with different youtubers with different shapes and sizes because watching people that are inspiring to me, but not the 'perfect' size or shape has helped me tremendously with realizing that what I look like is human, not disgusting. *So thank you for making helpful relatable content*❤
I so needed this right now. I‘ve been working on trying to eat better and exercise more and I get so annoyed with myself and i skip a day at the gym or eat a chocolate bar. Thanks for reminding everyone that we don’t need to be perfect and that what we are shown on social media often isn’t the truth. You continue to be one of those UA-camrs i admire and respect 🙌🏽🎉
I REALLY needed this video right now.. I find myself constantly comparing myself to Instagram “fitness” models and in return I feel shitty about my own process. But this video honestly made me realize not everything on IG is real!! Thank you so much. Melanie you honestly have the BEST videos and I relate to you so much, you’re like a best friend I’ve never met! 💚Please never stop talking about things like this Xxx
You hit the nail right on the head with this one, girl! I've found that when I do exercise when I feel like it and am motivated to do so, which is about 2-3 times a week, I see better results than when I exercise 6 times a week and am miserable and exhausted afterwards! I'd rather have 2-3 higher quality, energized workouts than suffer and force myself for the sake of an image. Thank you for always speaking the truth, Mel. You've inspired me to develop a stronger and healthier relationship with my body and for that I will be forever grateful. ♡
This this this this!!! I used to be a dancer and then got M.E and was bedbound for a year, I’m only just getting back into very low hours work and maybe after that I’ll be able to start small with exercise again but I’ll never be able to dance again or be very active and instagram makes me feel sooooo shiiiiiiiit about that, I HATE the way I feel not being able to be active and it’s just the worst thing to see all the crap on insta and everywhere. Everything you said is SO true and the lies people are fed are so damaging and just thank you for putting it all into words, I think I need to have all this in mind and rewatch anytime I’m made to feel like crap through social media💚💚
Also this really effected me when I was 15-17, I’m currently almost 20 and it still makes me angry how much I put myself through, because I just wanted to get skinny. So thank you so much for raising these issues. I hate that social media is so good and bad for everyone. You can’t avoid it anymore. But you don’t have to let it effect you ♥️
I've found that despite Instagram having positive qualities, deleting the app has really helped me. Also planning to delete Facebook and just keep an anonymous account for local events as it's useful for that. We don't have to rely on those social medias as much as we think we do unless it's our job! Just an idea if you ever consider weening yourself off them you could always communicate with friends and close people by whatsapp email and text :)
I've been off and on workouts for pretty much my whole life and struggled so much with eating and working out. I've gotten to a point that I workout everyday without fail and eat a piece of chocolate every night and not kick myself for it. And it feels so good knowing that it's alright to not eat clean all the time but also knowing that you should do that whenever you can!!!!
As an eating disorder survivor, having someone like you to look up to and to remind me to be realistic and friendly with my own body is super precious, thank you!! I love Instagram and it is indeed often toxic, I just took a break for the "fitspiration" stuff because this is bringing me back to the phenomenon of "thinspiration" that was so bad for me. If anyone here has good recommendations of fitness Instagram account to follow that are honest and not unattainable, I would really love it! Thanks again for being raw with us ❤️
I am honestly so disgusted and appalled at the amount of rubbish “fitness” posts and lies about health there are. Some of these weight loss things things are dangerous and extremely damaging to people and can put their health at such a big risk it’s horrible. I honestly wish people could just be honest and human. It’s ok to not be at your ideal and it’s ok to admit you are trying or getting there or even want to! I’m so happy that I have people like you to promote actual and real advice and show that again you are a human and not some sort of Barbie. I hope more people can recognise the difference between the lies and truth and can find your channel and page to find some reality and reassurance💚Thank you
I'm so glad I see this. I've been weighing myself a least three times a day and restricting until I get home when I eat everything that is on the fridge and then hate myself for not having self control over my impulses. I know everything I see is carefully curated but still I can't find clmpassion for myself and my progress. Thank you, really. I feel less alone.
I haven't weight myself in yeeeeaaarrrs, I usually "measure" myself by the way I look and feel. Hearing you adress all this stuff means a lot to me, and I really look up to you since we have similar body types. I have struggle on and off for years with food, and hearing someone I look up to saying all this makes me feel super empowered. I really love everything you do Melanie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this.
I needed to hear this so much !!! I quit all social media for a year ...I’ve come back into the social media seen and it really does effect me . I just compare so much ! Thankyou for this 💗
I love you. Thank you for taking the time to make things real. I know with binge eating disorder, I fall for so many of the traps over and over again, and need constant reminders. I also wish more people would talk about the role genetics plays in how your body looks, regardless of how much or how little work you put into it.
I am in my 40’s and what I find with the fitness industry on UA-cam, instagram etc.. is that none of my age group is represented which is pretty frustrating. Also what you see out there isn’t necessarily fact more like fiction 😂. Information is very overwhelming and confusing and you don’t know who to trust 😩👎
Fifi Lebelle, agreed and most are total athletes. Just to be normal, healthy and do a bit of exercise for health is all that is needed and everyone goes way too far and hardly anyone can keep it up and most don't want to. That's why I try to be a point of difference just for normal peepsl
You are so right. People don’t want to understand these things and it’s easy to get sucked into it. Even I get caught up sometimes when I know it’s 100% bullshit.
I am way over 15...I'm actually more like your age, but still I feel like a little girl when family or "friends" come for me over my weight. No one ever supports my efforts in my family and instagram only makes it worse. I find your videos and posts very inspirational because I wanna be strong and healthy for myself and to do my job better. I think showing the slow progress and commitment is what helps me out, for I used to be so into the quick fix thing. I also had hormonal problems which only made it worse. Love you so much Mel, thanks for sharing this 💚
Love that you promote health in the real sense of the word, it's important to communicate that every person is different and you can't compare your progress to someone else's and we all have different body shapes, and there is not a magic and quick product or formula that will give you that! So true everything!
Thank you for putting this out there! It seems like a lot of my beauty/health/vlog girls that i follow are as mad as you are lately about it. I never thought about the young people (18 and younger) really felt this way. I hope this video reaches a lot of young girls out there because they a not alone. ❤❤ Thank you for this video. ❤❤
Thank you so much for making this video, Melanie! I've been a swimmer for years and I recently picked up long distance running. It's true that Instagram fitness models spread lots of lies/ misinformation. I wish fitness accounts would focus more on mental and physical strength instead of looks.
Thank you for sharing Melanie! I’ve had various relationships with health and fitness, from starving myself and doing cardio in my teens, to obsessively going into the weights room 6 times a week in 2015 (I was muscular but I wasn’t eating enough to maintain that much exercise) and now i go 3 times a week at most and lift weights, I’m a vegetarian and eat well but don’t deny myself lazy days and chocolate whenever I want them. I love seeing prominent UA-camrs speak up about this so thank you.
Yes! Thank you for this video Mel! I just started the Anti-Inflammatory Diet for health/hormonal reasons and hearing how both you and Thomas can still be fit and healthy while eating what works for your body is so comforting to hear. Always love your body-posi videos and love seeing your content on Instagram! 💚💚
girl I agree with you! I used to always think 'I have to always do cardio' to look good and lose weight, and I found myself getting very very thin and very unhappy. I've also recently got into lifting weights and I love myself SO much more. Definition is everything! thanks so much for making this video - people need to hear it 💚
My brother died a couple of months ago, in april. Its been incredibly difficult not to fall back into toxic behaviours. I was focusing very hard on not becoming anxious as i used to be because of how greif affects me. I didnt even notice my ED behaviour was coming back untill this video. Ive been obsessed with looking at "fitness" instagram and had completely forgotten all of this. Thank you for reminding me. What im trying to say very clumsily is that these type of videos from you are sososo valuable. Youve helped me today. Thank you x
Love It, Life is hard, they make life look easy. Life for me some days is like, why do I care about my job/ life in general, cause I'm caught in this cycle and it feels like I'm constantly hitting my head against a brick wall and hoping for a different result. But it's always the same
i needed this. I was being exposed to too much negative videos/headlines. Even just seeing "I hate myself I need to loose weight" titles on suggested youtube, or people getting really down on themselves about their weight online, was affecting me more then I realized. All this was so great! I've had a bad month, falling into old binge habits. But I just focused on myself this morning. I made avocado toast on this local bakery bread with green onion and locally grown tomatoes and a bit of olive oil and I ate it on my porch and it was just amazing. Like appreciating this simple breakfast FELT SO GOOD. VS eating an entire giant kitkat even after I start feeling sick, because "Whats even the point?" Watching your videos really helped me follow the idea of putting effort into your meals and LOVING what you eat. Like oooo I'm going to eat this protein bar and its going to be amazing! I'm going to start focusing on myself and not other peoples fitness journeys. And being as careful and picky about who I follow and what I watch as I am with food. Scrolling through the wrong instagram model could be just as bad as eating an entire bag of chips, ya know?
Really enjoyed this video. I for one have been tempted by the "quick fix" option for many years and always got frustrated when it didn't work. You're totally right in this video, fitness is a marathon, not a sprint, and you can't just give up after 2 days. Thank you for being so honest and inspirational for your young viewers, Melanie. I'm glad I have someone like you to look up to in these ways.
I really needed to watch this video. Instagram is very deceptive and I'm sick of being discouraged when I find 'easy workouts' difficult for my fitness and health level. :/
Thank you for speaking up about this. Life is sometimes difficult enough without the media and social media pressuring us into something we can't be with all the negative consequences to boost. I'm in my thirties and logically do know better than to believe all those BS, influencers and celebs sprout but I still find it difficult to be happy with my own body even though I know that I worked and still work hard for it. And I don't use social media like the younger people do (no IG, no FB etc.). It's the feeling of not being good enough, not fitting the mould so to speak even though I accept people who don't fit the mould equally to people who fit the mould. And then to think that my parents made sure to raise us without projecting body image thoughts, goals or their own feelings about their body on us. Especially the mother-daughter bond regarding the feelings about the mothers own body and how the mother speaks about her own body and her daughters body around her daughter can be damaging for the daughter if memory serves me correctly. We're talking the whole wide spectrum body related from food to clothes to the body itself. There is not much science and research yet regarding this but I have a feeling it will become more important in times to come. And yes there is no quick fix to getting a toned body. You have to put in the work and keep it up once you've reached your goal(s). 💚💚💚💚💚💚
i couldn't agree anymore, as someone who has struggled with anorexia since the age of 11 ideas such as these angers and irritates me SO GOD DAMN MUCH the amount of times i have tried to message them attempting to get my point across and getting blocked instantly.
I really appreciate when people in the fitness community Share those "reality check". I'm always trying to be perfect, all the time, every day, with my eating habits and my work out routine but... Perfection, it just doesn't exist! These unrealistic expectation leave us frustrated and unhappy 💚💚💚
Yes it's true. I once saw this on Tumblr... Try and treat yourself like you favorite hero from a book or a movie. Sympathize with yourself, learn your background, appreciate your strengths, forgive yourself. Be gentle, be kind, be patient... With yourself ❤️
Genesis Delangle This is honestly such a lovely way to see, I love the idea to treat oneself as you would a character you like in a book, such a great comparison, thank you ❤️
Another thing to always consider when you're comparing yourself to others and maybe not feeling to confident about yourself is the headspace you're in and the way your perspective on yourself can change so much within a couple of hours. This morning at the gym I felt awesome and strong, I even loved the fact that you could see how much I was sweating (it was so damn hot) but now I'm sitting in bed feeling bloated and not half as confident as I did 10 hours ago. Two days ago I had a real "I don't actually look half as bad"-moment whereas now I feel more meh about it, but I know that it'll be different again tomorrow. As soon as you realise this I feel like you become better at working with the way you perceive yourself and making the best out of it (whether that means working on it or just embracing it the way it is)
I loved the video, I think I'll rewatch it when I'm feeling down about my body. Could you make a video about how can we find out what workout is best for us? Like I mean some signs that we are improving or signs that we need to switch it up a bit. Love you ❤
Melanie, thank you SO much. I’m so grateful to feel just a little more free from the lies and smoke and mirrors of so much of the online fitness world and i love how much this topic gets you fired up! Cause it’s frustrating! Thank you 💚
As a 15 yr old girl I stay off social media because of things like this. I only have this UA-cam account and even here I get sucked into videos I hate like "weight loss tips every girl needs" and things that make me feel so bad. That's exactly why I stay off social media, but I'm quickly realizing I will need to get social media accounts soon bc that's the way the world works now. I'm a writer and publishers have actually told me if I want to get published I need a huge instagram fanbase before they will consider publishing me bc I need to have a social media following ready to market my book. It's terrible bc on some level I love being the only one without social media, I like staying away from the hate and being down to earth, but sometimes it's so hard bc that's how my friends get their information and I'm the one left out of groups bc of it. I like living my life this way but it's so sad I cant continue to live the way i want bc I want to write and have work published which I cant do without media. It feels like I'm being forced into it bc the world has moved on and suddenly I don't have a choice to have an Instagram or not it's a must for many jobs.
the world needs more of you. and in fact food ,exercise,and all of those fitness and health stuff are just small factores on health .humans are way more than just abody.
I love this video!! What personally helped me with getting into working out consistently is that I pulled a lower back muscle and had to do physiotherapy, after a few weeks I really started to find it relaxing and that it helps me to unwind - I also started to feel that I got stronger and was able to do more reps of each exercise which is really motivating and makes me want to stick to it!
All. Of. This. God... I think I've been lucky in that I've been athletic all my life, and so I've had structures in place to help me understand that change is gradual and requires a lot of work, but that doesn't mean I'm completely unaffected by quick-fix culture. And that's exactly what it is; it's looking for shortcuts to avoid the years and years and years of actual work you have to put in to achieve what you want on a more permanent basis. It doesn't work like that. It'd be nice if it could, for the sake of my lazy ass, but it doesn't.
Your every word speaks to me so much, and I wish I stumbled upon this video four years ago, when I got into "healthy" eating, subscribed to tons of instagramers and sincerely believed that their body looks like that naturally. I would panic if I got bloated stomach or if I wouldn't lose some kilos in a while. I'd believe that pumped muscles, curves and abs are the norm, and my tummy and thighs are disgusting. I thought I'm not worth. Now I looked through most of the accounts of that people, and I noticed that many of them suffered from eating disorders. My icons of healthy eating went through same thing as I did, but once I truly believed that they have everything under control. People on Instagram do lie, find angles and don't mention all the struggles that arise. I just hope that some desperate girl (like me few years ago) finds your video and decides to get out of this illusions and find her own way of life 💚
One thing I love on instagram is when people put up their nice posey picture bc I mean obviously they want to look good and that will make them feel good about themselves but then next to it the also put up a similar pose but without sucking in and stretching and contorting, they still look good in it but they don't look as mad as they do in the first one, I think it's just nice that it shows how although the first one is real it isn't reality
Thank you for this!! 3 years ago I gained about 30lbs in the span of a month thanks to some medicine that just wasn't for me. I've had horrible body image issues since, especially this year. I've been working out regularly since April and have lost 8lbs so far. My biggest struggle is food! There's a lot I can't have because of my GERD already and then there's a lot I just don't like, so it's been a bit of a struggle. Watching this made me feel better about the journey and how long it can be 💚💚
Amazing video as always Melanie. I believe videos like this can truly help to reverse some of the negative ways that these images affect our thought processes and are so important. Thank you for always being so open and genuinely caring about how we all feel. I have never met you but still love you lots! Holly xxx
I'm loving this video Mel! I recently made a fitness insta just to document my progress (for myself) and now i'm bombarded by self proclaimed fitness "gurus" trying to tell me what to do!
The amount of lies on social media, not just with fitness, is insane! I'm glad that everyone is realising it more and more now though. There are so many unrealistic, unobtainable images and even videos out there! I agree about the change of mentality towards fitness thing, whenever I tried to do exercise for a quick fix to lose some weight I always hated it and it never worked, but this year I've been exercising more than I ever thought I would and i'm enjoying it because i'm doing it for my mental health now, the physical health is a great feeling too.
I'm not a big fan of rant videos. I usually find them very negative with no solution in the end. But this was very well done Melanie!! You discussed the things you felt were harmful, and provided positivity and good advice! This is such an important topic, and I really needed to hear this..so so much.
I LOVE this!! I have been talking and reading about everything you discuss in this video for a while, especially with the muscle myth with weights in the gym! It is really encouraging having a youtuber you enjoy watching promote healthy living rather than useless or potentially dangerous ‘weight loss hacks’ 💛
This video is great. Right when I’m feeling frustrated and very conflicted about weight loss/food. Would you be able to do a video on all the things you’ve learnt about getting your body healthy? What foods cause what reaction in your body, I know you said everyone’s different but it would still be great to know what you’ve learnt
I used to sometimes not want to go the gym, just didn’t feel it. It took a couple years of dieting, a few months of extreme anorexia, years of binge eating, years of recovery not working, and to find weight lifting that I extremely enjoyed opened my eyes to a lifestyle I enjoy every single day.
I found myself endlessly nodding my head in agreement to all the points you bought up in this vid, Melanie! Thanks for calling out the social media bullshit and saying it like it is. We as women (and as people in general) need reminders like these that we don't need to be perfect all the time💖
Loved this video! Melanie, you were so on point about everything. Diets are just a fab. Workouts are boring and not a quick fix. Like Lucy Wyndham-reed says, working out is a lifestyle. I choose to work out for my mental health and to keep me in shape for myself and my son. With that said, I don’t do workouts like crazy. I do the recommended amount of twenty minutes and usually low impact cause high intensity workouts impact me negatively. But point is, workout to help maintain your health. Thank you for this and for being so real.
I am in the middle of fitness journey - losing weight. But I got so irritated with slow process that I was about to give up. But now after watching this, I am pretty positive about my process.😊♥️💙💚 You r the best.💞
this is so great. honestly not enough people feel brave enough to talk about this, and i am definitely one of the people who struggling having grown up with instagram etc. so really- thank you. what you do really matters :)
I agree with you so much. For people who want some support: see a nutritionist! They will weigh you but give you your muscle/fat ratio and focus on that +give you tips to feel good and reach your goals without feeling hungry all the time.
Great video. I actually deleted the Instagram app off my phone yesterday after watching Kalels video about social media and trying to be something you're not. Love this kind of content. ❤️
Thank you so much for this, I’m a sixteen year old who’s consistently on Instagram and I have obsessed over getting “thick” or getting a booty or fat stomach and I felt defeated because I was never able to look like “everyone on Instagram” but this makes me feel so much better an real so thank you so much
Thank you for speaking up on this. I've been diagnosed with anorexia and I still struggle with eating and my weight. It's so damaging to have people lie about all of this and see people buy into it. Love your channel 💚
Isobel W I am recovering from anorexia after a diagnosis a few years ago, so I know how you feel! This video was amazing, keep it in mind as you go on your journey to recovery ❤
I agree so much! I've dealt with body image issues since my early teens and I've come to the realize a lot of it comes from the pressure we have from society to mantain this 'social media perfect' image and to fit the beauty and fitness standards. I would spend hours everyday on Instagram comparing myself to all these 'fitness' models and even to my own friends. I deleted the app four months ago and have never felt better. It is just too harmful for me.
Headline: *One Weird Psychological Trick that's a Quick Fix for a Healthy Weight!* Article Contents: _When you take into account the time-frame for any notable change to occur on the galactic scale of the universe, the human lifespan is infinitesimally short. Thus, if you keep to a healthy routine - including a balanced diet and exercise - you will eventually reach a healthy weight in a time-frame you could describe as "Quick"._
Guys, don't forget that it's a JOB for lots of people on instagram just to look good. They can build their whole day around eating and working out. But us "normal" people just don't have as much time to dedicate to look certain way and we shouldn't beat ourselves up for that.
J. S. Exactly
I actively Do Not follow any fitness/health/etc ppl on Insta. I have never found that content to be inspiring, only ever made me feel inadequate and crap.
As a fitness influencer i cannot applaud you more for this, so much truth!
you are one of the handful of people that I adore in the online fitness industry because you're SO real and SO honest! Never ever stop what you are doing! xxxxxx
omg I LOVE YOU I FOUND YOU FROM YOUR COLLAB WITH MELANIE
This video just showed up in my suggested, presumably because I just made a video on the SAME idea, and honestly I loved seeing this from the female point of view and I am INCREDIBLY happy that you are just as fed up as I am!
Not to mention what a privilege it is to be able to work out regularly!! A lot of people don't have access to good gyms in their area or they don't have enough money for a membership and transportation, or even for a set of weights to work out at home with. I work and study full-time and don't have the spare time, money, or energy on a good day to make it to the gym at ALL, let alone a couple times a week! For instagram models and celebrities bulking for a role, it's literally their job to train their body to look a certain way, and they have access to so many resources the average person doesn't, and this is rarely talked about either.
exactly i cant afford gym gear let alone a mmebership! i have bad joints so running on concrete doesnt help me so i struggle with getting fit. Things like protein bars and shakes are heiniously priced. i just make sure iget enough vegetarian protein and try and go on walks
Ugh yes and don't forget they also have relatively easy access to plastic surgery, Botox, and steriods 😓
You dont need a gym to get fit but true. Not everyone has the time or money to go to a gym.
You can be fit if you really want to.
Dave Cockayne Stop being a troll.
Don’t forget about fitness models who have a pear shape to start with for example which makes their bum naturally more round, they have a tight gap and they make it sound like it’s their fitness program that made them look this way. Or they just get Lipo and fat transplants 😅
Anita Sadowska ugh yes I hate that. Women who've already bbl's, had ribs tooken out, have butt implants etc. Suddenly join the fitness scene, and sell some random crap product claiming it gave them their body ugh.
Exactly, they get a butt lift that makes the hip dips disappear and call it a result of their hard woek 😂😂😂😂
True...Thigh gap is part of a person's morphology. I've always been insecure cause I have a HUGE one cause I've always been skinny and I try gaining weight to fill it in and even with 5 to 10lbs more, it won't close... my hip bones are too whide and that's that, I'll never be able to fill it just like some ppl will never be able to have one and no one should care.
banana shaped women get implants then call themselves hourglasses
I'm a bit older and have never thought about how different growing up with Instagram and these "influencers" must be for young girls. I can't imagine what that must be like. It's damaging enough for me as an adult woman to compare myself to these images (because they're not even people, they're products that have been lit and edited to look a certain way). Every single person's body is different. I've done all the workouts and diets there are and my body doesn't move much from a set point. (I'm naturally VERY skinny and putting on any muscle is nigh on impossible for me.) Eventually I just accepted it and now I love my body; I do yoga to take care of it and try to eat well but am not perfect. (Loving my face is a different story, but I'm working on loving it too.) Thanks for putting this out there for all the young people, Mel.
I know he was just an example but I thought it was funny; in an interview Hugh Jackman actually talked about how people shouldn't aspire for his body type from Logan or Les Mis because the way he achieved the super muscular look was through extreme dehydration before shirtless scenes to lose water weight, which he stated was (obviously) very dangerous and required a medical team to monitor him!
My favorite is the IG model who shows her 6 week postpartum picture and she’s completely ripped again and her stomach is completely flat and I’m sitting here almost 2 years after having my baby just reaching my prepreggo weight. It makes us feel like, what’s wrong with me... why aren’t I as driven and motivated. Why am I focusing my energy on enjoying my newborn baby when she’s spending her days in the gyn... ugh. Those IG accounts are counterproductive
"Why am I focusing my energy on my newborn instead of the gym". Exactly; family and enjoying our lives, while doing what we can to set ourselves up for HEALTH is more important than looking a certain way, fitsspo literally breads orthorexia and other mental health issues. Obviously engaging and bonding with your child should be your first priority, but those accounts create unnecessary self-esteem issues. PS pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause huge hormonal changes that cause all sorts of problems, you should be proud of what you've achieved knowing that many women are NEVER able to get back down to their original weight.
The Panda I was being sarcastic, I didn’t actually feel that way.... but I know there are probably women who do feel that way when seeing these things
OMG YES. Instagram and Social media are used as advertising platforms more so than ever before. So in a way it feels like the line between manufactured advertisements and people's real lives are becoming much more blurred. Which is such a difficult thing to understand and separate yourself from. Comparison to other people can lead us to feel so bad about ourselves, but it's such a strong way of making us buy in to things that it woks as an excellent tool to sell products/ideas/lifestyles. Especially in diet and fitness industries.
jenna marie That's very true. If you see hair model for Loreal shampoo on a TV, it's easier to tell yourself 'it's just an ad for hair product, there is a whole team of professionals behind this image', but when you see it on instagram it kinda seems it's the 'real life' and how people look all the time without really trying.
I really needed to hear this. I have a very complicated relationship with my body, sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. When I compare it to Instagram models I feel super insecure. Thank you for being so honest and explaining some things, it really helped❤️
I am as mad as you are. How can she promote a lolli as a way of suppressing appetite, even though most of her followers are young girls who believe these people advocate for good purposes. Nobody is perfect! It is hard to live in a world where perfection means money and is sought to be the goal. Thank you for addressing these topics Melanie i love you and the genuine approach you have to these topics.
Sarundo Inoue Thats so stupid. Everyone i mean EVERYONE.. man or woman.. has been doing anything for APPETITE SUPPRESANT.
Ive been listening A LOT of famous MEN sharing their diet and appetite suppresant is their MAIN THING IN THE MORNING. They eat butter, they drink certain things the first thing in the morning. Theyre old, they age, You may be 16 you do not know the changes you face at 35+.. they do that not to be "skinny".. they do not spend the whole day looking in the mirror like snowflakes millenials thinking about 'body dysmorphia', they work for their kids send money to 8 diffrent families each month. They suppress appetite purely for their health
I always believed low calories and running for miles every day was the only way to lose weight, I did so much cardio I lost my period and haven't had it for 2 -3 years. I just recently joined the gym and started doing strength training 4 times a week, basically do no cardio except 10 mins walking on the tredmill before and after my workouts, increased my calories quite a lot and have leaned out more than I ever would of before. You don't need to slave away working out every day to get the body you want.
“Carbs make you fat. Biggest lie I’ve ever heard, no they don’t.” 😂 so true just loved the way you said it. Sounded like James Smith, aka the Gordon Ramsey of Fitness.
Body dysmorphic disorder: the plague of the younger generations!
Please, make videos about this growing social plague!
pile333 I think it is also important to note that not every younger person who has slight body image discomfort had body dysmorphic disorder. I was diagnosed with BDD my senior year of HS and it seems I started developing it from a very young age but at the time I was diagnosed I had severe suicidal tendencies and thoughts, I hated myself and it transcends only body image. It gives you a sort of inferiority complex in all other aspects of your life and it’s crippling.
I'm a 15 year old girl and am so effected by fitspo.I'm going on holiday tommorow and feel so insecure and not 'beach body ready' Thankyou for this video xxxx
molly R-T whatever body you have when you get to a beach is a beach body, you don't have to fit into a box that is impossible to fit in ❤️ you're so much more than your body type, and trust me I get it because when I was 15 I was the same (still struggling with it at 22) but I promise, it gets easier ❤️ people don't care as much as we're led to believe, and there's more to you than what you look like ❤️ you got this, it gets easier I promise ❤️
all bodies are 'beach ready' you just put them on the beach! But seriously no one will be looking at you.... They have all been made too self aware but this society we live in anyway!
Your body is beautiful, it’s strong and it supports your life. Treat it right! Don’t wait until it’s too late to feel comfortable with your body, enjoy your youth, enjoy your life!
molly R-T how to get a beach body:
Step 1 - have a body
Step 2- go to the beach
💖💖
Molly R-T as a woman that has double your age and have been in 3 different sizes during her lifetime, I tell you to that the beach body is a BIG FAT LIE. If people went to the beach only when they had a beach body then the beaches would be empty! People will not look at you because they also worry about their beach body. If anyone dares to say anything about your body shut them up and point them their defaults, see if they like it.
'Mentality of the quick fix'. So bloody fucking true. The thing is, if you want to see a (positive) difference in the mirror, you will, and then embrace it, they are your own! And they count. And this is so difficult to accept when you look on yourself through this lense of constant dissapointment. Well, I hope this made sense. Anyway. ^^
Great important video!!
It would be so interesting to see a video where you and your boyfriend talk about the pressure to look a certain way growing up and now. You do not often hear men talk about it but i think it can affect them just as much as women and you two make a fun cocktail in videos and i think you would be great to talk about it. Please consider it :)
I am a 19 yr old eating disorder fighter of orthorexia; ANYTHING fitness and lifestyle related causes a trigger. I feel lifestyles should be completely unfiltered and a “what I eat in a day” shouldn’t be promoted as perfect because in reality, we all have a cheeky snack or “bad food” once in a while if not once every day! As well as this “routines” don’t help because no human wakes every morning to a gallon of lemon water or cider vinegar hits the gym then eats a banana and feels like Jesus! The true struggle behind lifestyle changes and healthy habits should be promoted to let us all know WE AREN’T FAILURES FOR WANTING OR EATING A PIECE OF CAKE
That was so aggressive, I apologise. Love you always Mel 💚💚
Not aggressive, passionate. Nothing to apologise for :) x
Claire Whysall thank you so much! ❤️ you’re so right about passion! When every day is such a struggle with “what to do and eat to benefit my health and body most” it’s infuriating when others rub it in that they have got there lifestyle and diet SO RIGHT AND ITS SO EASY and everything I am doing is SO WRONG lol x
Preach girlllll
I wake up every day and workout but I find it difficult to maintain healthy eating habits ...............😶🍦🍩
I really agree that there isn't a "quick fix" when it comes to health and working out
I'm 42 and still get mesmerized by the perfection bodies and face and skin on the Instagram even though I KNOW they all had plastic surgeries, using filters, using posing tricks and lightings and it is actually their job is to look good and they are paid a lot to be so. So I do feel so sorry for the young generation and it is scary the effect it is getting on them and how they are making such fawnies as their inspiration in life.
as a teenager I really struggle with the idea that teenage years are our ‘prime years’ in terms of looking good and I feel so guilty and mad at myself because I don’t look like a lot of people who are my age and I feel like I owe it to everyone around me to lose weight idk if this even makes sense but I feel like a let down and failure because I think I’m fat even tho I am in a healthy BMI for my age and height and stuff :( I just feel at my age I should look better. The other day I got my hair cut short with a fringe and my mum said I looked like you tho so I was really happy hehe 💚
hi it’s Aoife people who say that teenage years are the prime years may be a bit too far removed to remember what it's really like as a teenager. Maybe it comforts you a bit, I'm in my mid twenties and while I'm not always 100% confident, I'm pretty happy with myself now! It took me some time to find who I am, find my sense of style (which also helps immensely with feeling confident in your body) and I now appreciate what my body does for me (running half marathons etc). All of my friends feel the same, we wouldn't trade our bodies with our teenage selves. It's not all downhill from 21 ;)
Kathrin aw thank you so so much for writing this it really made me feel so much better 💚 I appreciate it a lot :) x
If it makes you feel any better, my teen years were a wash for my looks. I only grew into them in my mid-twenties. Don't think of your teen years as your prime for anything in your life - they're most likely not! I don't miss being a teenager one bit. I really love my life as it is now and I'm nearly 30. It will get better
Agoraphobication thank you so much! 💕 x
Prime years.. bullshit! Not for loads of people. I got quite bad anxiety as a teen and as I got to early adult years I realised how important it was for me to gain and get to a healthy weight for me and all I wanted was a healthy BMI! A healthy BMI is something you should be proud of :) Took me ages to get there and I love my 20's body more than my teen one. Still hate some things like hair removal but hopefully it all gets less meaningful in a few years. I find a lot of adults care about looks less so there's less pressure (if you surround yourself with the right people)
thank uuuu this was actually something I was thinking a lot about recently; I stopped using Instagram for a couple of months until I made a new account to stay connected to some friends because I could not handle the lies and bullshit Instagram had to offer (as of now I am 15, and I have been weightlifting for over half a year). Its upsetting that people play it out as simple, because its sooo much about discipline and its not as easy to get in shape as people find it and I am just very glad you made this video because it truly seems everyone in social media just won't ever speak truth (also people constantly edit their photos, or take them in early mornings before they bloat, or some people even use fake weights to mimic progress) and this whole genre really deserves to be called out so thank you so much
Melanie, I recently started weight training after struggling with body image for years. I don’t do it for the aesthetic benefits, but for mental health. I love how strong I feel. As a woman, I think it is so empowering to be able to lift. Thank you for much for this video, you’re an absolute star!! 💕☺️
"It can take months to see any difference in the mirror, but the emotional changes come really quickly"
^ This is what I need to always remind myself of! Exercise helps with my anxiety & depression SO much, but I lose sight of that all the time ... and when I forget that that's my "why," I lose motivation almost immediately. Thank you so much for this video ❤
If anyone wants to learn more about fitness without feeling insecure or just basically crushed by the people you follow, I suggest subscribing to *Natacha Oceane* here on youtube. She knows a *lot* about health and fitness, she never starves herself (or limits her calorie intake), and whilst she does go to the gym a lot and obviously looks incredible, she puts pictures on instagram of her struggling with exercises as well as succeeding. She's also really lovely.
Ruth Croft ooh good suggestion, love her on Instagram but never seen her UA-cam! I love that she shows that even she finds the exercises hard, such refreshing honesty
I also really like Whitney Simmons who focus on a healthier lifestyle instead of quick diets.
I do not like Natacha at all. I used to watch her before but she seems fake to me. Her workout routine is always way over-the-top and it makes me feel really useless and powerless. She seems like a nice person, outside all of that, but to me, she doesn't advertise a healthy and positive body image. I don't mean to offend anyone, just sharing my opinion!
Honestly, in regards to girls lifting heavy weights, it's good for our protection. How can a girl protect herself in a dangerous world like today if they have no strength to fight back? We need strength just as much as men
I often think about this, but currently bored of weight lifting especially as I can't afford gym membership and want to avoid fixating by following videos in the UK heatwave :') was wondering if you could recommend other beginners exercise with similar strength benefits?
you look so gorgeous and irish, great vid girly!
I needed this so much more than I could have ever thought. Thank you, you wonderful woman.
You are one of the most truthful youtubers I'm subscribed to. I think it is really great that UA-cam is filled with different youtubers with different shapes and sizes because watching people that are inspiring to me, but not the 'perfect' size or shape has helped me tremendously with realizing that what I look like is human, not disgusting.
*So thank you for making helpful relatable content*❤
I so needed this right now. I‘ve been working on trying to eat better and exercise more and I get so annoyed with myself and i skip a day at the gym or eat a chocolate bar. Thanks for reminding everyone that we don’t need to be perfect and that what we are shown on social media often isn’t the truth. You continue to be one of those UA-camrs i admire and respect 🙌🏽🎉
I REALLY needed this video right now.. I find myself constantly comparing myself to Instagram “fitness” models and in return I feel shitty about my own process. But this video honestly made me realize not everything on IG is real!! Thank you so much. Melanie you honestly have the BEST videos and I relate to you so much, you’re like a best friend I’ve never met! 💚Please never stop talking about things like this Xxx
You hit the nail right on the head with this one, girl! I've found that when I do exercise when I feel like it and am motivated to do so, which is about 2-3 times a week, I see better results than when I exercise 6 times a week and am miserable and exhausted afterwards! I'd rather have 2-3 higher quality, energized workouts than suffer and force myself for the sake of an image. Thank you for always speaking the truth, Mel. You've inspired me to develop a stronger and healthier relationship with my body and for that I will be forever grateful. ♡
This this this this!!! I used to be a dancer and then got M.E and was bedbound for a year, I’m only just getting back into very low hours work and maybe after that I’ll be able to start small with exercise again but I’ll never be able to dance again or be very active and instagram makes me feel sooooo shiiiiiiiit about that, I HATE the way I feel not being able to be active and it’s just the worst thing to see all the crap on insta and everywhere. Everything you said is SO true and the lies people are fed are so damaging and just thank you for putting it all into words, I think I need to have all this in mind and rewatch anytime I’m made to feel like crap through social media💚💚
Also this really effected me when I was 15-17, I’m currently almost 20 and it still makes me angry how much I put myself through, because I just wanted to get skinny. So thank you so much for raising these issues.
I hate that social media is so good and bad for everyone. You can’t avoid it anymore. But you don’t have to let it effect you ♥️
I've found that despite Instagram having positive qualities, deleting the app has really helped me. Also planning to delete Facebook and just keep an anonymous account for local events as it's useful for that. We don't have to rely on those social medias as much as we think we do unless it's our job! Just an idea if you ever consider weening yourself off them you could always communicate with friends and close people by whatsapp email and text :)
I've been off and on workouts for pretty much my whole life and struggled so much with eating and working out. I've gotten to a point that I workout everyday without fail and eat a piece of chocolate every night and not kick myself for it. And it feels so good knowing that it's alright to not eat clean all the time but also knowing that you should do that whenever you can!!!!
As an eating disorder survivor, having someone like you to look up to and to remind me to be realistic and friendly with my own body is super precious, thank you!! I love Instagram and it is indeed often toxic, I just took a break for the "fitspiration" stuff because this is bringing me back to the phenomenon of "thinspiration" that was so bad for me. If anyone here has good recommendations of fitness Instagram account to follow that are honest and not unattainable, I would really love it! Thanks again for being raw with us ❤️
I am honestly so disgusted and appalled at the amount of rubbish “fitness” posts and lies about health there are. Some of these weight loss things things are dangerous and extremely damaging to people and can put their health at such a big risk it’s horrible. I honestly wish people could just be honest and human. It’s ok to not be at your ideal and it’s ok to admit you are trying or getting there or even want to! I’m so happy that I have people like you to promote actual and real advice and show that again you are a human and not some sort of Barbie. I hope more people can recognise the difference between the lies and truth and can find your channel and page to find some reality and reassurance💚Thank you
You literally help people so much, thank you.
I'm so glad I see this. I've been weighing myself a least three times a day and restricting until I get home when I eat everything that is on the fridge and then hate myself for not having self control over my impulses. I know everything I see is carefully curated but still I can't find clmpassion for myself and my progress. Thank you, really. I feel less alone.
I haven't weight myself in yeeeeaaarrrs, I usually "measure" myself by the way I look and feel. Hearing you adress all this stuff means a lot to me, and I really look up to you since we have similar body types. I have struggle on and off for years with food, and hearing someone I look up to saying all this makes me feel super empowered. I really love everything you do Melanie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this.
I needed to hear this so much !!! I quit all social media for a year ...I’ve come back into the social media seen and it really does effect me . I just compare so much ! Thankyou for this 💗
chelsea Jones I did the exact same and literally only have instagram to show how fake it is
I love you. Thank you for taking the time to make things real. I know with binge eating disorder, I fall for so many of the traps over and over again, and need constant reminders. I also wish more people would talk about the role genetics plays in how your body looks, regardless of how much or how little work you put into it.
I am in my 40’s and what I find with the fitness industry on UA-cam, instagram etc.. is that none of my age group is represented which is pretty frustrating. Also what you see out there isn’t necessarily fact more like fiction 😂. Information is very overwhelming and confusing and you don’t know who to trust 😩👎
Fifi Lebelle, agreed and most are total athletes. Just to be normal, healthy and do a bit of exercise for health is all that is needed and everyone goes way too far and hardly anyone can keep it up and most don't want to. That's why I try to be a point of difference just for normal peepsl
I just love this camera angle! I remember loving it last time too! I love your talking videos
You are so right. People don’t want to understand these things and it’s easy to get sucked into it. Even I get caught up sometimes when I know it’s 100% bullshit.
I am way over 15...I'm actually more like your age, but still I feel like a little girl when family or "friends" come for me over my weight. No one ever supports my efforts in my family and instagram only makes it worse. I find your videos and posts very inspirational because I wanna be strong and healthy for myself and to do my job better. I think showing the slow progress and commitment is what helps me out, for I used to be so into the quick fix thing. I also had hormonal problems which only made it worse. Love you so much Mel, thanks for sharing this 💚
Love that you promote health in the real sense of the word, it's important to communicate that every person is different and you can't compare your progress to someone else's and we all have different body shapes, and there is not a magic and quick product or formula that will give you that! So true everything!
Thank you for putting this out there! It seems like a lot of my beauty/health/vlog girls that i follow are as mad as you are lately about it. I never thought about the young people (18 and younger) really felt this way. I hope this video reaches a lot of young girls out there because they a not alone. ❤❤ Thank you for this video. ❤❤
Hearing you say that you like your tummy made me so happy for you, and also feel better about myself. Also I love this rant and I love you.
I am 17years old and I need more people like you to look up to😊 Honestly I love your videos so much and they have helped me alot❤️
Thank you so much for making this video, Melanie! I've been a swimmer for years and I recently picked up long distance running. It's true that Instagram fitness models spread lots of lies/ misinformation. I wish fitness accounts would focus more on mental and physical strength instead of looks.
YES MELANIE! Go off! Say it louder for those in the back! 💚
Thank you for sharing Melanie! I’ve had various relationships with health and fitness, from starving myself and doing cardio in my teens, to obsessively going into the weights room 6 times a week in 2015 (I was muscular but I wasn’t eating enough to maintain that much exercise) and now i go 3 times a week at most and lift weights, I’m a vegetarian and eat well but don’t deny myself lazy days and chocolate whenever I want them. I love seeing prominent UA-camrs speak up about this so thank you.
Yes! Thank you for this video Mel! I just started the Anti-Inflammatory Diet for health/hormonal reasons and hearing how both you and Thomas can still be fit and healthy while eating what works for your body is so comforting to hear. Always love your body-posi videos and love seeing your content on Instagram! 💚💚
I agree with absolutely everything!! There are a lot of good instagram influencers, but there are TONS of lying/sneaking people argh
girl I agree with you! I used to always think 'I have to always do cardio' to look good and lose weight, and I found myself getting very very thin and very unhappy. I've also recently got into lifting weights and I love myself SO much more. Definition is everything! thanks so much for making this video - people need to hear it 💚
My brother died a couple of months ago, in april. Its been incredibly difficult not to fall back into toxic behaviours. I was focusing very hard on not becoming anxious as i used to be because of how greif affects me. I didnt even notice my ED behaviour was coming back untill this video. Ive been obsessed with looking at "fitness" instagram and had completely forgotten all of this. Thank you for reminding me. What im trying to say very clumsily is that these type of videos from you are sososo valuable. Youve helped me today. Thank you x
Love It, Life is hard, they make life look easy. Life for me some days is like, why do I care about my job/ life in general, cause I'm caught in this cycle and it feels like I'm constantly hitting my head against a brick wall and hoping for a different result. But it's always the same
Lifes mad...
i needed this. I was being exposed to too much negative videos/headlines. Even just seeing "I hate myself I need to loose weight" titles on suggested youtube, or people getting really down on themselves about their weight online, was affecting me more then I realized.
All this was so great! I've had a bad month, falling into old binge habits.
But I just focused on myself this morning. I made avocado toast on this local bakery bread with green onion and locally grown tomatoes and a bit of olive oil and I ate it on my porch and it was just amazing. Like appreciating this simple breakfast FELT SO GOOD. VS eating an entire giant kitkat even after I start feeling sick, because "Whats even the point?"
Watching your videos really helped me follow the idea of putting effort into your meals and LOVING what you eat. Like oooo I'm going to eat this protein bar and its going to be amazing!
I'm going to start focusing on myself and not other peoples fitness journeys. And being as careful and picky about who I follow and what I watch as I am with food. Scrolling through the wrong instagram model could be just as bad as eating an entire bag of chips, ya know?
Really enjoyed this video. I for one have been tempted by the "quick fix" option for many years and always got frustrated when it didn't work. You're totally right in this video, fitness is a marathon, not a sprint, and you can't just give up after 2 days. Thank you for being so honest and inspirational for your young viewers, Melanie. I'm glad I have someone like you to look up to in these ways.
I really needed to watch this video. Instagram is very deceptive and I'm sick of being discouraged when I find 'easy workouts' difficult for my fitness and health level. :/
Thank you for speaking up about this. Life is sometimes difficult enough without the media and social media pressuring us into something we can't be with all the negative consequences to boost. I'm in my thirties and logically do know better than to believe all those BS, influencers and celebs sprout but I still find it difficult to be happy with my own body even though I know that I worked and still work hard for it. And I don't use social media like the younger people do (no IG, no FB etc.). It's the feeling of not being good enough, not fitting the mould so to speak even though I accept people who don't fit the mould equally to people who fit the mould. And then to think that my parents made sure to raise us without projecting body image thoughts, goals or their own feelings about their body on us. Especially the mother-daughter bond regarding the feelings about the mothers own body and how the mother speaks about her own body and her daughters body around her daughter can be damaging for the daughter if memory serves me correctly. We're talking the whole wide spectrum body related from food to clothes to the body itself. There is not much science and research yet regarding this but I have a feeling it will become more important in times to come.
And yes there is no quick fix to getting a toned body. You have to put in the work and keep it up once you've reached your goal(s).
💚💚💚💚💚💚
i couldn't agree anymore, as someone who has struggled with anorexia since the age of 11 ideas such as these angers and irritates me SO GOD DAMN MUCH the amount of times i have tried to message them attempting to get my point across and getting blocked instantly.
I really appreciate when people in the fitness community Share those "reality check". I'm always trying to be perfect, all the time, every day, with my eating habits and my work out routine but... Perfection, it just doesn't exist! These unrealistic expectation leave us frustrated and unhappy 💚💚💚
I absolutely agree, it's so disheartening sometimes because it feels unattainable! We'll just have to be patient and warm with ourselves I guess
Yes it's true. I once saw this on Tumblr... Try and treat yourself like you favorite hero from a book or a movie. Sympathize with yourself, learn your background, appreciate your strengths, forgive yourself. Be gentle, be kind, be patient... With yourself ❤️
Genesis Delangle This is honestly such a lovely way to see, I love the idea to treat oneself as you would a character you like in a book, such a great comparison, thank you ❤️
Another thing to always consider when you're comparing yourself to others and maybe not feeling to confident about yourself is the headspace you're in and the way your perspective on yourself can change so much within a couple of hours. This morning at the gym I felt awesome and strong, I even loved the fact that you could see how much I was sweating (it was so damn hot) but now I'm sitting in bed feeling bloated and not half as confident as I did 10 hours ago. Two days ago I had a real "I don't actually look half as bad"-moment whereas now I feel more meh about it, but I know that it'll be different again tomorrow. As soon as you realise this I feel like you become better at working with the way you perceive yourself and making the best out of it (whether that means working on it or just embracing it the way it is)
I loved the video, I think I'll rewatch it when I'm feeling down about my body. Could you make a video about how can we find out what workout is best for us? Like I mean some signs that we are improving or signs that we need to switch it up a bit. Love you ❤
There are too much ppl who think they know it all on insta and other places, and half of those things are fake.Great video loved it.
Love your ranty videos, in fact, I love all of your videos! 😘 Thanks for making this, videos like these are so so important! You're amazing Mel 💚
Melanie, thank you SO much. I’m so grateful to feel just a little more free from the lies and smoke and mirrors of so much of the online fitness world and i love how much this topic gets you fired up! Cause it’s frustrating! Thank you 💚
Completely agree. People should follow the health plan that works for them.
As a 15 yr old girl I stay off social media because of things like this. I only have this UA-cam account and even here I get sucked into videos I hate like "weight loss tips every girl needs" and things that make me feel so bad. That's exactly why I stay off social media, but I'm quickly realizing I will need to get social media accounts soon bc that's the way the world works now. I'm a writer and publishers have actually told me if I want to get published I need a huge instagram fanbase before they will consider publishing me bc I need to have a social media following ready to market my book. It's terrible bc on some level I love being the only one without social media, I like staying away from the hate and being down to earth, but sometimes it's so hard bc that's how my friends get their information and I'm the one left out of groups bc of it. I like living my life this way but it's so sad I cant continue to live the way i want bc I want to write and have work published which I cant do without media. It feels like I'm being forced into it bc the world has moved on and suddenly I don't have a choice to have an Instagram or not it's a must for many jobs.
the world needs more of you. and in fact food ,exercise,and all of those fitness and health stuff are just small factores on health .humans are way more than just abody.
I love this video!!
What personally helped me with getting into working out consistently is that I pulled a lower back muscle and had to do physiotherapy, after a few weeks I really started to find it relaxing and that it helps me to unwind - I also started to feel that I got stronger and was able to do more reps of each exercise which is really motivating and makes me want to stick to it!
All. Of. This. God... I think I've been lucky in that I've been athletic all my life, and so I've had structures in place to help me understand that change is gradual and requires a lot of work, but that doesn't mean I'm completely unaffected by quick-fix culture. And that's exactly what it is; it's looking for shortcuts to avoid the years and years and years of actual work you have to put in to achieve what you want on a more permanent basis. It doesn't work like that. It'd be nice if it could, for the sake of my lazy ass, but it doesn't.
Your every word speaks to me so much, and I wish I stumbled upon this video four years ago, when I got into "healthy" eating, subscribed to tons of instagramers and sincerely believed that their body looks like that naturally. I would panic if I got bloated stomach or if I wouldn't lose some kilos in a while. I'd believe that pumped muscles, curves and abs are the norm, and my tummy and thighs are disgusting. I thought I'm not worth.
Now I looked through most of the accounts of that people, and I noticed that many of them suffered from eating disorders. My icons of healthy eating went through same thing as I did, but once I truly believed that they have everything under control.
People on Instagram do lie, find angles and don't mention all the struggles that arise. I just hope that some desperate girl (like me few years ago) finds your video and decides to get out of this illusions and find her own way of life 💚
One thing I love on instagram is when people put up their nice posey picture bc I mean obviously they want to look good and that will make them feel good about themselves but then next to it the also put up a similar pose but without sucking in and stretching and contorting, they still look good in it but they don't look as mad as they do in the first one, I think it's just nice that it shows how although the first one is real it isn't reality
Thank you for this!! 3 years ago I gained about 30lbs in the span of a month thanks to some medicine that just wasn't for me. I've had horrible body image issues since, especially this year. I've been working out regularly since April and have lost 8lbs so far. My biggest struggle is food! There's a lot I can't have because of my GERD already and then there's a lot I just don't like, so it's been a bit of a struggle. Watching this made me feel better about the journey and how long it can be 💚💚
I didn't realise how badly I needed some one to tell me this! Thank you
Amazing video as always Melanie. I believe videos like this can truly help to reverse some of the negative ways that these images affect our thought processes and are so important. Thank you for always being so open and genuinely caring about how we all feel. I have never met you but still love you lots! Holly xxx
I'm loving this video Mel! I recently made a fitness insta just to document my progress (for myself) and now i'm bombarded by self proclaimed fitness "gurus" trying to tell me what to do!
The amount of lies on social media, not just with fitness, is insane! I'm glad that everyone is realising it more and more now though. There are so many unrealistic, unobtainable images and even videos out there! I agree about the change of mentality towards fitness thing, whenever I tried to do exercise for a quick fix to lose some weight I always hated it and it never worked, but this year I've been exercising more than I ever thought I would and i'm enjoying it because i'm doing it for my mental health now, the physical health is a great feeling too.
Love to hear your reaction
I'm not a big fan of rant videos. I usually find them very negative with no solution in the end. But this was very well done Melanie!! You discussed the things you felt were harmful, and provided positivity and good advice! This is such an important topic, and I really needed to hear this..so so much.
Also, off topic but... Your skin thoughl!! You look like a lady in an oil painting or something.. So pretty!
I LOVE this!! I have been talking and reading about everything you discuss in this video for a while, especially with the muscle myth with weights in the gym! It is really encouraging having a youtuber you enjoy watching promote healthy living rather than useless or potentially dangerous ‘weight loss hacks’ 💛
This video is great. Right when I’m feeling frustrated and very conflicted about weight loss/food. Would you be able to do a video on all the things you’ve learnt about getting your body healthy? What foods cause what reaction in your body, I know you said everyone’s different but it would still be great to know what you’ve learnt
I used to sometimes not want to go the gym, just didn’t feel it. It took a couple years of dieting, a few months of extreme anorexia, years of binge eating, years of recovery not working, and to find weight lifting that I extremely enjoyed opened my eyes to a lifestyle I enjoy every single day.
I found myself endlessly nodding my head in agreement to all the points you bought up in this vid, Melanie! Thanks for calling out the social media bullshit and saying it like it is. We as women (and as people in general) need reminders like these that we don't need to be perfect all the time💖
Loved this video! Melanie, you were so on point about everything. Diets are just a fab. Workouts are boring and not a quick fix. Like Lucy Wyndham-reed says, working out is a lifestyle. I choose to work out for my mental health and to keep me in shape for myself and my son. With that said, I don’t do workouts like crazy. I do the recommended amount of twenty minutes and usually low impact cause high intensity workouts impact me negatively. But point is, workout to help maintain your health.
Thank you for this and for being so real.
I am in the middle of fitness journey - losing weight. But I got so irritated with slow process that I was about to give up. But now after watching this, I am pretty positive about my process.😊♥️💙💚 You r the best.💞
this is so great. honestly not enough people feel brave enough to talk about this, and i am definitely one of the people who struggling having grown up with instagram etc. so really- thank you. what you do really matters :)
I agree with you so much. For people who want some support: see a nutritionist! They will weigh you but give you your muscle/fat ratio and focus on that +give you tips to feel good and reach your goals without feeling hungry all the time.
Great video. I actually deleted the Instagram app off my phone yesterday after watching Kalels video about social media and trying to be something you're not. Love this kind of content. ❤️
Preach girl. I love that you're so open about this stuff! We share so many of the same thoughts! x
'He looks like a cloud' loolll
I totally agree. Thank you for sharing this. It`s so important to spread this message
I really love this, all the misinformation online is scary considering how many young people have access to it online!
Thank you so much for this, I’m a sixteen year old who’s consistently on Instagram and I have obsessed over getting “thick” or getting a booty or fat stomach and I felt defeated because I was never able to look like “everyone on Instagram” but this makes me feel so much better an real so thank you so much
Thank you for speaking up on this. I've been diagnosed with anorexia and I still struggle with eating and my weight. It's so damaging to have people lie about all of this and see people buy into it. Love your channel 💚
Isobel W I am recovering from anorexia after a diagnosis a few years ago, so I know how you feel! This video was amazing, keep it in mind as you go on your journey to recovery ❤
I agree so much! I've dealt with body image issues since my early teens and I've come to the realize a lot of it comes from the pressure we have from society to mantain this 'social media perfect' image and to fit the beauty and fitness standards. I would spend hours everyday on Instagram comparing myself to all these 'fitness' models and even to my own friends. I deleted the app four months ago and have never felt better. It is just too harmful for me.
Headline: *One Weird Psychological Trick that's a Quick Fix for a Healthy Weight!*
Article Contents: _When you take into account the time-frame for any notable change to occur on the galactic scale of the universe, the human lifespan is infinitesimally short. Thus, if you keep to a healthy routine - including a balanced diet and exercise - you will eventually reach a healthy weight in a time-frame you could describe as "Quick"._
Dixavd 😂😂😂