‘How skinny can I get?’ Fitness ‘grammer warns against ‘Insta trap’

A fitness influencer has recently used her Instagram account to highlight the dangers associated with falling into the 'Instagram trap'.

Erin, who boasts more than 47,000 followers, uploaded a photo which she felt best illustrated her body's response to pressure she felt after comparing herself against other Instagram accounts.

The upload, which shows two photos of Erin side by side, were accompanied by a lengthy caption which explored her unhealthy relationship to fitness and body image.

 

A different kind of transformation Tuesday comin at ya. Left is February 2016, right is last week, June 2017. On the left I was ADDICTED to working out and was running myself into the ground. I was not eating close to what I should've been eating and ended up with a severe case of anemia causing a lack of energy to the point where I could barely get out of bed. Yet, I still forced myself to go to the gym although I felt like a zombie. The reason for this? Instagram. It becomes so easy to start comparing yourself to others on here, which led me to developing a mindset of – "how skinny can I get?" rather than "how healthy can I be?" A number on a scale does not and should not dictate happiness so I'm not going to get into that in this post. What I think I think is most important is how much HAPPIER I am in the photo on the right. I finally understand the term balance – my old idea of balance was cutting cals during the week, binging on the weekends, and then forcing myself to run miles on miles to make up for it. What is balance for me now? Listening to the cues my body gives me, eating intuitively (no more macros or calorie counting), nourishing my body with whole foods, taking rest days when my body needs them, and most importantly: prioritizing time with people I love. My only advice for you is don't fall into the Instagram trap. Not everything on here is picture perfect. Stop comparing yourself to others and start loving the body you have been given. After all, it is capable of great things!

A post shared by Erin (@queencitysweat) on Jun 20, 2017 at 1:32pm PDT

"Left is February 2016, right is last week, June 2017. On the left I was ADDICTED to working out and was running myself into the ground," Erin admitted.

"I was not eating close to what I should've been eating and ended up with a severe case of anemia causing a lack of energy to the point where I could barely get out of bed."

"Yet, I still forced myself to go to the gym although I felt like a zombie. The reason for this? Instagram," she wrote.

Admitting that the social media platform wreaked havoc on her self-perception, Erin continued: "It becomes so easy to start comparing yourself to others on here, which led me to developing a mindset of – "how skinny can I get?" rather than "how healthy can I be?"

 

Wasn't going to work out today but then I woke up and realized it wouldn't be right if I didn't work out @madarlington on my birthday 25 shoot throughs in honor of 25

A post shared by Erin (@queencitysweat) on Jan 21, 2017 at 6:29am PST

Insisting that a number on a scale is not indicative of anyone's happiness, Erin continued: "What I think I think is most important is how much HAPPIER I am in the photo on the right."

"I finally understand the term balance – my old idea of balance was cutting cals during the week, binging on the weekends, and then forcing myself to run miles on miles to make up for it. What is balance for me now?" Erin asked.

"Listening to the cues my body gives me, eating intuitively (no more macros or calorie counting), nourishing my body with whole foods, taking rest days when my body needs them, and most importantly: prioritizing time with people I love."

 

Pineapple hair, don't care post Yoga Sculpt class @corepoweryoga Finally committing myself to yoga 1-2x a week! I can't recall how many times I've said this to you guys but I'm for real this time – this is my accountability post, you heard it here first For my Charlotte peeps who probably haven't checked it out yet because it's so new – your first week is free! I highly recommend trying it out, especially a Yoga Sculpt class!#cpy #corepoweryoga #spon

A post shared by Erin (@queencitysweat) on Apr 27, 2017 at 12:10pm PDT

Concerned that her followers place too much emphasis on goals and targets over health and wellbeing, Erin advised her followers to take Instagram with a grain of salt.

"My only advice for you is don't fall into the Instagram trap. Not everything on here is picture perfect."

"Stop comparing yourself to others and start loving the body you have been given. After all, it is capable of great things," she finished in the post which has racked up more than 5,000 likes so far.