I read an article recently about a woman in the UK (beauty queen Nadia Knight to be specific) who dropped four dress sizes after she saw an unflattering photo of herself on Facebook. At the young age of 20, Nadia weighed about 102 kilos (thanks to an incredibly unhealthy diet of fast food and alcohol). The problem was she didn’t realise how much weight she had put on until she saw the pictures of herself on the social networking site, and that was all it took for Nadia to take action. She’s now a slender size eight and has been crowned Miss Northampton.
And that really got me thinking – how often does it happen that you become so complacent with your lifestyle (especially in your late teens and early 20s) that you don’t even realise that things like binge drinking and a high-fat diet have completely changed your body? How often do you make excuses when your clothes don’t fit like they used to because you don’t want to face the fact that maybe you need to make big changes? (A personal favourite I like to use is the ‘it-just-came-out-of-the-dryer-it-just-needs-to-loosen’ excuse.)
As much as it bruises the ego, something like an unflattering Facebook picture (and I’m not talking about the kind where your eyes are rolled, you’re mid-sneeze, or the angle makes you look like you have a few extra chins) could be exactly what you need to take control of you your life and your health. It can be the harsh voice of reason you may not get from a friend or relative that you may need. I know I’ve come across a few shockers that have literally had me up, in my gym gear, and outside with my skipping rope.
It’s a hard realisation to come to, but if you’ve let a few things slip over the years, it could be all the motivation you need to get back on track.
Has this ever happened to you? Would something like an unflattering picture motivate you to change your diet and exercise regime?
