Social Media has its uses in weight loss

Peoples’ perception of social media

These days it seems everyone is on social media. There are a lot of reasons people use social media. Some want to keep in touch with friends. Others are just bored and it is an easy distraction. Then there are those who use it to promote their business.

For a lot of people social media is a way to share their life to a lot more people than just those around them. Sure, there are a lot of people who spend too much time on their phones and there is a lot of justified criticism that too many who don’t have a real life because they spend their life online.

The fact though is social media is a thing and like most things is neither good nor bad, it all depends on the person and how they use it.

Social media can be both good for you or bad, it depends on you.

My experience with social media

I started out on Facebook around 2010. I remember it was during a four day period when we were snowed in due to a very heavy snowstorm in which we had nothing to do.

Primarily I joined because I found out a lot of my high school classmates were there. I also was a pastor at that time and it gave me an opportunity to connect with those in my church. All good motives. About a year later I found Bodyspace. It is a social media site connected with bodybuilding.com. Hoping to lose weight I joined to get ideas and inspiration but at that point I simply wasn’t motivated enough.

All was well just simply connecting with others over the next two years. It was just a way to pass time. I didn’t do much with Bodyspace except browse because not much was happening with my weight.

Then one of the bad things that can happen on social media happened. My wife met up with her high school boyfriend on Facebook and she started questioning our marriage.

I was on Bodyspace more during this time because I started losing weight while I was trying to save my marriage. What I didn’t realize was that my weight loss was due to stress and not anything else that I was doing.

After my ex left and my heart attacks happened I stopped going on Bodyspace because my weight slowly started climbing again due to my thyroid giving up after several months of adrenaline filled stress.

Looking back on my Facebook posts during this time you can see that though I tried to be upbeat there were a lot of posts about how difficult my life was. It was more sarcastic than uplifting at that time.

Also, social media ended up being just a place I could vent my frustration and pass the time of day, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Like I said before it all depends on you.

How you can be a positive influence on social media

Over time, as I got my life back on track and once I started my weight loss journey that has truly changed my life I started seeing social media in a different light. Instead of a place to vent my frustrations or a way of just passing the time, I started seeing social media as a tool, something that I could use to share my victories and insight.

After several years off of Bodyspace, I got back on and sought friends on there. I also opened an Instagram account and created a positive handle, a_life_rediscovered, which reflected my new look on life.

At first, especially on Bodyspace and Instagram I was looking for others who had succeeded in transforming themselves. It was my inspiration. The first thing I noticed was the ones who truly made a complete physical change were those who did it over time. Their before and after photos almost always was at least 2 to 3 years between the pictures.

I needed to see that. I needed to realize and accept the fact that transformation takes time. I followed several of these people and daily looked for their encouraging posts.

Over time I started posting my own before and after pictures. Some of the first ones I was still overweight but you could see the change was happening.

Once you could really see the difference in my before and after pictures I started getting noticed myself. I am starting to get my own followers who have commented to me that I am inspirational to them.

It is really a boost to one’s self esteem when you have your before and after photo shared by someone you have never met because they feel you deserve the recognition. It’s also a boost when you have a follower who professionally goes on stage in bodybuilding contests who likes and compliments on my hard work in my comments.

I’ve realized that now I have a responsibility to be an encourager to others. If I who for over 50 years was out of shape can lose over 100 pounds and get fit then anyone can and I want to help others do that. Social media is one of the tools that lets me reach a lot more people than I could ever reach in my community.

One extra thing social media helps with is accountability. So many lose weight only to gain it back later. By being an example on social media of what can be accomplished, I don’t want to gain it back. Instead, I want to push forward even further so I can continue to be an example to others.

You get out of social media what you put into it

So many of us use social media for the sake of entertainment, but it doesn’t have to be just a time-waster. You can make social media a source of your inspiration. You can use it to encourage you. Through that inspiration and encouragement it can motivate you to accomplish your goals of being a better person.

You can also use social media as a tool to turn the tables and be the encourager and motivator. You can be the one who inspires others by being a positive influencer.

Too often you see people attacking others or criticizing other on social media. So many people can be so negative on social media. There is too much drama and people with their own agendas that I have heard friends who can’t take it anymore and decide to turn off their social accounts.

Instead of getting on social media to be entertained and getting frustrated when you get drama, try looking at social media in a different light.

Instead of trying to get something out of Facebook or Instagram or whatever social media you are on, focus on what you can put into it. Focus on a way to positively influence those who see your posts.

Attacking people or ideas or getting angry and posting a heated post about whatever has angered you will not do you or anyone who reads your post any good. But on the other hand if you write about something positive in your life you could make someone’s day.

We all have both good and bad things happen to us every day. Focus on the good and deal with the bad. You will be better for it and those you share the good with will be blessed as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a blessed day.