Watching the new Weight Watchers commercials from Oprah made me pause and consider the moment.  Here is Oprah: the legend, the media icon, CULTURAL REVOLUTIONARY, billionaire, and a character in my FAVORITE movie of all time on television imploring women to, “Make 2016 the year of our best bodies.”

Here is this woman who has accomplished all there is to accomplish putting her very public struggle with weight on blast YET AGAIN for public consumption.

This led me to ask the question:  Is publicly sharing your weight weight woes healthy for your self image and self esteem?

A wagon full of Fat and a selfie….

One of the WagonOfFatreasons Oprah is so successful is because of her transparency and vulnerability whether it is about weight, abuse, or low self esteem  She has shared a LOT of her life with her public and it’s why she is so beloved by many people.

Who can forget when she wheeled out the wagon full of fat to illustrate her weight loss from that liquid diet only to gain even more weight back later on down the line.  Can any woman who has been on the eternal diet train NOT relate to that moment of victory only to be crushed by the later shame of defeat?

I sure can relate to it.

The modern day equivalent of wheeling the butter out would be the non stop posting of selfies and victorious “After” weight loss pictures.

We often say that we are sharing these photos in order to be transparent but I think it’s more than that.  I believe that we do this because we are seeking affirmation from others and CONFIRMATION from ourselves that we’ve conquered the eternal albatross around our neck that is their body.

When it inevitably fails, our self image takes a nose dive and one of 2 things happen.

  1.  We put on an artificially happy demeanor and post empty motivational quotes
  2.  We go silent altogether

Tips to sharing your self improvement journey while maintaining a healthy self image

I’ve been very open about my own journey and I’ve received a lot of support from people.  However I’ve learned some important lessons along the way.  I think you can share your journey and maintain a healthy self image but it does take awareness and intention.

1) Ask yourself WHY you’re sharing this journey.

Is it because you want attention?

Is it because you’re insecure and are seeking validation and affirmation?

Is it because you want to feel superior?  Important?

The WHY is always important.  Not the superficial, shallow, and sounds good why but the REAL why.

2) Shut up, Do work, and let the results speak for themselves.

I’ve noticed something quite interesting on my social media timelines.  The successful real athletes that I follow (Gold Medalists, Champions in their various sports, etc) don’t post NEARLY the amount of selfies as people who are gym goers and feel the need to document every workout.

The actual athletes I follow get paid to train, work hard, and get results but they don’t post about the gym every day or what they’re doing.  Do you know why?  They are too busy doing to worry about trying to show off for others.

There’s a lesson here:  The people who are actually doing something athletic rarely post selfies or videos because they’re training to be the best at their craft, BUT people who go to the gym every day because they want to look good post every time they workout?

3) A healthy self image begins with your MINDSET and not on Instagram

I love this quote because it hammers the point home that MINDSET MATTERS MOST

When your entire self image is about how you look and the image you’re portraying to others then you’re doomed.  Even when you get “there” it won’t be enough.  You’ll constantly find something to nitpick and complain about.

You’re doomed to become self loathing, self obsessed, and you will be defeated by all of the self doubt you’ve created between your ears.  Above I said it was incredible that athletes don’t spend their time taking endless selfies, videos, and talking about every single workout.  It’s actually not that incredible because athletes are training for FUNCTION.  They are training to be able to WIN and not just receive the applause applause applause from the crowd.  Looks are a byproduct and not the main focus.

That’s what a Fiercely Fit Lifestyle does.  It trains you to be able to FUNCTION in your life.

This past weekend I ran into an old client and we discussed functional strength.  She says that her job requires lifting, moving, and being on her feet for several hours a day.  She reported that she outdoes all of her younger counterparts.  She is just shy of 70.  Not once did we discuss how she looked because it didn’t matter.  What matters is that she’s able to live a full and functional life because she is committed to good nutrition and exercise.  She’s also done some other incredible things because of her commitment to good health.

Back to Oprah

There is so much more to this conversation that I want to explore but I want to address one issue right here.  I understand why she’s sharing this journey and I don’t begrudge her for it.

Getting healthier IS hard and a struggle for so many people.  People can see that it doesn’t matter if you have access to all of the top chefs, trainers, and money in the world like Oprah does.  It’s not about the food.  If your mind isn’t right, then you will not be successful no matter your resources.

Financially her partnership with Weight Watchers makes dollars and cents.  I think Weight Watchers is one of the few companies that does teach sustainable lifestyle habits for people to establish better routines.  I also think Oprah’s presence encourages more women to get back in the game and become proactive about their health instead of sitting around complaining about their bodies.

Your self image begins with understanding that you are enough as you are.  You don’t need social media likes, comments, or followers to confirm that for you!