In a world where women's bodies are seen as commodities, it's hard not to feel the pressure to conform to society's near-impossible beauty standards. Popular culture, whether it be in the form of television, films or magazines, continually bombard us with perfectly retouched images of women who not only fall into a certain body type, but only exhibit the western ideal of "beauty". This, of course, doesn't allow much room for diversity.
On top of this, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Chiefly, that your weight is indicative of how healthy, or unhealthy, you are. Despite all cultural messages that we've been fed over the years, it's evident that two people of the same height, who weigh the same can look completely different - after all, we all have different lifestyles and body compositions.
And now, personal trainer Sia Cooper has made it her mission to get women to put down the scales, as the number they show is - as she states - meaningless.
In a recent Instagram post, Sia Cooper, shared before and after photographs of herself at the same weight to prove that the number you see on the scale isn't quite what it may seem.
The before image shows her at a time when she was exercising less, and the latter is her at the exact same weight but with a lot more muscle.
"Can I just take a second to say SCREW THE SCALE?! Numbers lie ALL THE TIME," she wrote in the caption.
"What you see on that scale is NOT a true indicator of your health!!! Ok?? See these two pictures? I weigh the same in both yet, I have more muscle tone in the right and I’m fluffier on the left.. yet.. the numbers are the same. I stopped weighing myself a few months ago and only do so when my doctor makes me at the office. But I no longer obsess over this stupid number! Take measurements instead because that will give you a truer representation of how you’re doing in your fitness journey."
As Cooper explains, the number on the scale doesn't really tell you anything about your fitness journey. Instead of obsessively weighing yourself, she recommends using measuring tape to track toning and muscle growth.
The fitness coach and mother has also pointed out that we need to take Instagram models and all the other seemingly perfect individuals that we see on social media with a pinch of salt. In another Instagram post, she highlighted how drastically different two photos of the same person can look - and it's all down to how you position yourself.
"Just a friendly reminder that pictures aren’t always what they may seem," she asserted. "Although taken 5 seconds apart, they look different due to lots of reasons: sucking in, flexing, posing, and posture. This summer I challenge you to throw on that bikini you’ve been wanting and wear it loud and proud. Leave your insecurities at the door and love your look."
Well, there you have it folks. Ditch the scales, and instead focus on eating well and working out regularly - you'll be happier and healthier for it.
