Digital well-being: who do we follow on social media when we want to lose weight?

Social media helps us get by with good and bad advice so we must find a good way to choose someone to look up to when we want to loose weight.

A study on social media usage in 2020 showed that over 3.6 billion people used it worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost 4.41 billion by 2025. Given this high number of both consumers and influencers, how do we know who to follow on social media especially if we plan to lose weight and want to let ourselves inspired by people with similar objectives?

Before jumping onto answers, let me tell you about what Instagram did in 2019. It has introduced policies to ensure that users under 18 on its platform will not be able to see any diet and cosmetic procedure posts. So, if Instagram pays attention to what teenagers consume when it comes to social media, because they know how much the stuff they see influences them, then you should too pay attention to what people you give your attention to.

Follow normal people

When you choose to follow people for inspiration, make sure they are normal people, just like you, with lives similar to yours, encountering the same ups and downs, and overcoming the same struggles and dilemmas when it comes to weight loss. Avoid people like superstars from the entertainment industry who look impeccable 24/7 and never miss a day of workout because you will only get frustrated. Such people live a special life, a fairytale, and have an army of people taking care of them all the time because it is also in their job description to look their best all the time, in the spotlight and out of it.

Find someone with good mood and encouragement despite shortcomings of weight loss

Look at people who understand that human beings are not perfect. When it comes to weight loss, we all have ups and downs and the journey to losing weight is never linear, it is filled with many happy moments as well as many frustrations. You need to keep your eye on those who keep it real and understand the psychology of weight loss and talk about the shiny parts as well as the darker ones. You need someone who is optimistic and encouraging, but also tells the truth behind weight loss.

Follow people who do not see weight loss as quick and easy

Some influencers transform their weight loss process into a reality show talking only about how glamorous it is to shred kilograms fast and how easy is to do it. Even if this might be their genuine story about their weight loss journey, keep in mind that most similar experiences aren’t like that. In fact, every weight loss journey is different so don’t compare yourself to someone on social media you don’t know. Remember that what you really want when you lose weight is to keep it off forever and learn valuable things on the way about eating healthy and working out moderately and constantly. A long way wins the game!

JoinCrave is a diet and well-being mobile app where nutrition coaches are by your side every step of the way.