Back in 2020 when the first lockdown took place I really took my fitness journey a lot more seriously as I had a lot more time to work on it and the benefits were great. I started sharing some bits on my Instagram page but to be honest it didn't fit the theme I was going for and the people following me weren't really interested, so after talking to a few people who were enjoying seeing my journey I ended up creating a separate account just for my weight loss and fitness journey, somewhere I could post anything fitness related and find people with similar goals to me and people who could help motivate me to make even more progress. I have to say 2 years down the line creating that account is one of the best things I have done in recent years for a variety of reasons, I honestly wish I had created the account sooner as I can only imagine the position I would be in now if I did. So here is how my weight loss & fitness Instagram has helped me along with my journey so far... 

Made friends with similar goals

A lot of people are on the same journey as me for very similar reasons and thanks to this account I have been able to connect with them and have made some friends along the way. They check in on how I am doing and are always just a message away, they celebrate the victories and honestly it is great just to be able to chat to people doing the same sort of things as they understand what you are aiming for and why you are on the journey in the first place. 

Met a lot of supportive people

Honestly when I first set the account up I thought it would be full of judgmental people due to my size however, to be honest it has been totally the opposite and everyone so far seems to be supportive. From those on the same journey, those who have been on the journey and those that just want to help it has been great. Sometimes when I get messages I dread to open them thinking oh no its another personal trainer/online coach trying to get me to sign up when in fact they are really just dropping in with some tips, words of encouragement and even just seeing how it is going. I have had some great chats with coaches who have helped without me paying for their service and their content has actually been really helpful to me just by scrolling down my feed. One of these people is Zack Jones, he has been a great support since I started following him and the chats we have had have been really useful. Millie has also been a great support and source of encouragement & motivation since I started following her and seeing her content definitely helps me out a lot. 

Lots of tips on form & nutrition

Going into my journey I had never lifted weights before so I knew I would need some tips on how to use them and carry out the correct for and I will be honest before all this my idea of a workout was simply just using a treadmill or exercise bike that is why I wasn't seeing many results. Thanks to this account though I started learning new exercises and how to perform them which was great. My nutrition has always been terrible too but thanks to this account I am learning new recipes and trying to manage my calorie intake which I never did before. It is honestly amazing how much you can learn from some accounts on the app. 

Provides motivation

I am honestly my worst nightmare when it comes to motivation, I can have a few absolutely fantastic weeks but then I can just switch and thanks to my mental health I can just spend weeks moping around and neglecting everything however, I have noticed that when I am feeling like I am slipping lately if I have a quick scroll through Instagram I see others smashing their goals and it helps my motivation levels pick right back up.Thanks to the accounts I am following I have noticed I have had more days where I have been ready to smash it rather than the down days. 

Keeps me accountable 

This sounded funny when I typed it as how could one account on an app keep you accountable but honestly it really has made the world of difference. I started sharing my weigh ins on here and honestly it makes sure I have as good of a week as possible so that I aren't posting a gain week after week, I want to make sure I am showing people how capable I am. It also helps me see the good day and the bad days and shows me what needs to be done better. 

Helps me track my progress

There are plenty of ways that I could track my progress and no doubt they would be better than an Instagram account (I do track in other ways too just tend to look at Instagram more) however, I have found that this account is a great way to track my progress. I can click onto my profile and see images of goals I have smashed, comparisons of my weight and even steps I do and it just shows me the journey I am on and the progress I am making all in one place. It is definitely great looking back at old pictures and seeing the difference in my body. 

Introduced me to Emma

Emma is my online coach and has been since before Christmas and I am so glad I found her through my account as the difference since working together has been fantastic already. She is really helping me along in my journey both physically and mentally and I am already seeing the benefits. I wasn't going to bother with an online coach but I am so glad I made this decision as I think over the course of this year it is going to change me so much. Emma provides excellent support, shares little wins with me and helps encourage me on those days where I don't want to do anything honestly I couldn't ask for a better coach. 

So there you go that is how creating a fitness & weight loss journey Instagram has really helped me out and I can't wait to see the progress I make this year towards my goals with the help from those I follow. Making the account is seriously one of the best things I have done and now I just need to start using it more consistently to really showcase this journey. 

Let me know your usernames if you have a fitness/weight loss account as I am always looking for new people to follow