TRIGGER WARNING: Note that this post contains images which I feel obligated to warn may be triggering to some eating disordered individuals. If you are currently struggling, you might want to skip this one for now!
I have a confession to make.
It’s going to reveal a not-so-flattering facet of my personality.
I’ll probably come off seeming selfish and resentful.
Petty.
Hateful even.
But I have to come clean.
I despise Tuesdays.
Why not Mondays? You might be wondering.
Mondays are actually second on the “most-dreaded days” list, but I fear Tuesdays the most.
This is going to sound horrible, and I really have no excuse for what I am about to share…
But,
I don’t like Tuesdays because of…
The Existence of #TransformationTuesday on Social Media.
There.
I said it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, Transformation Tuesday is:
A popular trend and hashtag (#TransformationTuesday) people use on Instagram and other social networks. On Tuesdays, users are encouraged to post “transformational” photos of themselves along with the hashtag in the description. A lot of people create them in the form of a “before and after” photo, often using photo collage maker apps to break up the photo into two parts so that one side shows the before photo and the other side shows the after photo.
Most commonly, users will:
…share transformations of their own fitness achievements, makeup or fashion makeovers, or current day “selfies” paired up with past taken “selfies”. Basically, if you can communicate the message that something or someone in the photo has changed over time, it qualifies as a good post.
Now hear me out…
Every Tuesday, without fail, my Facebook feed is flooded with images that are highly body conscious.
Ok, look...My intention is not to begrudge a young mother the celebration and accolades as she returns to her pre-baby weight, safely and healthfully
And I don’t want to complain about a friend whom, through perseverance and true grit, has successfully recovered from their Eating Disorder and now proudly reveals his “Before and After” physique.
Plus, how can I resent the individual who has embraced Fitness and wants to publicly declare their accomplishments?
I shouldn’t.
But I do!
I know! I know! I’m well aware of the hypocrisy in my complaint. I myself post messages and pictures related to food, body image and fitness on social media often.
So what’s my problem, right?
I have wrestled with these feelings, trying to make sense of them. I can only speculate what might be the actual driving force behind my negativity. While the posts are largely meant to be positive in nature…uplifting, motivating, go-getting, etc., etc., they cause me a great deal of anxiety as the collection of images, comments and messages trigger ruminations on:
and
- The Stagnation of Positive Progress and/or My Life Achievements in General
Yep. My bad attitude regarding #TransformationTuesday has not been about the friends, family members, and acquaintances.
It’s been about me.
I didn’t want to dread Tuesdays anymore, but systematically deleting 75 percent of my Friends List just seemed impractical. A real time waster.
So instead, I took a break from Social Media, and I began my mini-boycott on the most wretched of weekdays, #TransformationTuesday.
As I returned to Social Media engagement this past Tuesday, I wanted to end the boycott with something meaningful, with a “Commencement TransformationTuesday” post to end the self-prescribed ban.
So what to share?
I knew I could post a visual progress report on My Garden, or on specific plants as a matter of course.
But I wasn’t entirely sure that I’d made peace with Tuesday. That is, I hadn’t been ready to share my weight restoration progress.
Then I realized I was probably never going to be ready. This is because there has never been a weight that I have been comfortable being. I have never been happy in my skin.
So I am making an uncomfortable alliance with #Transformation Tuesday.
Now.
#StillWorkingOnIt #TransformationTuesday
(c) Bulimia – SaltandPepperTheEarth – Read entire story here.