Fitness Blogger Proves That Weight Is Just a Number

SCREW THE SCALE || I figured it was time for a friendly, yet firm reminder.? YOU GUYS. PLEASEEEEEE STOP GETTING HUNG UP ON THE NUMBER ON THE STUPUD SCALE! PLEASE STOP THINKING YOUR WEIGHT EQUALS YOUR PROGRESS AND FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING PLEASE STOP LETTING YOR WEIGHT HAVE ANY AFFECT WHATSOEVER ON YOUR SELF ESTEEM, like I used to. To any of you who are where I once was, please listen to me. I am 5′ 7″ and weigh 140 lbs. When I first started #bbg I was 8 weeks post partum and 145 lbs. I weighed 130 before getting pregnant, so based on nothing besides my own warped perception, I decided my “goal weight” should be 122 and to fit into my skinniest jeans. Well after a few months of BBG and breastfeeding, I HIT IT and I fit into those size 0 jeans. Well guess what? I HAVE GAINED 18 POUNDS SINCE THEN. EIGHT FREAKING TEEN. Also, I have gone up two pant sizes and as a matter of fact I ripped those skinny jeans wide open just the other week trying to pull them up over my knees.? My point?? According to my old self and flawed standards, I would be failing miserably. THANK GOODNESS I finally learned to start measuring my progress by things that matter — strength, ability, endurance, health, and HAPPINESS. Take progress photos and videos. Record how many push-ups you can do, ect. And if you can, your BFP — there is only a 5 lb difference between my starting and current weight, but my body composition has changed COMPLETELY. I have never had more muscle and less body fat than I do now. I have never been healthier than I am now. I have never been more comfortable in my own skin than I am now. And if I didn’t say #screwthescale long ago, I would have gave up on my journey. So to the little teeny tiny voice in the back of my head that still said “?wtf is this- not 140!???” last week when I stepped on the scale, I say SCREW. YOU. And I think you should probably say the same to your scale too. #byefelicia ???⚖ . . #bbgprogress #transformationtuesday #fit #fitness #workout #fitmom #fitchick #fitfam #fitnesstransformation #beforeandafter #sweat #mysweatlife #girlswithmuscle #girlgains #strongnotskinny

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Jul 26, 2016 at 8:55am PDT

Instagram fitness star Kelsey Wells is going viral for the best reason. On Tuesday, July 26, the My Sweat Life blogger shared three side-by-side images of herself at different weights: 145 pounds, 122 pounds and her current number, 140 pounds. Wells looks slim in all of the photos, but at 140 pounds, her muscles are noticeably more defined.

“I figured it was time for a friendly reminder,” the 26-year-old mom wrote to her more than 300,000 followers. “YOU GUYS. PLEASEEEE STOP GETTING HUNG UP ON THE NUMBER ON THE STUPUD SCALE! PLEASE STOP THINKING YOUR WEIGHT EQUALS YOUR PROGRESS AND FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING PLEASE STOP LETTING YOUR WEIGHT HAVE ANY AFFECT WHATSO EVER ON YOUR SELF ESTEEM, like I used to.”

Five-foot-seven Wells— who follows Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guides — began the program in August 2014, shortly after giving birth to her son, Anderson, 2. “I weighed 130 before getting pregnant, so based on nothing besides my own warped perception, I decided my ‘goal weight’ should be 122 and to fit into my skinniest jeans,” she wrote.

Though the Houston, Texas–based mom hit her goal weight after just a few months of Bikini Body Guides and breast-feeding, she has since gained 18 pounds — and gone from a size 0 to a 4. “As a matter of fact I ripped those skinny jeans wide open just the other week trying to pull them up over my knees,” Wells wrote. “According to my old self and flawed standards, I would be failing miserably. THANK GOODNESS I finally learned to start measuring my progress by things that matter — strength, ability, endurance, health and HAPPINESS.”

|| 111 LBS vs 136 LBS || My greatest regret looking back on my highschool and college years was not ALLOWING myself to be confident and happy with my body EXACTLY THE WAY IT WAS. For as long as I can remember I struggled with self confidence. In my mind the poison of comparison was constant. I picked myself apart and genuinely believed if I could just lose just a few pounds, or if a certain boy liked me, THEN I would love my body. Flash forward to the photo on the left, my freshman year of college. My anxiety disorder was taking its toll and I lost more than a few pounds. I was also dating the most amazing, supportive boy of my dreams (hi @rpwells ☺️) who told me I was beautiful every day. But guess what? I STILL struggled with self confidence and I STILL felt I would be happier if I could lose a few pounds.?? It was looking at this photo that somehow snapped me out of it and with the support of Ryan and my family I began to heal. Changing my mindset was anything but immediate and negative self talk is something I still battle with at times and will always need to be wary of. But it really is my MENTAL transformation that has been the greatest since discovering @kayla_itsines #bbg program. Just weeks into it, loving myself and positive self talk came easier to me than it ever had over the last 8 years of fighting for it. Not because I saw immediate physical results, but because I was finally treating my body how it DESERVED to be treated. Living an active and healthy lifestyle is my key to freeing my mind from anxiety and replacing self doubt with self confidence. I share this with you because maybe it can be your key too. Because right now, just the way you are, you are BEAUTIFUL. And you deserve to know it.❤️ . . . #transformationtuesday #fitness #fitchick #fitmom #fitfam #fit #strong #healthy #happy #fitspo #fitnessmotivation #workout #girlgains #bbgprogress #screwthescale #bbgcommunity #strongissexy #selflove

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Jul 12, 2016 at 8:52am PDT

The post has received more than 12,000 likes and nearly 800 comments.

Wells tells Us Weekly that she used to obsess over being thin. “I always had the view that I would feel and look good if I could just lose a few pounds,” she says. “I wanted to be skinny. But what matters is your health and happiness, and a scale can’t measure that.”

Almost exactly 2 years between these photos — my results using @kayla_itsines #bbg program.☺️? || You may not see your progress day to day when you look in the mirror, but rest assured if you are training every day and making healthy choices, progress is being made. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t take two years to see progress, but real progress IS slow. When I first committed to “getting fit” it was all about physical change, and it felt like a chore. Thankfully though, my mindset and attitude were the first things to start “transforming”, and when I began instead to focus on my health and happiness I started to truly love this journey. Love yourself first. Physical results (if that’s what you want) will follow. Remember the time is passing anyway, it’s just about making the little day to day choices that will put you where you want to be when you look back.❤️ . . . . #mysweatlife #getoutandsweat #sweatwithkayla #bbgprogress #transformationtuesday #fitnesstransformation #beforeandafter #afterbabybody #mombod #bbgmoms #bbgmums #bbgbabes #bbglife #workout #fitspo #fit #fitness #fitmom #fitchick #fitfam #happy #healthy

A post shared by KELSEY WELLS (@kelseywells) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:11am PDT

Instead of stressing about her weight, Wells tells Us she’s focusing on what her body can do: “When I started Bikini Body Guides at eight weeks postpartum I couldn’t do two pushups. Now I can do 200 in 28 minutes!”