I use Pinterest an awful lot. It's become just another habit - I scroll through my feed and it brightens up my day just a little to see all the pretty things in the world.

Like a lot of people, I also use Pinterest for fitness inspiration. I look for workout ideas and for general motivation to get off my backside. While it serves these functions pretty well, I have noticed a flipside. Sometimes I find that instead of motivating me, Pinterest has a way of making me feel bad about myself. It reinforces body image issues that my media-washed mind has far too many of already, and it even creates new insecurities.

Pinterest is overflowing with pictures of the conventionally ‘perfect’ body. On the one hand, there are Victoria’s Secret-type models with their thigh gaps and flat stomachs. On the other, there are crazily buff girls with a muscle tone not achievable with a normal life and a busy schedule. Because Victoria’s Secret models and ‘fitspo’ pictures show us healthy bodies (as opposed to paper-thin runway models), they seem pretty harmless. They come with motivational captions and comments like “eat clean and lift weights.” They give us the illusion that, first of all, looking like these girls is easy, and that, second, this should be something we strive for. As far as I can see, we already have bodies, most of which are healthy as it is. Why do we need to look like anybody else? Not only this but obsessing over this ‘goal’ can make us unhealthy, both mentally and physically. The girls in these pictures have personal chefs and trainers, or fitness is their life. While we pursue a college degree, we have neither the time nor the resources to eat 100% clean ingredients (that is, unprocessed products free of added sugar and saturated fat) and to work out anywhere near as much as is necessary to achieve six-packs like the ones you might see on your Pinterest feed. Instead, we should follow a diet and workout regimen that feels good and works for us, indulging from time to time and loving our bodies. While most of us seem to have the former down, it seems we are in way too deep to even think about the latter. I sometimes find that instead of helping us love our bodies, Pinterest makes us like them even less. 

Shaming 

At times, the “motivational” fitness quotes get downright aggressive. I’m not saying that they haven't worked for me in the past, but if you're having a low-confidence day these quotes might take on a whole new level of wrong. "Suck it up and one day you won't have to suck it in," "you can't lose weight by talking about it," "are you sure you want that cookie?..." All of these can make you feel like a failure if you miss a workout, if you have an ounce of stomach fat or if you ever treat yourself to sweets. Way to take the pleasure out of life! No wonder so many people have body image issues. 

Contradictory messages 

Even more perplexing, Pinterest is full of contradictory messages. Some pinners encourage paleo diets, while others rave about the benefits of veganism. If you don’t know what these are, they are basically the exact opposite of one another. Eating paleo means only using ingredients that were present in hunting/foraging times - that is, no grains, no dairy, no refined or processed products. Veganism means a diet completely free of animal produce - namely meat, eggs and dairy. While both of these trends have their benefits, not only is it difficult to decide which one might be best for you, but the chances of sticking to either of them while in college and beyond, in the long run, are slim to none. These diets also tend to be extreme, which is never a good thing. You know intuitively which eating habits are right for you, so trust your instincts! Eat balanced for a balanced lifestyle. As for body image, some pins encourage you to love your body, claiming that you are not defined by your weight or your dress size, while others shame you for not working out and not striving to look like a model. So… what should we make of that message? Don’t ask me; I’m as confused as you are. 

I’m not saying that Pinterest fitness motivation doesn’t have its merits. It has helped me lead a healthier life. I’m just saying that you should take this content with a grain of salt. If you don’t like working out or your diet is half Cheetos and you’re perfectly happy with it, then you shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about a lifestyle that works for you. Because, if we started believing everything we saw, not just on Pinterest, but on the internet as a whole, as well as in the media, we would all have unresolvable contradictory ideas of what our bodies should look like and what habits we should shed. And nobody should have a say in that but you.