This is a Transformation-Picture Free Zone.
Ah, the marketing “genius” of before/after photos.
I know a lot of accounts use before/after photos of themselves or clients so that they can “inspire” others or “show them the effectiveness of what their program can do.” It’s a HUGE selling point in the fitness industry - and I want no part of it. I’m willing to take the risk that comes with not using before/after photos to gain followers/clients. This will continue to be a transformation-picture free zone.
There are several reasons why I choose to not partake:
Before/After photos boast the success of exercise as looking a certain way - skinnier, more muscular, etc. It doesn’t take into account all the other ways exercise can help you - stress relief, injury prevention and rehab, hormone regulation, endorphin release and all the other health benefits (physical and mental) of moving your body. Using the way you perceive your body to look as the only way to be “successful” in a workout program is a disservice to exercise culture and you.
They leave you feeling like a failure when you don’t achieve a certain body type - looking at photos of others and hoping you’ll look like them without taking into account genetics, body type, muscular build, height, age, etc. You may be exercising and getting all the benefits of working out, but you don’t adhering to what you think you SHOULD look like, so you pay less attention to YOUR wins, and more attention to your “lack thereof.”
Photos don’t show the whole story. There are a lot of factors that go into taking a good “after” photo - the attitude and mood that person is in in their “before” photo, time of the day, lighting, flexing versus not flexing, what they ate the day before, where they are in their period cycle (if a woman), how they felt about their body the day they took the “after” photo, physical/emotional/mental trauma they may be going through etc. It’s not fair to judge yourself based off of a SNAPSHOT of another person at one particular time.
You often don’t see/hear about the extra work going on behind the scenes. That person may have a long background of working out before starting the program, their nutrition might look different than yours, they might be working out extra outside of the program, they could have a health condition you don’t know about (or you may have a health condition they don’t), etc.
Those are just some of the reasons why I don’t believe in posting before/after photos of my clients on social media. I get sent them, and we’ll celebrate and talk about it, but it stays between me and them. My clients know that exercise isn’t just a way to lose weight or look a certain way, and I take immense pride in the education that goes behind my sessions.
Does this resonate with you? How do you feel about before/after photos? Curious to hear your thoughts!
If you’re looking for a safe space where you can learn how to let go of dieting for good, enjoy food without guilt, and turn exercise into something you love to do rather than something you “have” to do, submit a client application to get in contact with me! I work with clients virtually all over the world helping those who are frustrated with dieting and want to change their relationship with food and themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
