Do you even Fake Transform?

After my blog post 'The hidden truths behind A transformation pic!'  went viral… again… #seriously? (I thought my creepy stalker inbox message days were over. But no, they were back, thick, wet and kinda inappropriate... like Miley Cyrus’s tongue at the VMAs)

Anyway back to the point- As I was scrolling through my twenty or so inbox messages, replying to some beautiful posts and blocking the creepy old dudes. I came across a number of posts from people who had replicated my fake transformation.

I had a thought! (I know right, rare for me, but it does happen) Let’s have a bit of fun with this! 

So I posted some competition bate into the Instagram world, with a few too many hashtags & the chance to win my soon to be released E-book #pleasebuyitimpoor & some organisms.. I mean, Quest Bars..Oh and I also added a cheeky Judge Judy style disclaimer to pre cyber slap any haters (cause they gon' hate)

Here it is again, because it really is an important message that I want to make sure is well understood. Plus I don’t want to have to get my cy-slap on. #canabbreviate

 Disclaimer: I want to be 100% clear here, the intention behind this competition in NOT to discredit REAL transformation pictures that take months/years of hard work and dedication. This is simply to illustrate that simple adjustments in lighting, posture and a smile can make a big difference in appearance, and that not ALL images you may see are an accurate representation of how the person may look all the time. We are bombarded with images of "perfect" and "desirable" physiques all the time & it's easy to get caught up in comparisons, especially when the promise of weight loss occurs in a small amount of time. Be patient and consistent, learn to love your body and yourself at every stage of your health and fitness journey.

Ok enough with the broccoli, lets get to the Bacon! mmmm salty pig..

 Below I have posted the images & descriptions or emails that went along with some of the posts. I really felt that what was said in the captions illustrated the struggles everyone faces with the rise of social media and the pressures to look a certain way. 

This is the winning image voted by my instagrammers @fitdal and also her caption which was not only totes funny, but a great message too. 

fitdal:  I swore to myself about 5 months ago, that I wasn't going to do transformation or half-naked selfie on instagram ever again... But I am about to prove a very important point and spread the word of @melvfitness to ALL insecure girls (or guys) flicking through pictures of others girls' profiles and their transformation pictures, looking at themselves and hating what they see. (plus I am entering a drawing for a box of #questbarsand I will honestly do anything for those! Just kidding, but not really). Anyway! Point to be proven: picture on the left taken at 10 am, closed curtains and bad posture - right picture is 5 min, a done bed, 1 ponytail less, a cheeky filter, hand on the hip and another set of underwear later. ONLY 5 MIN APART! It is SO easy to get caught up with transformation pictures of other girls! My mom saw the pictures and went: "they are only 5 mins apart?!" And then she burst out laughing: "now that's funny! You really shouldn't believe everything you see". We need to have a little more self-love and embrace reality, ladies! PS. NO disrespect to tranformation pictures - hard work DO pay off. But get my point. We get a bit too caught up with everything we get thrown in out faces online - including myself! Thanks for the reminder @melvfitness!

This is an absolutely beautiful post by mamalionstrong who has an amazing blog & Facebook Page devoted to inspiring soon-to-be mums and tackling the tough concept of body image during pregnancy. 

mamalionstrong: Before & After - front view. You can be anyone on the internet. Pop a hip, apply a photo filter, change camera angles and BAM you've got a bikini model (well... thats a bit of a stretch but you see what I mean!) The point is... A picture is just a picture. I want to get very REAL with you. I’m two months postpartum with my third child. The picture on the left is a pretty accurate depiction of what even an active pregnant woman might look like after three children at two months postpartum. I hold fitness in high regard. I LOVE being fit and strong and I want to motivate you Mamas to be fit and strong too! But I would never ever use the words "what's your excuse?" to try and motivate women with young children to get stronger and leaner because of my personal experience having children. The postpartum period can be a very raw time for women emotionally and physically. Hormones aside (but they also come into play!), we suddenly have these bodies that are unrecognizable and there’s a ton of pressure to “get back into shape.” Many of us are already dealing with body shame issues coming from within and I think we least expect a fellow mother to make us feel further ashamed. It stings the most coming from someone who should have the greatest compassion and understanding. That’s how I feel anyways. Many women’s bodies change from pregnancy. Mine did, each and every pregnancy has changed my body. I’ll never look how I did pre-children so my journey is to start appreciating my new body for what it’s accomplished and for what it can do! The journey is not just a physical one, it’s emotional too. As a wise woman in my life once said, we have to learn to love our new bodies and love ourselves too. It’s not always a black and white issue of “you do it or you use excuses not to do it.” You need support. You need the time. You need the knowledge. You need the self worth! Many of us don’t have one or all of those. That is why a more positive and encouraging message is needed to help mothers find the body they are comfortable in, whatever that may be!!!!

This is an awesome email I received from @ladylyngard

Thank you so much, it was a lot of fun participating. Definitely entertaining seeing everyone else’s transformation pics.

I recently graduated from high school and looking back on my time there I now realize what unhealthy pressure I would put on myself due to being in dance, cheerleading and other activities that were heavily imaged focused. I now enjoy strength training, proper/fun exercises, in general being out and about, loving food and life.

My best friend (since kindergarten) struggles a lot with body image and depression towards her body. She does take a very proactive approach towards being healthy, but it seems when she scrolls through instagram or other social media sites it gets her down. Several girls I know have been ordering "tiny teas” which is a weightless detox tea. Their judgement for buying the product was based on transformation pictures, with the caption “only one week and already 10 pounds gone.” Some of the girls ended up becoming ill. One of which had to go to the hospital.

So when I saw your post that had been shared on my Facebook page I couldn’t help but send it to all my friends. It gave them food for thought. Many of them now look at the one week detox fabs in a knew light.

So why the long background story? :) Well they weren’t sold on the idea of fake transformation pics so somehow I got my self into my usual stubborn matches of proving a point so I decided to do one myself then I saw your post about the contest and thought “perfect!"

I don’t want to diss transformation pictures as some of them are incredible and a great way for others to show their story, but in regards to the one week fabs or similar situations I think it is a bit crazed.

Here are some of the other competition pictures!

 Feast your retinas on this awesomeness!

@prince_crawford

@krystennilsson

@krystennilsson's friend/brother/lover? Jesse. This is my personal favorite! Love those faces!

@crystaldixon

I want to thank everyone for entering as I was overwhelmed by the support & willingness to spread an important message to others. I hope the fake transformation Images empower you and give you a better understanding of what really happens behind the lens of a transformation.

Big juicy, body loving cyber hugs to you all.. #cyhugs

Mel xx

Guest Post by Julius St. Clair

First of all, I just want to give a big thanks to Joe for all of his hard work and advice. I follow his blog religiously and the information I’ve gleaned from it has been a tremendous help to my career. It’s actually inspired me to give back to my fellow authors in my own way, and why not start now?

On my journey of turning from a “starving artist” into a full-time author, I’ve sure made plenty of mistakes, and the strategies that I have implemented correctly were either by accident, chance, or outright copying from someone else’s blog (such as Joe’s here). But one thing I noticed that have helped my sales and target marketing is knowing the difference between writing for the reader, and writing for the writer. Let me explain a bit.

As authors we have a variety of reasons why we write, whether it be for pleasure/fun, money, prestige, or just having your voice heard and understood, and I think it’s very important to understand your motivation because ultimately it will come off the page when people purchase your work. One of the big questions I ask myself when writing a novel is: would I buy this?

Seriously.

Would you buy your novel if someone pitched you the synopsis? Showed you the cover? Read a random blurb from within the pages? This causes us to take a step back and examine our words for what they are and not what we perceive them to be. That memoir you wrote, be honest, is it actually interesting? That blockbuster fantasy series – would you be in line at the midnight launch? Did you actually enjoy what you wrote? Because if you take an objective look at your work and put your perspective in those of your readers, suddenly, you’ll realize what it will take to bring your book to the next level - what could bring it from a casual upload to a success. We have to remember that in this day and age, we are often performers and entertainers, not educators. Though we are professional, hard-working, passionate individuals, all readers see when they start chapter one is the story, which should always be the true star and celebrity here, not us.

So if you’re writing just for money, perhaps you’re not selling as much as you could because readers may also feel your lack of passion. If you’re writing for prestige, maybe readers sense an ego or a self-important attitude. If you’re writing just for your voice to be heard, there is a possibility that readers detect your lack of confidence. Bottom line is, don’t be afraid to shine. And if you’re just writing for fun? It could be that your work needs a bit more professionalism. A tad more editing. A dash of color on the cover. A synopsis that makes their pupils dilate in excitement.

There are no right or wrong ways to approach your work because you are the captain and commander of your ship, but remember…there are other passengers on the boat besides you. Amaze us with your words, and write for us, your passengers – the readers…

So, if you are willing, allow me to invite you onto my ship. We have many refreshments and amenities during your stay that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. If you’re in the mood for a supernatural thriller then, please, check out The Deadly.  Or if you’re looking for a more light-hearted and fantasy affair, why not consider the first in the Angel Story Series: End of Angels?

    

I absolutely loved writing each of these books, and I know you’ll feel it coming from off the pages! Now set sail with your pen or laptop in hand, and do the same!