Why I Said No

So, there was a point last year where I had lost a bunch of weight, like around 20-30lbs, and looked a lot slimmer than I do now. I was posting a lot on my social media accounts documenting my fitness journey because I wanted others to see that if someone as normal as me, who bought a workout plan and works out for only an hour a day can do it, then they can as well.

From this I started to get noticed more and more, and people were really enjoying my journey, I guess. And that was when one day, a brand approached me saying that they love what I do, if I would wear their merch at the gym and tag them in any posts I would do they’d pay me for it, etc. etc. Pretty much just asking for them to sponsor me and for me to actually turn into a fitness influencer.

For so many, that is their dream. As once an influencer gets successful, really all there is to it is just to be sure to post a lot on social media, be sure to push the sponsors as much as possible, and of course to workout a lot to maintain the body. With all that being said, I declined the offer and said that it was just not something I was interested in.

As some may think that I am crazy for giving up the chance of making a ton of money and having what seems to be an easy. But just hear me out. One, there is no job security with this job, everything is based on my success. The pressures of always having to post content and making sure that it will get as many likes as possible. And living in a city on my own, I need to be certain that I can pay for all my expenses month to month.

Also, I currently struggle with my body and my weight, so I cannot always imagine what the pressure to meet a certain standard on how I need to look. I have a hard enough time keeping myself in check with workouts and eating right that I cannot imagine having the added pressure of a sponsor on top of that.

Another reason I turned it down is because I do not like what these types of influencers stand for most of the time. I do not want other women to look at me as being their ideal body. What I do in the gym works for my body type; it may not work for others. I am tall, I have a very muscular body as well which means for me to burn insane amounts of fat, I need to lift heavier. This will not work for someone who is smaller as their body type needs something else. Everybody type is different, and I want women who are looking into working out to understand that and be able to do things that benefit their bodies.

My fitness journey is just that, it is mine. That is why I have since deleted all my progress photos and what not from my social media accounts. I understand that it may be motivation for others but at the same time, losing weight and getting your dream body is tough so do not let one person’s success impact your own. Everyone’s body works at their own speed so there really is no timeline for when you need to have your “perfect body”. If you continue to work on your body, it will give you the results you want, regardless if you have hundreds of followers or not.