Why Instagram Fitness Star Kelsey Wells Wants You To Forget The Number You See On Your Bathroom Scales

Sometimes it can be all too easy to stand on the scales and get hung up about the number you see.

But one woman wants you to ditch everything you believe about weight and start from scratch.

Instagram star Kelsey Wells, from My Sweat Life, has shared a photograph of her body at various weights to show that when you workout you will inevitably gain weight because you gain muscle. And that’s totally okay.

Wells, who is 5’ 7”, started Kayla Itsines’ BBG fitness program eight weeks after giving birth, weighing 145lbs.

“I weighed 130 before getting pregnant,” she explained in an Instagram post. “So based on nothing besides my own warped perception, I decided my ‘goal weight’ should be 122.”

She said that after a few months of following the fitness program, she hit her target weight and fitted into her size 0 jeans once more.

But, since then, she has gained 18lbs and has increased two jeans sizes.

“I ripped those skinny jeans wide open just the other week trying to pull them up over my knees,” she wrote.

SEE ALSO:
Best Healthy Eating Snapchat Accounts: 9 To Inspire Your Mealtimes
Best Fitness Snapchat Accounts: 14 Accounts You Need To Follow To Inspire Your Workout

“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.”

She said that there is only a 5lbs difference between her weight when she started the program and now.

“But my body composition has changed COMPLETELY,” she added.

“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.”

She said that if she hadn’t changed her mindset about weight, she would have given up on her fitness journey far too quickly.

She concluded: “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.”

Exercises That Fitness Trainers Would Never Do

Presses Behind the Head (01 of05)

“Anything behind the neck puts your shoulder muscles in a vulnerable position. So don’t do presses, chins and pull-downs behind your head,” Pomahac said. “It's an unnatural and unsafe position and puts your shoulder joint into an extension, external rotation position which places a large and unnatural strain on your rotator cuff muscles. I recommend military (front) presses or dumbbell presses, both of which work front delts much more safely. I never lower the weight below chin level. You'll notice this is about as far as you can go without your shoulders dropping. I usually perform military presses on a Smith machine, or dumbbells which lets me roll my palms back and find a more natural position.”Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See Exercises that Fitness Trainers Would Never Do

Seated Leg Machines (02 of05)

“I stay clear of the seated leg extension and seated hamstring curl machines,” said U.S. Track and Field Star and ACE Certified Personal Trainer Monica Hargrove. “When the leg is fully extended, that puts a lot of stress on the knee joints, ultimately risking injury. Squats and lunges are a safer and more effective way to work the quads.” She recommends trying front squats, back squats, split squats, walking lunges, stationary lunges, and reverse lunges.“When it comes to working my hamstrings, I'm more concerned with functional performance and the hamstring curl strengthens a motion not designed for running or sprinting. Straight leg dead lifts and good mornings are two exercises that train my hamstrings in better positions for running.”Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See Exercises that Fitness Trainers Would Never Do

Crunches(03 of05)

“I rarely ever do crunches,” said ACE certified pre- and post-natal fitness trainer Sara Haley. “To me it’s a waste of time -- too much risk of doing them wrong... I’d rather be more efficient and work my entire core with exercises like dead bug and plank variations.”Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Single-Leg Plyo Box Jump(04 of05)

"One exercise that I see people attempt, but I would never do is a single-leg plyo box jump (using the high platform). This is a move that is unnecessary and extremely dangerous,” said Basheerah Ahmad, a celebrity trainer and lifestyle coach. Click Here to See Exercises that Fitness Trainers Would Never DoPhoto Credit: Shutterstock

The Tricep “Bench” Dip(05 of05)

“This exercise places extreme stress on the acromioclavicular joint as well as the labrum,” said Chief Clinical Officer of Orthology Dr. Josh Sandell. “[Which] can lead to all kinds of shoulder problems and perpetuates the problems on anyone who has forward head posture.”Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Before You Go

uk lifestyle uk lifestyle news uk diet and fitness Body Image back-on-track

Before You Go

Related