I don’t spend five hours at the gym every day, no matter what some people might imagine or choose to believe. My routine has never been about extreme dedication or unrealistic amounts of time. It has always been about consistency and about showing up for myself even on the days when I have only a short window to move my body. A little time invested regularly can bring incredible results, and anyone who has tried it knows that discipline is far more powerful than long, unsustainable sessions.

If you find yourself looking at a picture and feeling something negative about your own body or progress, remember that this reaction comes from within. It is not the image, the lighting, or the person in the photo that creates the feeling. It is the story you tell yourself in that moment. Social media has a way of pushing our insecurities to the surface. I understand this very well because I have been there. Seven years ago, I caught myself scrolling endlessly, comparing myself to people I didn’t know, and feeling jealous, insecure and frustrated with who I was. It was a version of me I didn’t want to stay in.

Instead of projecting these emotions onto others or leaving hateful comments, I made a different decision. I deleted my account. I removed myself from the space that was triggering those feelings and focused on the real issue — which was never social media, but how I perceived myself. I worked hard on those insecurities, and it took time, but it completely changed the way I experience this online world today.

So yes, I truly know how it feels when comparison starts to take over, when every image seems to highlight what you think you lack. But you are not trapped in that feeling. It is your decision how you respond to it, and you always have the power to change it. Consistency applies not just to fitness but to your mindset as well. The more you train your mind to choose growth instead of envy, the easier it becomes to break free from negativity and create a healthier relationship with yourself.

You can absolutely shift your perspective. You can learn to look at others with inspiration instead of insecurity. You can choose to invest in your own progress and focus on the small, sustainable steps that make you stronger both physically and emotionally. And once you do, you realize that the only person you ever needed to compete with was yourself.