For most of us, we usually head to the gym with the intention of shedding a few kilos – but a 21-year-old woman worked out to bulk up her slim frame.
Personal trainer Ellie Silvers, from Sydney, was struggling with her body image when she tipped the scales at 55 kilograms three years ago.
And while her svelte physique may ‘look better’ to some, the young woman said she was ‘feeling negative’ with her shape.
Her initial goal was to lose more weight – so she started doing two hours of cardio a day – but her strict fitness regime left her feeling miserable.
However, her life has transformed for the better since gaining eight kilos after she found the strength to overcome her body image issues – by doing heavy, powerlifting-style training and changing her diet.
Ellie Silvers, 21, once weighed 55 kilos (left) but she was struggling with body image. Fast forward, she said her life has transformed for the better since gaining eight kilos
Struggling with body confidence, Ms Silvers (pictured now) said she initially wanted to lose more weight because she was feeling ‘negative’ with her own reflection in the mirror
Struggling with body confidence, Ms Silvers said she initially wanted to lose more weight because she was feeling ‘negative’ with her own reflection in the mirror.
‘I felt extremely weak,’ she told Daily Mail Australia
‘I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. I was constantly low on energy and I didn’t feel particularly proud of my body.’
Her initial goal was to drop more weight off her already slender figure – so she followed a strict fitness regime – working out six days a week, two hours of cardio each round.
‘Mentally, I punished myself if I didn’t do enough exercise because I guess I thought I was being lazy,’ she said.
‘My goal was to lose weight and “tone up”, although at the time I didn’t know that “toning” doesn’t actually refer to a specific physical adaptation.
‘[So] I would make myself burn a certain amount of calories on different pieces of cardio equipment, which would often take me close to two hours each time.’
She fell in love with weight training, where she would do squats, dead-lifts, bench press, rows and shoulder press. She started gaining weight when she changed her diet
Ms Silvers said she also had an unhealthy relationship with food.
‘I didn’t view food as necessary to fuel my body, but more as something that was limiting me from losing weight,’ she said.
‘Like many young women, I was very self-conscious about the way I looked.’
She started training with a personal trainer, who introduced her to a weight training regime that helped her put on muscles.
‘I developed an absolute love for weight training, seeing my body change in a way that I liked and getting stronger,’ she said.
‘I prioritised weight training, particularly compound movements like squats, dead-lifts, bench press, rows and shoulder press.’
She also changed her diet after researching nutrition and training.
She started training with a personal trainer, who introduced her to a weight-training regime
‘I started to eat a lot more protein and carbohydrates to fuel the workouts I was doing and allow my body to recover,’ she said.
‘I would often eats eggs with toast and vegetables or oats for breakfast, and lots of lean protein, rice and vegetables throughout the day.’
Since leading a healthy lifestyle, Ms Silvers said she now feels happier weighing 63 kilograms than when she was slimmer.
‘It’s a never-ending journey. I feel better because I feel stronger, more capable and so much more confident,’ she said.
‘Of course I want to look good, however I prioritise improving my performance in training and fuelling those workouts with food to help me progress.
‘Focusing on performance, noticing the changes in my body which I didn’t know I was capable of creating, and knowing that I personally put in the hard work to get to where I am all helped change my attitude and mindset overtime.’
Ms Silvers said she now feels happier weighing 63 kilograms than when she was slimmer
After she cut down on cardio, Ms Silvers said she was able to find self-confidence again when she started gaining weight from her healthy lifestyle
Being on Instagram herself, Ms Silvers said she believed social media does have an impact on young people to feel conscious with the way they look.
‘There are multiple factors which lead to many young girls and boys being “obsessed” with the way they look. Social media is definitely one of them,’ she said.
‘I think social media has the capacity to do a lot of good, and it seems to be going down that track, however we are never a few clicks away from social media.
‘And we’re constantly seeing photos of these perfect bodies makes it almost impossible to not let it affect the way we see ourselves and our own physiques.
‘It can make you focus on the negatives of your own body and forget about all of the positives.’
For those struggling with self confidence, Ms Silvers said one of the best ways to overcome your body image issue was to seek help.
‘Don’t be afraid to ask for the help of a trainer or coach,’ she said.
For those struggling with self confidence, Ms Silvers said one of the best ways to overcome your body image issue was to seek help from a personal trainer or coach
By sharing her story, Ms Silvers wanted young people to draw hope from her experiences so they can learn to love their bodies
‘Their job is to get you to exactly where you want to be and they have your best interests in mind. Trust the process and get through the first eight to 12 weeks, because it’s so worth it in the end.’
By sharing her story, Ms Silvers wanted young people to draw hope from her experiences so they can learn to love their bodies.
‘Body image isn’t something that can be tackled overnight. It takes a long time to even grapple with and everybody deals with it differently,’ she said.
‘I think the first step is to understand that being even a little self-conscious is not anything out of the ordinary.
‘Don’t be afraid to speak about it and try a range of different styles of training or other things that make you feel good about yourself.
‘It’s really important to find something that you both enjoy but also challenges you physically and mentally. With me, this really helped me change my mindset.’