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As I’ve said before in my blog posts, I frequently share my weight loss journey on social media. Instagram has to be my favorite platform – I share on Facebook mainly for the benefit of my friends and family. Out of the two, I’ve received the most support and one-on-one validation from Facebook. People will comment something kind, or message me telling me that they really enjoy seeing my journey. I can’t explain how much every like, comment, and message means to me. I see them ALL and they all touch my heart, but at the same time, I know I’m reaching more people on Instagram. Hashtags are really magical things. I share my journey, not for validation or recognition, but in the hopes of inspiring someone to start or continue their weight loss journey. As a beginner, the only thing I had guiding me was the Instagram posts of strangers. I’ve mentioned a few (but not all) of them in a previous blog post, “Looking for Inspiration?”. Two of my favorite accounts that I didn’t mention are @thelovelyaphrodite and @sunshinesjourney. The reason I didn’t choose to include these accounts is because for a beginner, these accounts may come across as overwhelming. Both account do regular shoutouts for other fitness accounts, and as a beginner, it was hard for me to develop an idea of their true account because they were doing so many shoutouts. But I’m not a beginner anymore. I look forward to the shoutouts, and I actually end up following most of the featured accounts. Anyway. Back to me. A few weeks ago (three weeks ago I believe), I decided to post a #transformationtuesday picture in the hopes of getting a shoutout from @thelovelyaphrodite. I had never asked for a shoutout before, so I wasn’t exactly sure how it worked. I followed all of the instructions as best I could, and though my picture received a lot of likes, I wasn’t recognized by The Lovely Aphrodite. Until yesterday. Yesterday I was having a rather shitty day. I was sitting at my desk, pouting, trying to distract myself by doing actual work, when my phone went off. The Lovely Aphrodite had liked my post from three weeks ago! I felt like a celebrity. She actually saw my photo! Some more time went by, and my phone went off again, only this time, she had FOLLOWED me! My account, with only 6 hundred something followers, was now being watched by someone who had inspired so many people (36 thousand to be exact). I was over the moon. I sent a screenshot to my best friend, who was excited as well. And then, the unthinkable happened. I got a notification saying that The Lovely Aphrodite had tagged me in a photo! I couldn’t unlock my phone fast enough. Sure enough, right there on my timeline, was MY FACE featured by one of my FAVORITE fitness accounts in the universe. I was crying. I was jumping up and down. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I immediately posted the good news on Facebook, then Instagram. I was so ecstatic. I was gaining followers by the minute. I cried some more. Yesterday was amazing, definitely one for the books (or, ahem, blog). I am so happy that because of The Lovely Aphrodite, I was able to reach 36 thousand people, some of whom were inspired enough to follow my account. It’s an amazing feeling to feel like you’re making a difference. And hopefully this is just the beginning for me.  A photo from the Instagram of @thelovelyaphrodite, where you can see MY photo featured.
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