This fitness blogger’s side-by-sides remind us why we shouldn’t obsess over calories

Raise your hand if you’ve ever caught yourself scrolling through a fitness blogger’s Insta feed while thinking, “How do they do it?!” We’ve all been there. And this one fitness blogger just revealed her secret to how she got a “peachier peach” and we’re yelling rock on!

Emma O’Neill is a 22-year-old fitness blogger from the UK who preaches that happiness and skinniness are not synonymous.

"Eat some damn foooood girl!!" O'Neill wrote in the caption of a recent Instagram post. "You will make minimal (if any) progress on operation POPPIN BOOTY if you're severely restricting your calories / eating lettuce leaves for the majority of your meals."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXQv568j3an

O’Neill is incredibly transparent with her Instagram followers and encourages them to shift their focus from getting skinny to getting healthy. It took her a year of kicking “peach” in the gym and eating well (and a lot) to build the body she has now.

“Muscle growth requires FOOD ? Carbs are important, don’t neglect them,” O’Neill added. “Also ensure you’re getting in enough protein (0.8-1g per pound of body weight is the recommendation), as protein aids muscle growth.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXWBJTKDxSY

In another Instagram caption, O’Neill explained how at the beginning of her fitness journey, she had to reevaluate where she wanted to derive her happiness  — her body image or her mental state.

"I found that only training in order to obtain your "goal physique" means that you're just setting yourself up for failure, believe me," O'Neill said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXBI9stjOXt

She continued, “Having something deeper to focus on will mean you’ll find it 10x easier to stay motivated. Train, exercise, and eat well because of the way it makes you feel, for your mindset, for your happiness, strength, energy levels, etc.”

Take it from O’Neill — work on your body’s strength — not skinniness! Work on your diet by eating more healthy foods rather than less food altogether. And do some soul searching to understand your true motivation for hitting the gym in the first place.

That formula just might result in a happier, healthier you!