Of late, the word of the year, “Selfie”, has become viral around the globe. Scores of teenagers and young adults have clogged the search engines in their quest to find ways to click that perfect selfie.

While all this time the common notion of clicking a selfie was filled with fun and excitement, a shocking incident of a 19 year old British boy made headlines recently. Called by media as a selfie addict, he tried to kill himself when unable to take his perfect picture.

While I irritate my mom by taking endless pictures of myself posing in every corner of the house, I know my purpose is to grab her attention, and basically, to irritate her. She, on the other hand, maintains is a narcissistic behavior.

Going by what is being circulated in tabloids these days and how psychology experts are judging selfie wave as, I can’t blame her much.

However, looking at my friends getting leaner and hotter with each gym or club selfie, I wonder what role selfies can actually play in our lives.

Giving rise to obsession or boosting motivation??

To find an appropriate answer this time, I did not go to the experts alone. I reached out to people, and this is what they told me:

Colleen Smith, fitness blogger and an athlete shared her story with us, “This year I trained for my first bikini competition, involving months of bulking followed by several months of leaning out. The cutting process demanded an insanely strict diet, which is where the selfies come in. It’s hard to see progress day-to-day, and sometimes the sacrifices don’t feel worth it.”

She believes, “Selfies show how far you’ve actually come. Fully dressed, I saw little-to-no apparent changes. Taking ab pictures reminded me that things were happening. I posted some of them on my fitness blog, but I try to hit the balance of sharing enough to be interesting and motivating without being obnoxious.”

You see, nobody, but you are the best judge of yourself. What you see won’t cheat you. Weight machines and measurement scales might deceive you, but your self taken pictures will show you exactly what you are.

“Self-taken photographs, however, show unbiased aesthetic progressions and are an excellent motivational tool. Most people don’t feel comfortable taking selfies when they are not in their best shape. So, a person is naturally going to put in more effort to create physical changes knowing that he/she will be taking photographs in the near future. I like the concept of selfies and I have seen many of my clients stay motivated because of the selfies they took.” says Mike Lancy, Fitness expert from New York city.

Media relations specialist at BodyBuilding.com, Allison Kim, also reached out to me.

She added, “Earlier this year I went through a transformation with the goal of going up on stage in my first bikini competition. In May I stepped on stage and got 2nd in my class. I took weekly selfies to help keep me on track.”

So, you realize now that they possess the power to transform you physically from head to toe.

Like I mentioned, friends in my circle have confessed them as their new weapon to keep track of their fitness goals.

However, folks, who are not a big fan of the selfie culture  term it as pretty lame and egocentric. They believe  admiring your physical appearance, maintaining it, seeking self-gratification from your networks, are all signs of a narcissistic behavior.

Are Selfies necessarily narcissistic?

Many of you might still believe that selfies are inherently narcissistic and that they increasingly reek of self obsession and seeking attention.

But, if we keep aside this perception for a while, we could explore the positive influence they can render. Like we did just now.

Those who blamed the selfie wave for the boy’s miserable condition, must understand that there are two sides of every coin. He did not try to kill himself because of those pictures, he did so because he felt it was the ultimate tool to boost his self esteem.

Knives play a better role in an operation theater. Bullets weren’t made to kill humans. And neither were the selfies.

Having said enough, its time that I be of some help in your fitness journey.

Dr. Rob Pomahac, former hockey player and founder of Max Health, Los Angeles wrote to me this amazing tip to click the perfect selfie which I am excited to share with you.

“The key is to always take the same picture – in the same location wearing the same type of outfit. Two pics – one from the front and one from the side. This will also show you how good or bad your posture is – because body language is super important in the road to self confidence. For guys – only wear a pair of shorts and for the ladies wear shorts – no leggings, and a sports bra. Be honest with yourself and document where you were and how far along you have come in your commitment to self improvement.”

So, now that you know how to click that perfect selfie, use it as your fitness weapon and have fun along. Keep snapping and stay motivated!

And here comes mine!

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