Dubai-based fitness content creator on body dysmorphia, self-discovery
'Establish the truth:' fitness content creator from Dubai discusses body dysmorphia and the importance of self-discovery
Zack Chug, a popular fitness blogger and internet personality, offers advice on overcoming online body-shaming and negativity.
Personal journeys of transformation are motivating. When a person manages to change their lives and reinvent themselves after facing so many challenges, it is truly inspiring.
Zack Chug is just one of innumerable souls who have walked this road. One more thing that has come out of the modern world is this 24-year-old's documentation of his entire journey on social media. He just relocated to Dubai from the UK. His decision to lose the weight he had acquired while in school six years ago set him on his current path. He set out on a path of self-improvement after being bullied and made to feel lonely.
"I used to be extremely overweight in school, endured bullying, and had few friends; that, in a way, inspired me to shed those pounds," Zack told City Times. "And once I lost weight, I went to university and that's when I started my social media journey."
Nobody could have missed Zack's remarkable journey from overweight and insecure to self-assured and physically fit. His social media following grew exponentially as he documented his journey, and he eventually attained one million followers.
Zack had quite the adventure juggling his dental school studies with social media. "It got so hard and it came to a point where I couldn't do both at an optimal level so I had to make a decision to leave dentistry which is probably the biggest risk of my life because I am throwing away a stable career with a guaranteed income for basically my dreams," said the doctor. "If there's one thing I've learned so far from my social media is to char your dreams because if there's no risk, there's no reward."
Zack, however, does not consider himself an influencer; rather, he describes himself as a "normal guy trying to post as much value and content," the creation of which he believes will benefit others. I continue to learn new things every day, just like everyone else. "All I try and do is motivate and inspire people," according to him. "And the content I put out is the same I know I'd want to see when I was younger."
Dysmorphic disorder
Theoretically, Zack's battle with body dysmorphia—a disorder defined by an unhealthy fixation on one's physical appearance—recurs throughout his social media narratives. Zack comes clean about his struggles with insecurity and dissatisfaction, even though he has an amazing body and is very popular on social media.
"My body's been through so many fluctuations that I've got to a point where I realise I do experience body dysmorphia but now it's just about taking the steps to overcome it," he says.
A vicious cycle of comparison and dissatisfaction is created by the constant exposure to idealised images on social media, which intensifies these feelings.
"When you are making progress, your mind is sort of telling you that you're not," he pointed out. Because of all the comparisons made on social media in the past few months, this destructive cycle has picked up speed, and it has a huge negative impact. The only things people see are the best parts of people's ideal lives.
That is why Zack has made the decision to produce content that presents the truth. "I reached a point where the body dysmorphia was so high that even I edited my own pictures," he says, explaining that he used to share a lot of healthy recipes, but that never gave him the chance to be vocal and show people the real side of social media. I need to step it up when I see these photos because they aren't good enough.
Zack uses Instagram to share nutritious recipes.
Zack uses Instagram to share nutritious recipes.
How then can one fight against it? Zack promotes a holistic approach to mental and physical well-being by sharing his own story of self-discovery and encouraging others to face these challenges directly. "It's just taking steps to live a healthier lifestyle," according to him. "It is easier said than done but it is just minor tweaks."
Dealing with Criticism and Being Genuine on Social Media
Zack, being a well-known figure on social media, has certainly encountered criticism and negativity before. Zack recognises the psychological toll that even a single critical comment can take, even though his 1.2 million Instagram followers provide him with tremendous support.
At first, Zack was taken aback by the amount of negativity he received. He had never received hateful comments when sharing healthy recipes. But now instead of letting himself be discouraged, Zack turns his frustrations into inspiration, which strengthens his resolve to go against the grain and achieve his goals. "You don't want to let the haters win," he pointed out. Even though the positive outweighs the negative, I still try not to allow myself to be swayed by even a single critical remark. To show the haters that they are mistaken, I am simply utilising it as fuel and motivation.
Famous Instagram user Zack Chug has over one million followers.
Famous Instagram user Zack Chug has over one million followers.
'Dubai Stone' and health aspirations
The "Dubai stone," in which people gain weight when they move to the city, was one of the obstacles that Zack had to overcome as he adjusted to life in Dubai. Zack opens up about his struggles with stress eating and other unhealthy habits that he developed after moving to Dubai. "It was many factors," he added. Everything on social media was making me anxious and stressed out, which in turn made me overeat. Luckily, Dubai is incredibly convenient. It's easy to get caught up in the stress-eating cycle when there's so much food around.
However, it's not always a negative thing that things are readily available in Dubai. "That's also an amazing thing about Dubai," said the man. "It is so convenient and there's a lot of healthy food options available too which helped me in my 'comeback phase' which I have documented on social media."
Despite everything that he has accomplished, Zack has never lost sight of his goal of using his groundbreaking "superhero concept." to uplift and inspire those around him.
"It is basically me and my journey to becoming the person I aspire to be, and motivating and inspiring everyone to be the best versions of themselves," said the author. Why? Because I may not be that superhero just yet, but I aspire to be someone who inspires hope and positivity in the future. With all the constant negativity, I think the world could use that right now. In the end, all I'm doing is being genuine and attempting to assist others.
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