Ripped mum flaunts abs as 'striving to be thin' will hinder your body goals

Shannon Collins, known as The Gym Nurse online, regularly shares fitness advice online, and in a her recent post she revealed why you should never 'strive to be thin'

A ripped mum proudly flaunted her abs to tell people why they should never strive to be thin.

Shannon Collins, known to her 150,000 Instagram followers as The Gym Nurse, is a familiar face in the online health and fitness community. She recently got very candid about her personal battle with weight loss.

Sharing before and after snaps, she explained why people should never aim to see the number on the scale decline. This is because numbers don't always accurately reflect results.

When she got married, Shannon said she weighed 123lbs and, at the time, she was striving to be "as little as possible". Now she weighs 136lbs, and she spends her time trying to "build as much muscle as possible". Though she's over 10lbs heavier nowadays, she looks absolutely amazing. Her body looks toned, her legs and arms look lean and she dons a very impressive six pack.

Instagram

Just because muscle weighs more doesn't mean you won't look better if you weigh a little heavier. She said aiming to weigh less often won't get you the body you strive for. Shannon said: "I played this game for years when I was younger, and wondered why I never looked the way I wanted. Because that look wasn't just about losing weight.

"It was more about building muscle. All those women with bodies I wanted had years of time committed to the muscle building process. Muscle will add weight to your body, and so much more. Seriously need to quit basing your progress off the scale. It's holding you back.

"I speak about long timelines not to discourage you, but so you can get in reality about how long it takes. And stop beating yourself up because you haven't had a major body transformation in a year."

Just because things take time, Shannon said it doesn't mean change won't happen. Sometimes you need to have patience, and believe in the idea that hard work will pay off in the end. Many fitness fans related to her post. People were also quick to comment to share their thoughts, and personal stories too.

One person said: "The message more women need to understand. No timeline is the best timeline. Run away from any day coach who promises a transformation in 12 weeks."

Another replied: "It is a game changer when it finally clicks. I am in it for the long haul!" A third also wrote: "Yep! Stop being a slave to the scale and calorie deficits and focus on feeling strong and healthy."