Scroll through social media long enough and you’ll inevitably see them: the classic “before and after” photo.
Two images placed side by side. One labeled before. One labeled after. The implication is clear. A transformation has happened. The story is complete.
But bodies don’t really work like that.
As a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, and certified personal trainer, I spend a lot of time thinking about the language we use around bodies. And the phrase before and after has always felt a little incomplete to me.
Because unless someone’s life is over, there really isn’t an “after.”
There’s just life continuing.
Bodies are constantly changing. They grow, adapt, rest, heal, and respond to what life asks of them. Stress changes bodies. Aging changes bodies. Pregnancy changes bodies. Illness, recovery, movement, sleep, nourishment, hormones, grief, joy — all of it leaves its mark.
The body you have today isn’t a finished product. It’s simply the body you’re living in right now.
That’s why I like to think about those photos a little differently.
Instead of “before and after,” I think of them as before and during.
Before one season of life. During another.
During someone’s story. During one moment in a body that will continue to evolve in ways none of us can fully predict.
It’s a small shift in language, but it creates space for something important: the understanding that bodies are meant to ebb and flow. Change isn’t a failure or a deviation from the plan. It’s part of being human.
Social media often freezes bodies in time, presenting a single moment as the goal, the finish line, or the “better” version. But real life doesn’t follow that kind of linear path.
Bodies are dynamic. They’re responsive. They’re living systems.
And when we stop expecting them to arrive at some final version, we can start relating to them with a little more curiosity and a little less judgment.
So the next time you see a “before and after” photo while scrolling, you can always rename it in your head:
Before and during.
Because bodies are not projects to complete. They’re something we live in, every single day.
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If years of “before and after” messaging have shaped the way you think about your body, you’re not alone. Our team works with people every day who are learning how to rebuild a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.
At Find Food Freedom®, our registered dietitians and certified intuitive eating counselors provide weight-inclusive, evidence-based support to help you move away from diet culture and toward a more sustainable relationship with food.
You can check your insurance benefits to see if nutrition counseling with our team is covered.
