Neghar Fonooni first made her claim to fame back around 2009, becoming an inspirational fitness professional who shared her workouts and photos of her toned body with her followers, encouraging them to find the same mindset and work on their own bodies.
In May 2014, however, after Fonooni completed a photo shoot when she “wasn’t photo-shoot ready,” she suddenly had to reconcile something within herself.
Over the past five years, she’d gone through a dramatic transformation, not to become even more toned and leaned, but rather, to approach her fitness from a more relaxed standpoint. This discovery ultimately encouraged Fonooni to share a photo of what she now calls her “reverse progress” online.
When Fonooni posted these two photos, not only did she try to emphasize to her followers that weight fluctuations are realities that happen to every human being, but she also hoped to show that counting calories and tracking body fat percentages didn’t always mean a person was healthy.
Back in 2009, Fonooni was 120 pounds and had 12% body fat. She counted every calorie she ate, worked out two hours each day, and was trapped in an abusive relationship.
Now, in 2014, Fonooni said, “I weigh roughly 134 pounds and probably am about 17 to 18 percent body fat. I don’t actually know, to be honest. I work out 15 to 30 minutes per day, and once a week, I do a longer strength only session, allotting more time for rest.”
The fitness star explained that although she was less “toned” and “ripped” than she was five years ago, she was actually much happier in her body now because she felt comfortable and content, as opposed to being constantly pressured to maintain certain numbers on the scale or at the gym.
Fonooni does, however, take the time to clarify what she means by “reverse progress.”
“I am not, in any way, insinuating that one of these bodies is better than the other… I'm not always perfect, but I strive to always be my fittest self, mentally, emotionally, and physically,” she added.
And we honestly couldn’t agree more with her goal.
