This Blogger's Side-By-Side Photos Reveal A Truth About "Invisible" Transformations

While we might be used to seeing bloggers get real about their transformations, real or not, what we don't hear about as often are the transformations that might not be physical. Blogger Anna Victoria, however, is opening up about the transformations that you can't always see.

On Monday, Victoria posted two side-by-side photos on her Instagram — and discussed why she doesn't want to call them her "transformation" photos.

"Sometimes I don't like calling it that because I was never unhappy with the way I looked to begin with," she wrote in her caption. "My transformation was more about how I felt on the inside, about my health, and that's not something I can show you in a picture."

However, she acknowledged that Instagram is a visual platform, and that sometimes, photos might be the best way to communicate. Victoria posted two photos, one from 2012, and explained that her transformation wasn't about working out 24/7 to obtain an "ideal" body.

"I do set goals and push myself, but I've always been overly conscious of maintaining balance and never letting fitness take over my life," she wrote, adding that she in addition to exercising, she makes sure to enjoy her life — and that includes eating what she wants.

"I don't work out to punish myself for eating ice cream and I don't restrict myself if I feel I want to relax a bit," she wrote. "I DO however keep in mind how food affects me mentally and emotionally and that's what keeps me eating as healthy as I do."

She said that while she's had people telling her she should be "more lean" or "gain more muscle," she's not concerned with anyone else's ideas for what she should do with her body.

"While I'm happy with the physical changes I've worked so hard for, they don't compare to the non-physical changes that aren't visible to the naked eye," she wrote. "There's always room for physical improvement and there's always someone who looks better than you, and those two facts can be freaking exhausting if it's all you're concerned with."

"It can put you in a constant state of wanting to restrict food more, work out more, and if you're not careful, lead to an unhealthy obsession and relationship with workouts and with food," she added. "That's not what I want for me or for any one of you."

Instead, she said, she's going to keep working towards her goals in a more balanced way.

"I'm doing what I want which is to kick ass in the gym, be empowered by my workouts and feeling strong, but still enjoy life and to value balance above rock hard abs or a lower body fat percentage," she wrote.

Victoria has a refreshing take on fitness — as she says, food shouldn't have to be a reward, and while working out has great physical and mental benefits, it's important to make sure you're maintaining a healthy equilibrium.