Social media influencers who spread tips about weight loss mean well, but a lot of them don’t actually have superior studies done on the subject.

It’s one thing to get on a diet yourself and manage to see good results, but knowing how and what to suggest to someone else is an entirely different matter.

There’s a big difference between one’s ability to lose weight and one’s ability to teach others the right way to lose weight. In that sense, just because someone is in good shape following a diet, does not mean that their advice or routine will be just as good for you.

Each individual’s weight before starting a diet matters a lot. So does your age, your metabolism and other potential medical factors. So wellness influencers may be a good general source of motivation to keep you going, but as far as taking their advice, you should consider a few factors first.

The fact that someone’s in shape can often be simply the result of them following a diet that’s good for them. But the same diet will not be good for everyone. Above all else, you should always be skeptical and cautious about taking advice that recommends the use of unknown supplements. A social media infulencer is not the same as a doctor.

So is there any advice you should take from them? Well first of all, it does help to have someone motivating you to keep going. In that context, it helps to have those types of influencers in your feed, because their success photos and pep talks can help you stay inspired.

Another thing you can take from them is healthy food recipes – as long as they aren’t based on unknown or over-the-counter products. Natural, healthy recipe recommendations can be a great way for you to make sure you’re eating better and keeping your daily calorie intake low.

A lot of instagramers like to post quick and easy recipes, specially chosen to help people lose weight. Those are indeed a great source of inspiration, especially if you’re not sure what you can eat on your diet.

Remember: social influencers are there to be of help to you. But don’t be quick to assume they really know what’s best for you diet-wise. Use their posts for inspiration and motivation, but decide what type of diet you’ll go on and how intense your efforts should be based on advice from real, qualified sources.