The Price of Perfection: My Modeling Journey

By: Sahra Mohamed

Society often teaches us to hustle, to grind, and to wake up every morning with the sole focus of working relentlessly until we reach our goals. For the longest time, I believed in this mindset. As a model, I worked tirelessly to meet the industry’s impossible standards. I spent five to six days a week at the gym, ensuring that my body measurements were as small as possible. In the fashion world, a model can lose major contracts if their measurements are off by even one inch. The pressure from my agents was immense, and the lure of international modeling contracts was tempting. I invested heavily in my portfolio, working with renowned photographers and landing covers on numerous prestigious fashion magazines.

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For a while, I thought every sacrifice was worth it. But I soon learned that my health was deteriorating rapidly. By the time I saw a doctor, I was severely underweight. My heart was beginning to show signs of strain, with a slight enlargement of the left atrium due to excessive exercise. I was at a dangerous point, but my mind struggled to grasp the seriousness of it all. In my eyes, the extreme slimness I was striving for was proof that I was healthy, that I was taking care of myself, and that I was working hard to earn my worth. This is the message society constantly reinforces.

Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of myself for overcoming anorexia and breaking free from compulsive exercise. I was told that if I continued down this path, my heart could stop. I had to relearn how to incorporate food groups, like carbs and protein, that I had avoided for years, reminding myself that it was okay to have them regularly. One of the most pivotal moments in my recovery was when my therapist told me I deserved to live, to enjoy life, and to rediscover who I was outside the world of modeling and the glamorous industry I had known for so long.

Through recovery, I gained weight, and my cardiologist assured me that my heart was now strong and healthy. Though I sometimes still struggle with body dysmorphia and occasionally find myself pushing my workouts a bit too far, I now remind myself that I am enough as I am. I’m grateful to be alive, to have regained my strength, and to have learned to recognize the illness for what it was. The message I hope to share is simple: never jeopardize your health for a job. Life is about living, and in the midst of chaos, recovery is just as important as hard work. I no longer believe in grinding at the expense of my health. Instead, I believe in working smart, because there’s power in rest.

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