Not really a question, but I love how you always speak up for what's right on social media and you're not afraid to show it

Thank YOU! I appreciate that.

What was the reason to start IWeigh?

I started I Weigh after I found a post on my Explore page weighing all the Kardashians by their weight. It just pissed me off. I was, and am, so sick and tired of women being valued by how much they weigh. So I posted about all the things I weigh - my friends, my career, my financial independence. And it took off! Suddenly I had thousands of people telling me what they weighed on Instagram, that was completely separate from their pounds or KGs. 

We’re creating a much needed safe space on the internet and aim to educate and empower everyone in our reach. Continue to join us on here, on Instagram (we’re almost at 1M followers!), and on Twitter for all of the latest announcements. 

First of all: holy heck, you’re Jameela Jamil! Secondly, do you have any advice on how to cope when social media makes it seem like everyone else has more friends than you and does cooler things than you? It’s not so much FOMO as it is just loneliness, and I was wondering if you had any experience and advice regarding this feeling.

I have FOJI: ‘Fear of Joining In’! I have learned that 12 friends in the whole world is all I will ever need. Few of them know each other; they are just little pockets of fun and inspiration in my life. Jesus had it right. 12 is the magical number. But really, even just one amazing friend is enough. I can promise you, I’ve been to all the big “cool” parties, I’ve met all the “cool” people, and it’s all a lie. Very few people have fun at these things. Everyone has social anxiety. You’re not missing out. Now that I’ve seen and done it all, I’m so relieved to be out of all of it. 

And if you need help meeting people, volunteering for a cause you love can be a great starting point, because it’s a win either way. 

How does having a chronic illness effect your social media presence as a person with a bigger platform on social media? Does it make educating people on EDS easier or are people more obnoxious about it because you have a larger platform? Do people expect an actor with a larger platform not to have any sort of chronic pain disorder? (Asking as someone with EDS and chronic pain/nerve damage myself I'm very curious. I love your tweets and your acting! I think you're hilarious

How did you manage to become so confident and happy with your body while still being on social media?

I’m not confident or happy with my body. I just don’t engage with my body. I can’t do positivity about something I have been so negative about. Our bodies are always under attack from society so it’s a bit of a stretch to expect us all to actively love them yet. I instead practice body neutrality. I don’t look in the mirror. I just put on my clothes and go. It has freed me. I’m so much happier now and more productive. I have more time in the day for interesting thoughts and ideas now that I’m not obsessing over whether I love or hate my body. 

Jameela hi! I love you so much. Quick question: as a woman who is often scrutinized for being so vocal about her opinions, you use that scrutiny to voice your opinions more. Where does that confidence come from?

My drive comes from having had such a difficult and unhappy life and wanting to make sure that no one ever suffers the way I did, ever again. At any cost I’ll speak up, speak out and try to change things.

Hi there, um, I'd like to say that I weigh's work has done a lot for me in terms of self esteem and I can't thank you enough Yet, I know that as an advocate for those bullied, you must be mistreated and bullied yourself. In those times, do you ever feel like giving up, like "I've suffered my share, this is too much, I can't do it", do you ever have those moments, and if so, how do you get over them?

There are definitely moments where I get overwhelmed because there is so much to do. I want to help everyone, I want to fix everything and the world is such a mess right now. It’s hard to know where to start. But I just try to calm myself down by remembering that nothing changes overnight. 

The only logical approach is community and brick-by-brick progress. Think big but start small. A slow and steady relentless push back is how we are going to win.

How do I show people my life while also not getting caught up in the social media popularity rat race?

I think it’s about learning how to turn off. It’s important to know when it’s time to disengage and focus on the people things you can speak to, and the things you can do, in real life. That way you can give your mind a rest, and not get too caught up in the crazy world of social media.

Do you think taking selfies might improve your perception of yourself or worsen it?

I don’t think it does exactly one or the other! It’s about doing everything in moderation! Documenting YOU during different times - good, bad, happy, sad, when you’re feeling confident, when you’ve just made a big change in your life, etc, can end up being cherished memories that ‘Future You’ will be happy to reflect on. 

But obsessing over getting the perfect angle or lighting is likely never the highest & best use of your time, and we don’t recommend doing anything that makes you feel bad about yourself.

Hiiii! How can I embrace the things that I love the most in social media (e.g. Star Wars, art or anything else) without feeling self conscious about what people might think? Thank you! Love you 💜

Honestly, let that nerd flag fly!! You wouldn’t want to be friends with people who don’t appreciate the things you love. So be honest about what you love, and you’ll attract people who love the same things as you or just love you regardless.