Social media has added something very special to our lives, but it can also take something away from us. The images that we find on social media are often of super skinny models, and it is the reason that people of all body types feel horrible about their bodies.
When I see those pictures, I want to stop eating immediately and throw the snack I was just devouring away. You might believe that models never have thoughts such as these, but you would be wrong. If you don’t always like the way that you look, you must stop having those thoughts. Let me explain why.
I have been a model for a while, and I thought that because I am in the industry that I must be a part of the problem. I set out to be the solution by doing something about it. I knew that there were some secrets that I had been keeping from the public, and I thought that social media was the best place to share those secrets, so I decided that it was time to tell the truth.
I wanted to let everyone know that most of what we see on social media is a lie. I did this by taking a selfie in a standing position. In this picture, it looked as if I had a flat stomach. I took another picture after that, but for this picture, I didn’t try to make myself appear to be perfect. I uploaded this photo and left a lengthy post as an explanation.
I said that I looked like the first picture exactly one percent of the time. The other 99 percent of the time, I look like the second picture. I am not playing favorites because I love each photo. I wanted to let others know that it doesn’t matter whether or not you have taken a bad picture. How you look in a picture doesn’t diminish who you are.
I read an article about a woman who refuses to call her flaws “flaws,” and I thought that was a beautiful message. When you look at your pictures through that lens, you can see your cellulite, rolls of fat and stretch marks and not feel the need to apologize for them. It makes you feel powerful because you don’t have to do anything to get rid of the things that announce your age.
I noticed that cellulite and stretch marks are becoming prominent as the years go by, and I don’t want them to disappear. These marks let me know that I have lived a full life in 28 years, and the marks are just letting me and everyone else know that it has been a healthy one.
My body is showing us all that I am strong and that I can run several miles, lift weights, pull weights, squat weights and push weights. I can’t begin to be upset with a body that can do all of that! On top of everything, I feel great!
As you continue on your journey, remember that you will not punish your body. You will only fuel it, challenge it and love it!