Instagram/@annavictoria
It’s way too easy to get caught up in body issues, especially with the prevalence of social media. While it can be inspiring to see people who show off the results of their hard work at the gym, it can also lead to doubt and discouragement when we can’t achieve it ourselves no matter how hard we try. But this fitness star proves that rolls and unflattering angles don’t negate true beauty.
One 16-year-old emailed her favorite Instagrammer, Anna Victoria, and told her that the perfect bodies she saw all over social media was weighing on her own self-esteem. Rather than ignore the email or send a vague response, Anna chose to publicly address the issue. She posted an ordinary picture with an extraordinary caption on her account and gained over 20K likes and over 500 comments overnight:
Anna’s photo shows her sitting in a typically unflattering photo, stomach rolls out, no makeup and undone hair. As the caption reads, she chose to post it because “None of those things are bad or imperfect. They are NORMAL.” Her intention is to show that those supposedly perfect bodies all have imperfections, but that confidence comes from accepting those flaws as normal and even good. Taking out makeup and hair, something that can be taken for granted in fitness photos, completes the naturalness of the post.
Although the fitness expert acknowledges that body issues can be found in any gender or age, she especially addresses younger women and girls. “So when we live in a society that profits from your insecurities,” Anna encourages, “be a rebel and LOVE yourself. Love your body at every angle and don’t ever be ashamed of being human, or struggling, or hey, even loving the crap out of yourself!!” Seriously, how inspiring is that!
She definitely walks the walk too. This isn’t the first instance where Anna has posted photos of herself to prove that her body isn’t carved out of marble. She sometimes posts photos of her bloated or eating foods that aren’t necessarily vegetables to show her followers to break down the unrealistic image social media often presents.
Because who doesn’t have a food baby every once in a while?
Even right before her wedding, Anna posted a photo showcasing her amazing bod and pasted it next to one of her sitting down. Though she felt she was at her peak in terms of her physical health, she still had body rolls when sitting down. But rather than ignore that fact, the fitness model openly embraces it and presents a more realistic idea of her body to her Instagram followers:
Anna’s body-positive approach makes for a truly healthy outlook on fitness and self-esteem. Her insistence on embracing, rather than rejecting or hating, the flaws society claims we should hate help break barriers for those who are less secure about the way they look. Anna uses her influence as a fitness model and health expert in a meaningful way, proving that she truly knows what it means to be inspiring. We hope that 16-year-old has more confidence in herself now.
[H/T: Cosmopolitan]
