Why This Dramatic Before-and-After Image of a Woman in Tights Is Going Viral

Julie Ricevuto
Updated

Same girl, same day, same time. 💛 Not a before and after. Not a weight loss transformation. Not a diet company promotion. 💛 I am comfortable with my body in both. Neither is more or less worthy. Neither makes me more or less of a human being. Neither invites degrading comments and neither invites sleezy words. 💛 We are so blinded to what a real unposed body looks like and blinded to what beauty is that people would find me less attractive within a 5 second pose switch! How insanely ridiculous is that!? 💛 I love taking these, it helps my mind so much with body dysmorphia and helps me rationalise my negative thoughts. 💛 Don't compare, just live for you. There is no one on this planet who's like you and that's pretty damn amazing don't ya think. The world doesn't need another copy, it needs you. 💛 We are worthy, valid and powerful beyond measure 💙🌟 (If you don't pull your tights up as high as possible are you really human?)

A photo posted by Milly Smith 💛🌻☀️👑 (@selfloveclubb) on Jan 29, 2017 at 10:45am PST

We’ve seen quite a few before-and-after photos go viral on Instagram before—usually with the same, bikini-clad image of a woman who’s already achieved her weight-loss goal. Sure, these images can be super inspiring for those of us who have similar fitness ambitions, but sometimes the results are simply achieved using different lighting or a flattering body angle, giving viewers an unrealistic, deceptive perspective on what’s achievable.

In order to call social media out for it’s misleading ways and impractical body standards, one body-positive advocate, Milly Smith (@selfloveclubb), posted an image of herself on Instagram wearing tights in two separate positions. One of the photos displays Smith wearing the tights higher on her waist, while the other shows them much lower, revealing a larger portion of her stomach.

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Smith began the post explaining that the two images were taken on the same day and wasn't a before-and-after weight-loss transformation picture. “We are so blinded to what a real unposed body looks like and blinded to what beauty is that people would find me less attractive within a 5 second pose switch!” explained Milly. “How insanely ridiculous is that!?”

When it comes down to it, Milly's message is a good one to live by: “Don't compare, just live for you. There is no one on this planet who's like you and that's pretty damn amazing don't ya think?”