If you are like me, you often find yourself going down the rabbit hole of Instagram scrolling. I look at celebrities, friends, athletes. And I think, “Wow, I wish I could look like that!”
Even when I know that many of the photos I am looking at are not photos of real bodies. They are photos that are posed or retaken a million times. Or maybe, just maybe they are photos of real bodies but only after extreme dieting has taken place.
Instagram isn’t real life but it’s still hard to break out of the comparison trap. And that’s why when a celebrity comes along who uses their reach and platform to promote self-confidence and body positivity, I’m grateful.
Body-positive model Ashely Graham continues to speak up about self-love and that’s why I love her. She recently announced that she is pregnant with her second child and she continues to be inspirational figure — especially on TikTok. Her most recent video shows her dancing around outside in her underwear underwear…all in the name of body acceptance.
@theashleygrahamand today’s affirmation is…♬ you look good – a hot girl
She posted the awesome video with the caption “and today’s affirmation is…” She then lip-syncs to a woman saying, “You look good. Don’t change.” The phrase is repeated over and over again while she twerks a, rubs her belly and playfully dances before pulling her high-waisted bottoms down to reveal her belly.
During and following her first pregnancy with her son Isaac, Graham was extremely honest about how her body changed and the postpartum side effects she had experienced, including hair loss (and its subsequent regrowth) and bladder weakness. This lead to many people praising her for breaking down topics that are often not spoken of and for helping other women to feel less alone throughout their own pregnancies and the post-birth process.
Watch Ashley Graham’s latest TikTok video and let us know what you think. Here’s hoping we get A LOT more content like this from her!