Style & BeautyBody Imagebody positivity

Self-Love Blogger Uses Tights To Show Body 'Transformation'

“Same girl, same day, same time. Not a before and after. Not a weight loss transformation. Not a diet company promotion.”
By 

Reporter, HuffPost

If you’re comparing yourself to what you scroll past on Instagram, then 23-year-old Milly Smith wants to open your eyes.

The U.K.-based nursing student, new mom and body positivity champion recently posted an Instagram (@selfloveclubb) of two drastically different side-by-side photos, taken seconds apart.

In the first, Smith is wearing control-top tights that give her the appearance of a flat stomach and hourglass shape. In the second photo, the tights are pulled below her stomach and the entire shape of her figure is changed.

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

Smith writes in the caption, “Same girl, same day, same time. Not a before and after. Not a weight loss transformation. Not a diet company promotion.”

She elaborates that she’s comfortable with how her body looks in both images and stresses to her fans that they shouldn’t compare themselves to other people.

“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,” she says.

The side-by-side comparison has been done many times before, but this iteration shows just how deceptive angles and clothing can be to a silhouette.

Smith frequently posts photos advocating body acceptance, including other side-by-sides to make a point that she (or the others she’s photographed) hasn’t lost weight between one photo and the other. It’s simply photo “magic.”

YOU DONT👏🏾HAVE TO👏🏻 SHARE 👏🏽 UNDRESSED 👏🏻 PHOTOS 👏🏾 TO BE 👏🏿 BOPO! . Bopo is about encouraging and adopting a more forgiving, accepting approach to yourself and your body. Learning to love yourself inside out! It can be as personal or as socially shared as you like. . 💙 Building your self esteem through accepting your body and image doesn't have to mean sharing skin online. I do! And for many others it's empowering and helpful but if it's not for you then THATS OKAY 🙏🏻 . 💙 Whilst I think it is of great importance to build a relationship with your naked self and to realise it's nothing to be ashamed of- it's perfectly okay to not be comfortable with sharing that online; after all it's YOUR body and YOUR journey. . 💙 Do what empowers you, support what empowers others! Do what feels right for you and your body-whilst pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is very important it's also important to not feel forced or pressured into doing something you ultimately don't want to do! . 💙 Your journey is as unique as your body. Let it be that way. Don't compare someone else's journey or photos to yours- let yourself find what's best for you. We are worthy, valid and powerful beyond measure 💙

A photo posted by Milly Smith 💛🌻☀️👑 (@selfloveclubb) on

Just a same girl, same day, different pose reminder that our bodies look different in different angles and that it's perfectly ok, normal and natural. You don't need to look like anybody else but YOU ❤ 💛 I get asked a lot recently how to start a Bopo insta page as they want confidence. I often come up with nothing because I'm not entirely sure I understand. 💛 Are they asking me how to get started on a journey to self love or just how to start an insta page to get justification that their body is worthy in hope it will bring them self love? 💛 Before I put my photos and words out onto Instagram I started my journey to self love with myself; I mean it's still a very personal journey but I want to share it now and help others too. I took photos and wrote down love notes to my body without showing them to a soul- it was just for my soul and my mind. 💛 Starting an insta page could help you on your journey of course but your motives are what's important- know what they are before starting is my advice. Maybe do it off social media first and get a feel for your journey and what works/doesn't work for you and do it for YOU. Do it for your soul. Your follower count doesn't matter or make you more or less worthy. 10,000 people telling you your pretty wont bring about self love either. It's so much more than that and it starts deep inside yourself not with your aesthetics. Bopo isn't a 'trend'. 💛 It's not about how many you can impress, you need to be impressing yourself. Make yourself proud.

A photo posted by Milly Smith 💛🌻☀️👑 (@selfloveclubb) on

Same girl, same day, same time. I've been talking quite heavily about comparison/posed and photoshopped images on my page since the beginning. I can't stress enough that our bodies look different in different positions and we are only seeing one still image of the same kind of photos over and over, just a still snap of a body that moves, jiggles, dimples, swishes, bounces, rubs and wiggles! Our bodies are moving, our life is moving and we aren't here living to be still and posed. We are here to bend, crease, dimple, run, walk, roll, laugh and wobble! I used to check my body religiously. It was the first thing I'd do as I got out bed, I'd stand in front of the mirror and pose and distort my body as much as possible until I felt ok about it. I now walk straight past the mirror and remind myself that I don't need to check anymore as however I look in my reflection it can't and won't affect my mood, purpose, worth or happiness. You're amazing posed, you're amazing unposed. Your body is awesome and unique;there is no one in the world like you and that's powerful 💪🏻

A photo posted by Milly Smith 💛🌻☀️👑 (@selfloveclubb) on

Take a tip from Milly: Love yourself and your body, regardless of how you’re standing, sitting or posing!

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