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It's hard to look at other women at the gym, in magazines, or on Instagram and not compare ourselves. It's often about appearance — and it makes us feel bad. We might think, "I wish my stomach was as flat as hers," or "Her arms look so much more toned than mine."
We've all done it one time or another, so Zoe Novota posted this "30-second transformation" [3] to make a point, "for a little perspective." She captioned the above photos (taken seconds apart), "A lot of pictures on Instagram, including a lot of my own are posed, in good lighting, getting the best angle. It's still me, but I don't walk around in the best light, at the best angle, posing and flexing every second."
In the photo on the right, Zoe says, "Thats me relaxed without the flattering tummy control of my high-rise leggings. The person on the right still works out almost everyday and eat healthy at least 75% of the time. She is also still 100% beautiful and strong." And on another important note, Zoe shares that you don't have to be "super lean and tiny to be healthy and to be body positive."
So the next time you catch a glimpse or photo of yourself "unposed, in bad lighting, etc. don't be hard on yourself because your body is still so amazing and does so many amazing things for you if you let it." And remind yourself that when you see posed pictures of women on Instagram, "know that the people in them are perfectly imperfect too." We all have our good and bad angles, so don't let one unflattering picture get in the way of your happiness.
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