Though you might resist the idea of ditching Kendall Jenner or Madison Beer from your feed, hitting the unfollow button could make a huge difference for your body image.
“You can’t be putting yourself in a situation every day where you’re following people you compare yourself to, or who make you feel down about the way you look,” says Ariella.
“People forget that Instagram is a highlight reel. People are getting on and playing this persona and not being completely transparent.”
That’s right – even Kendall and Madison don’t look like that all the time. In fact, most of their Insta snaps are the results of posing, good lighting, expensive clothes and makeup, a touch of editing… the list goes on!
Instead of following accounts that kick your self-image, fill your feed with people who make you feel nothing but love and acceptance for your body.
Because let’s be real, none of us are about to delete our Instas or ditch social media all together the way some old people say we should.
Ariella’s account is all about loving your body exactly as it is.
Her Insta is chock full of honest snaps of her body in all its natural glory, but she admits that in the past even she would struggle to post a pic if she didn’t think it was perfect.
“I used to question it, put it up for a little bit, then delete it,” she reveals.
Now she can post photos of her cellulite, scars, stretch marks, eye bags – literally anything – without constantly second guessing herself or getting down on her body.
And it’s all because she put the time and energy into building the self-love she’s so known for.
“From where I started to where I am now, I can post any photo of me, no matter if it’s a bad angle or my stomach’s hanging out,” she says.
“I truly can say now that I love who I am, and I love what I look like - and I never thought I would be able to say that.”
So how did she get become the carefree body positive queen she is today? It all started when she stopped caring about what everyone else thinks, stopped trying to fit a totally unrealistic beauty standard and embraced herself and her body exactly as it is.
“Everyone’s going to have a different opinion, but why are you trying to please all these different opinions?” she says.
“When you just take a moment and learn to really love who you are on the inside and outside, you’re not going to care as much about those physical things.
“When you love yourself, your inside is going to glow through your outward appearance anyway!”
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