At some point in life everyone deals with being self-conscious about their body. Society is always telling us what the ‘ideal body type’ is, but this changes with each decade. Before social media the public were being told how they should look from magazines, movies and TV shows but now social media has been added to that list.
As a photo and video based form of social media, Instagram comes with a lot of negativity with what society expects of females. The majority of content that is posted are users’ highlights of their life, when they feel they look their best and are at their happiest. It’s very rare that someone will post a photo that they don’t like. Posing, editing and adding filters are all included to create a photo that is ‘Instagram ready’, sometimes even photoshopping the image. It’s important to remember that that photo is most likely ‘Instagram’ rather than ‘reality’.
Many studies have shown that social media is bad for your mental health and it is important to step away from your favourite apps every once in a while but it is also down to who you follow. Following lots of people who are in the best shape of their lives, follow a strict diet and are professional models probably isn’t the best if you don’t share a similar lifestyle, which the majority of people don’t. Instead start following accounts that show their ‘Instagram vs reality’, promote that it’s okay to have a slice of cake and that you are a wonderful person.
Here are ten amazing accounts that we found on Instagram:
@_emilysworld – Emily Solman
@stephelswood – Healthy Chef Steph
@gymsharkwomen – Gymshark Women
@sophiejaynemiller – S O P H I E J A Y N E
@_nelly_london – N E L L Y L O N D O N
@emily_louise_swain – Em.
@ashleygraham – A S H L E Y G R A H A M
@stephanieyeboah – Stephanie Yeboah
@curvynyome – Nyome Nicholas – Williams
@emetz_fit – Elizabeth Metz – Fitness
Part of self-love is looking at what type of relationship you have with food. As much as it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle, that is very daunting to a lot of people. There are so many different diets and cookbooks out there that it’s hard to know where to start and what is right for you. No one wants a negative relationship with food but when there are so many opinions and studies online it’s easy to fall into.
Instagram is full of aspiring chefs, professional chefs, nutritionists, dieticians and people with no qualifications. If you’re looking for food related accounts it’s important to find some people with qualifications and can fill your feed with information as well as lots of delicious food.
Here are a few helpful accounts to follow:
@rhitrition – RHIANNON LAMBERT BSc MSc RNutr
@sophieshealthykitchen – SOPHIE BERTRAND MSc RNutr
@thefoodmedic – Dr Hazel Wallace BSc MSc MBBCh
@deliciouslyella – Deliciously Ella
Changing a few follows is a really easy way to start loving yourself and continue to grow into the women you want to be. However, self-love and self-confidence takes a lot of work and there will be times when you feel like you’re having a set back and that is completely normal. No one is positive and full of self-confidence every day of the year. It’s important to go through emotional times because otherwise if you push it aside it will all hit you at once. Remember to be mindful of how you and that voice inside your head speaks to you, if you wouldn’t say those things to friends and family, why are you saying it to yourself. That body you have is the only one you will get, love it, respect it and tell it it’s beautiful.
Disclaimer: Before making big changes to your lifestyle, speak to professionals as to what is suitable for you.
10 Body Positive Instagram Accounts To Follow
