Have you ever wondered how people manage to look perfect on Instagram all the time?
We all assume Photoshop and FaceTune are involved, but did you know that moving your body just so actually has a lot do with it?
The illusion of the “perfect” body isn’t real, and health blogger Sara Puhto is out to help us all feel a little better about the way our bodies truly look.
Meet Sara.
She’s a Finnish blogger based in South Africa. She’s all about making sure you accept yourself, rather than looking for acceptance from others. And often, that means embracing every weird lump and bump on your body.
Any picture you see of someone looking perfect while sitting? That’s a total lie.
It’s all about angles and sucking it in, guys. We all know what we really look like when we sit — a bit lumpy, but comfortable! Contorting your body for a perfect shot is never a natural thing.
Those candid pictures of us that we hate? They’re normal!
No one likes to see what they look like candidly, but it’s okay! Our bodies aren’t meant to look good all the time. A bad photo is just a bad photo, you know?
Sara cares a lot about teaching us how fake some things on Instagram can be.
People even care about their arms looking fat, which I am DEFINITELY guilty of.
“But we have to remember that arms have fat and muscle on them and will look different in different postures and poses.”
Even selfie angles are an artform.
It’s not a bad thing to want a good photo or selfie of yourself, for the record! It’s just that we have to be mindful of buying into an illusion.
Even clothing shots are BS.
“I put on make up, put on this dress and stood out in -7°C to take a Christmas photos where I was actually freezing. Then took off the make up and changed into sweatpants after the photo.”
Lookin’ at you, Kylie.
She’s all about embracing our tummies as they are.
It’s so fair to be shy about your stomach, so don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of it. Pictures like this can help normalize what our tummies really look like, and eventually help you find confidence in yours!
She even shows how false Photoshop can be.
This is actually a damn good Photoshop job on her body. You can’t see much warping or liquifying, which are the usual giveaways in body modification pictures. And that’s the scary part — if you can’t tell, how do you know what’s real?
Oh, and your stomach changes throughout the day, too.
Whenever it bloats, we can feel pretty bad about ourselves. Sara said she even avoided wearing dresses to stop people from noticing her stomach. However, she decided to just try one out and she’s learned to love the look!
It’s all about those angles.
If we spend too much time trying for the first picture, and only posting those perfect shots, we’ll lose sight of our real selves. Why not do a balance of both?
At the end of the day, a lot of what you see on Instagram isn’t real.
Even sweet laughing pictures can be total fabrications. You know what you look like when you’re laughing — you look happy, and like a total goofball! Let yourself be happy authentically.
