Woman Challenges Unrealistic Body Standards With Side-By-Side “Real Me Monday” Photos Of Herself (30 Pics)
InterviewWe live in a world that is very much influenced by social media. And what we usually scroll through is a never-ending chain of pictures that showcase happy people with perfect bodies in beautiful places. If there were times when these moments from someone’s life used to encourage us to strive for more and for the better, now often people find these images to be a reminder that someone is doing much more than you. Despite the fact that society doesn’t avoid various discussions about body image, it’s still quite rare to see people who are open about how they really look in reality, without trying to force perfect body image.
One of these people is Bree Lenehan, who is a social media content creator and business owner. The woman who already has an army of followers caught everyone’s attention by posting side-by-side pictures of her posed and real-looking body.
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I don't understand the constant challenge. Why are people so insecure and feel the need to do all the photoshops/filters etc? I don't even know how. Love who you are! There is such power in being your true self. She's beautiful. As are we ALL
You are absolutely correct! I love how you said "There is such power in being your true self". I never thought of it like that but there really is something very powerful about just being yourself. There are no lies you need to remember or project. It is exhausting pretendingto be something you're not. When you *alone* hold the power of self-love and self-worth, you really do hold all of the power. And in that there is so much beauty. No filter needed.
Load More Replies...This is just stupid, no one wears their leggings like that in the second photo
I don't do it on purpose.. My muffin top pushes that s**t down. It's got a mind of it's own!
Load More Replies...Her smile reminds me of Amy Adams. So genuine. Thank you for being so honest about your body and its natural beauty. I hope I can do the same someday.
I've looked at this entire series, and I sure feel better about myself. That totally works.
Honestly, I wish women could publish the not-as-flattering photos. It would be nice to just normalize people's natural bodies. It would be so much healthier for everyone instead of perpetuating these unrealistic ideals. Honestly, it's just a attractive. But, given the nature of Social Media these days, not doubt they would receive all kinds of nasty comments.
The woman, who is known for her followers on social media as a Youtuber and the author, talks about health, self-love, and positivity. Bree started posting these two-sided pictures every Monday, calling it “Real Me Monday” by revealing that good looks can be posed and that people should love their bodies for what they look like in reality.
Her smile reminds me of isla fisher's smile
Load More Replies...Lets be honest she looks way more attractive in first pictures. Lets all do our best to look like the first and not the second to make this world a better place.
Curious. If she is happy with her true self, she wouldn't post the edited or sucked in version. Just be YOU. Whatever that means 💕
That would mean that she would not make money with it - why should she post the right pictures (commercially) when she is able to take the left pictures just following some simple rules like good posture, perfect angle, good light, shaping clothes, legs rather in a stride than next to each other, shoulders back, arms liftet etc. Same as you would rather look upwards for taking a selfie than looking down on your phone creating three additional chins... She isn't even photoshopping, she just uses whatever possibility she has in her favour. Why shouldn't she? This post is just showing what a difference it makes if you know all these ropes...
Load More Replies...so what about in 2 years if she continues to not look agter herself? I believe we are glorifing bad lifestyle choices...photos are not flattering
Beautiful - confident woman -keep that up!! We women are practically forced to hide ourselves in pull ups, tuck ins, push ups and beauty products. Menon the other hand walk around with guts hanging out and pants down below waistline-man boobs and no shirts- All women should feel comfortable and confident always. You're beautiful naturally. <3
I really wish women would post photos like the one on the right. I'm so sick of seeing these unrealistic (and not real) photos of flat stomachs. I actually find the photo on the right more attractive.
But she still can rock a belly button ring. I haven't seen my belly button since I turned 15... And I am turning 40 in 3 months! I miss that thing, it was an inny too.
She has an Isla Fisher's smile....probably spelled her name wrong. Lol
I don't understand how it's possible. I'm thin and my stomach is like the first one, but I have flabby fat on my legs... Just none on my stomach, so how can hers look thin too at first but she can do that?
She's holding her breath every time she take pictures on the left and also those fitting clothes help to cover it?
Load More Replies...How is it possible tho? I mean, I'm thin but I have a lot of fat on my legs but none on my stomach.. how can it looks like mine at first but I can't do the second one
It is very much depending on your body type/ genetics where you put on weight. You are lucky, fat on thighs and ašs is better for your health than fat around the stomach area. The distribution might however change over time according to your hormonal status...
Load More Replies...What's the point? She is contorting her body ti make herself look fatter or have rolls
opposit, the first picture she is standing straighter, unrelaxed and sucking it in for the photo.
Load More Replies...both are so real.....just be happy with ur pics n don't use them to spread the wrong things...even if it makes u happy
And what's the wrong thing? Who are you too determine what's right and what's wrong?
Load More Replies...It's important to show these and remember that Instagram and other pictures have the right angle and the right pose. The person may or may not look like that all the time. Don't judge yourself too harshly based on the best looking moment of someone else's life.
She *is* cute.. and not just looks U can tell her personality is too :)
Load More Replies...I think she looks great great in both photos But my standards of beauty is more defined by how someone acts with others not what they wrappings are Inner beauty is the best it's like Christmas present what really matters is what's inside
I know, right? Shoulders back, arms slightly raised, chest and ašs pushed out, legs in a stride versus arms down and closed, shoulders slouched, round back, belly completely relaxed (I am sure you would not normally let it completely out like that), legs closed - it puts on 15-20 kgs in just one second...
Load More Replies...Bored Panda contacted the creator to find out more about her project. Bree shared that she was surprised to see so many people love her idea of showing her real self and encouraging others to do so. “It made sense to me that people are craving realness & relatability instead of the posed, perfected, fakeness we usually consume on social media. It made my heart happy to help people feel better and more loving towards themselves”, added the woman.
Taking my bra off when i get home rates pretty high with me...
Load More Replies...I would imagine that wearing tight yoga clothing pushed below the stomach would cause this look.
That's still pretty nice tho..wish I had a belly that hungover like hers.
The picture on the right is how a woman should look. A waist, a pooch ... it's perfect.
The low waist pushes the soft tissue around the hips and the belly up, makes it look like "rolls". Well, yeah, if I put a piece of rubber around my arm even my lower arm will have rolls - who would have thought...
Load More Replies...I have the exact same body as her,yet from time to time I feel like I should exercise to tone it a little .Most of the I hide it and don't feel confident.It's great to see encouragement.
Your awesome I'm a freelance photographer.email me kmclauchlan63@gmail.com
Bree also revealed some details about the very start of her project. Even though people might seem to want to see more relatable body images on the Internet, but it takes courage to show people how you really look without knowing how they’ll react to it. The woman revealed why she started her project: “I first started the weekly series of ‘Real Me Monday’ because I'd experienced negative body image growing up & I wanted to challenge myself to put my real self out there, instead of posting my ‘perfect’ self online”. She also added that this practice made her more comfortable with how she looks like and boosted her confidence. Bree also didn’t hide the fact that by doing this she was able to help others to overcome their insecurities.
Exactly. This reminds me a lot of images I see on men’s style websites, where they show how the fit of clothes makes such a big difference in your appearance. They illustrate this with so-called “normal” body types, but also with people who are very thin or quite large. The message I’ve gotten from those: wear clothes that fit correctly, regardless of your body type.
Load More Replies...The power of sucking in your stomach. And angles, angles play a big part in how your body looks on photos
And pulling up the control top on yoga shorts / pants.
Load More Replies...I love her honesty and confidence in posting these pics and I love the second photos and I love how she looks so happy in them and I think she's beautiful in the second ones she's real and actually beautiful. I wish I had that kind of confidence and im so happy someone is putting good vibes out in the world instead of constantly telling you that you should be ashamed of ur body if ur not just twigs. (No offense to anyone who struggles) (I'm at least twice her weight)
It's kinda sad to realize that women participate in perpetuating these unattainable (and fake) bodies.
For those who are trying to find themselves and are struggling with accepting the way they look, Bree says: “Prioritize positive self talk...We underestimate the power of our minds. We can't possibly ‘fall’ into loving ourselves. It takes practice, time and a lot of kindness. So in any endeavor for self love, it's not about how the outside looks, it's about what the inside says! Being kinder to myself has changed my world".
Don't sensor my message m I said post your bun hole AKA O ring.
Load More Replies...Love how she shows the real not to many would do that absolutely beautiful girl ❤️ love the confidence!!!!!! Hopefully you will rub off on the rest of these ladies
You have no idea of how many young girls you have helped to see that pictures can be deceiving on the internet. And you may save a few lives in the process. So many teen girls are striving to be perfect like all of the tweaked images they see daily. They face harsh criticism if they post any natural photo. My own daughter gets told she's fat...her smile is crooked...her nose is wide...etc. Her self-esteem is horrible and she already has a wish list for plastic surgery. She's 16-years-old. I showed her your photos and she studied them for a while. She says that you are more beautiful naturally because you just look like every other girl on the internet in the other photos. You made an impact on her and I am very grateful!
Yes,I agree.I hope she learns be her amazing self.
Load More Replies...C'mon,I think you shouldn't hate yourself like this,you deserve better.I hope you realise how lovely you are just the way you are.
Load More Replies...I truly wish my only problem was a small bit of fat around my waist. LOLOLOL!!!!
No matter how you photograph a beautiful woman, she is still beautiful.
This is such a mood when putting on clothes. Great from the front, not so great from the side.
I think it's cuz her face is more tense in the first one (?)
Load More Replies...There is no belly I keep trying to find it hon have kids then we'll look for a belly for you but really love your infectious smile 😊😊😊😊
You make me feel like it's ok to be me thank you so much for your inspiration I'm someone who is not use to being bigger and I try to hide behind baggy clothes which in since makes it worse but makes me feel better at the same time if that makes since.
how is she able to keep her face so calm while staring towards the sun?????
Its like the first picture is staring at the second picture 😂😂
The fact that beautifully natural bodies like this get called ugly and fat.. woman shouldnt be judged on the little tum tum they have , as long as they are healthy, that's what matters!
Those kinds of dresses aren't particularly flattering to anyone unless you are a plank with no curves and no boobs.
I feel the opposite: bodycon dresses look THE BEST on women who are hourglass or pears.
Load More Replies...This is so important for girls who think "I have a belly pooch so I'm worthless. I need to look like this person in the picture." The person in the picture could also have a belly pooch. They might be sucking in or positioning their body to hide it Don't judge yourself too harshly based on one picture of someone else at their best.
i don't even go on Instagram anymore. the women featured on there are usually pretty damn gorgeous in the first place but then everywhere is so filtered and photoshopped that literally nothing is a realistic beauty standard. this may be controversial but i think the Kardashian/Jenner family is a HUGE problem when it comes to this. I'm so glad i don't have daughters, especially with the internet, i don't know what I'd do.
Load More Replies...You're so beautiful with your real pic...I'm too shy to approach you and feel intimidated to talk
I'm a man, married, 4 children. I'll take real any day. Ha ds down. No question. It's one thing to be lazy any worthless. It's another to just be going through life and our bodies do what they do. Marketing and media create absurd expectations on all of us. There's not one of her pictures that I'd choose the skinny version over the realistic one. I want to hig and high-five here in every comparison. This brought out in me respect, approval, and (natiral) attraction to/for the genuine portrayals of her and I hope she is proud of how she looks!!
Keep on smiling! You make me proud of my body the way it is. Thank you!
You and my sister could both wear potato sacks and start a fashion trend ❤️
Gosh I would love to look like her she doesn't need none of the editing and I'm glad she did this. I love that she did this. All you beautiful women need to know how beautiful you really are wether you're chunky like me or as Tiny as tiny can be as long as you're happy and healthy you are absolutely beautiful the Way You Are.
All of these "workout" shorts are that way... 😳 Ouch
Load More Replies...What's with the squished up butt wrinkles? Who thought putting that on a pair of pants looked good. Needs to quit designer career!
I was a teenager when Twigy was the standard. It made my adolescence hell because unless I would be deathly sick I Would never reach this standards. it became a little easier when I Learned men prefer curvy women to stick women. lol
How is this body positivity, exactly? A skinny lady pulls down her waistline and pushes out her stomach to show...what? That Instagram pictures are staged? We know that already.
Not everybody is consciously aware of that. Many girls are self conscious about their stomach fat. This staging is so prevalent that many of us absorb this as normal or what we should look like without realizing it.
Load More Replies...Having stomach fat is very normal and healthy. It's supposed to be there in fact. I appreciate this as my very normal amount of stomach fat has been something thats given me anxiety in the past.
Indeed. It is sad how nowadays the image of a "healthy woman' must have a flat stomach that most people dont get unless they are underweight. For our society the right pictures show her as "fat" when she is perfectly healthy and fine.
Load More Replies...Thanks for another enlightening post, Bored Panda! I had no idea instagram photos were staged and filtered and chosen from a whole roll of potential photos to show the most socially acceptable flattering photo. Profound!
I just don't understand this trend, you want to show what real bodies look like so you show the difference between a fake and real photo. Just show what your real body looks like and stop posting the fake! Your not helping body positivity if you keep showing a fake body.
I agree, but the point is it's not a "fake" body. It's not photoshopped. It's selective angles and elastic clothes that hide and slim the real body.
Load More Replies...I know what you mean, however, if your tummy goes inside while you inhale then you are doing it wrong (stress reaction!) . It is supposed to come out with the inhale and go back in with the exhale...
Load More Replies...Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a bit of a belly on a girl. I'd rather be with someone I can pig-out on the sofa with, rather than share a bowl of spinach and kale.
That's funny cuz I'm a woman & I feel the same way about a guy !!!
Load More Replies...The important part about these images is that they draw arrention to posed vs relaxed bodies. Making sure the audience looking at posed bodies understands why they don't look like that in their relaxed position, while scrolling through their phone. It's not ground breaking work, just a friendly reminder that those people aren't walking around with their gut sucked in and back arched all day every day.
Ridiculous! Should be titled 'Slim girl works very hard to make herself look ever so slightly less slim in an attempt to promote false body positivity'
Yup. Another post of a young, fit woman who clearly spends a lot of their life working to meet cultural norms (how many workout outfits does she own?) of beauty showing that she can look kinda just okay if she tries hard. Cooooooool. We couldn't actually just have people look like they look in media, social or otherwise, and be okay with that, could we?
Load More Replies...How is this body positivity, exactly? A skinny lady pulls down her waistline and pushes out her stomach to show...what? That Instagram pictures are staged? We know that already.
Not everybody is consciously aware of that. Many girls are self conscious about their stomach fat. This staging is so prevalent that many of us absorb this as normal or what we should look like without realizing it.
Load More Replies...Having stomach fat is very normal and healthy. It's supposed to be there in fact. I appreciate this as my very normal amount of stomach fat has been something thats given me anxiety in the past.
Indeed. It is sad how nowadays the image of a "healthy woman' must have a flat stomach that most people dont get unless they are underweight. For our society the right pictures show her as "fat" when she is perfectly healthy and fine.
Load More Replies...Thanks for another enlightening post, Bored Panda! I had no idea instagram photos were staged and filtered and chosen from a whole roll of potential photos to show the most socially acceptable flattering photo. Profound!
I just don't understand this trend, you want to show what real bodies look like so you show the difference between a fake and real photo. Just show what your real body looks like and stop posting the fake! Your not helping body positivity if you keep showing a fake body.
I agree, but the point is it's not a "fake" body. It's not photoshopped. It's selective angles and elastic clothes that hide and slim the real body.
Load More Replies...I know what you mean, however, if your tummy goes inside while you inhale then you are doing it wrong (stress reaction!) . It is supposed to come out with the inhale and go back in with the exhale...
Load More Replies...Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a bit of a belly on a girl. I'd rather be with someone I can pig-out on the sofa with, rather than share a bowl of spinach and kale.
That's funny cuz I'm a woman & I feel the same way about a guy !!!
Load More Replies...The important part about these images is that they draw arrention to posed vs relaxed bodies. Making sure the audience looking at posed bodies understands why they don't look like that in their relaxed position, while scrolling through their phone. It's not ground breaking work, just a friendly reminder that those people aren't walking around with their gut sucked in and back arched all day every day.
Ridiculous! Should be titled 'Slim girl works very hard to make herself look ever so slightly less slim in an attempt to promote false body positivity'
Yup. Another post of a young, fit woman who clearly spends a lot of their life working to meet cultural norms (how many workout outfits does she own?) of beauty showing that she can look kinda just okay if she tries hard. Cooooooool. We couldn't actually just have people look like they look in media, social or otherwise, and be okay with that, could we?
Load More Replies...
