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Despite talking more about body positivity and becoming more accepting of the way we look, many people are still learning to prioritize the way they feel about themselves instead of being fixated on the way they should look. And the content that we see on social media does not always help in this case, very often making us feel insecure. It’s a good thing that in between those pictures portraying perfect-looking people, there are those who are not afraid to show their real bodies, talk about everyday struggles, normalize these things, and even give some tips and tricks on how to feel better and love yourself harder. Bree Lenehan is an Australian content creator who is known for her “Real Me Monday” pictures where she isn’t afraid to show how her body really looks instead of only showing the posed and edited side. This way the woman is reminding others that what we see on the screens, ads, and magazine covers isn’t a realistic representation of our bodies. 

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muntherqia
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is all one woman and with a great body but still good and real photos

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Bree, who now has more than 680k followers on Instagram, shares various content on self-love, health, and body positivity. The woman started the project “Real Me Monday” a long time ago, so if you’re interested in finding out more details about it, you can find a Bored Panda interview with Bree here. Every week the woman starts with a diptych-like photo showing the content creator posing in a way that we’re used to seeing fit women appear in media and in the other, she shows how her body actually looks. The social media user isn’t afraid to show that her stomach isn’t always flat and that she does have some curves, as well as revealing her sometimes tired and breaking-out face.

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In her pictures, Bree always poses with a genuine smile and doesn’t forget to write her thoughts on certain body image issues, revealing the truth that stays behind the lens and encouraging others to love themselves and their body that has to go through so much. The woman also started another project where she invites herself on a solo date, calling it a “Solo Date Challenge”. Every week the woman has one day where she takes herself out on a date, later sharing her activities with others and inspiring them to do the same for their own well-being. The way Bree presents this challenge is simple yet uplifting: she starts her day with some fun outfit changes, followed by going out and doing some new activity or perhaps taking time to read a book or reflect on things, and later getting herself a nice lunch.

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Andrea
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

@Xenon! You are missing the point of this post. It's about how women and men are forcing themselves into the dictated body image on social media. Cause if you post the one's with the little fat showing, you'll be called "brave" to do so. But not in the good way.

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SarBow
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The women in most of these "not posing" photos still look to have the idealized western Euro-American body. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, just that the thread seems to be saying "Look at how crazy different they are!" ... but the photos don't look that different.

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Why should we be aware of the way we see our body? If we hear someone commenting on our appearances or we ourselves don’t miss an opportunity to express our opinion about someone's looks, it can have negative effects on our physical and mental health. Even a remark such as “Have you lost some weight? You look beautiful!”, which is supposed to be a compliment, might have a certain impact on a person who perhaps secretly has a distorted view of their body without even realizing it. Unrealistic body standards lead society to disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, as well as causing depression and low-self esteem. So it’s crucial to understand the number of likes on your pictures and empty praise about how skinny you’ve become are not worth the pain and unhappiness it’s going to cause.

#11

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RJ N
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are making me feel much better about my own body. Sucking in my gut doesn't make me look as good as these women unfortunately, but it's good to know they're not all absolutely perfect

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Nea
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This girl looks very cute to me. Usually I would be annoyed at such a post but she is doing it well 😃 more natural than photoshopped i think

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Even though body positivity is viewed as a good thing, it has also been questioned because of its non-inclusivity of other human traits. Having this in mind, it’s suggested that the best thing is to have a neutral mindset about your body, meaning that you should accept it the way it is and be okay with the fact that you don’t like something in your appearance. This isn’t easy, but with time it helps to realize that our appearance isn’t everything and that besides this, we have a lot of great qualities and abilities that we should focus on instead of obsessing over having a perfect look.

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Elizabeth Krigsvold
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In this exterior focused world we all need to look inside at the person. Saying that, there isn't a single photo here of ANYONE that is in any way, for EITHER photo, that is in any way, ugly or fat or whatever. Average woman's size is a 14 and these girls are all single digit sizes. Get over it people!!! Everyone is beautiful to someone.

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Bobetta the DG
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let me guess those pockets aren't real and are those stupid ducking flaps of material that no women ever ducking asked for.

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Note: this post originally had 46 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.