Instagram Fitness Star Shares Photo Of Her Stomach Rolls To Show No One’s Perfect

This is refreshing. Recently, more and more people are becoming disillusioned with the filtered reality that is Instagram - including the social media stars themselves. You'll remember last year we had the controversial case of Essena O' Neill, who quit Instagram and branded the industry "fake" and "miserable", revealing the candid truth behind her staged photos. While her case was extreme, we are very much in favour of breaking down illusions in favour of keeping it real on social media. The latest Instrammer to jump on the reality train is fitness guru Anna Victoria.

70% of all people who start a fitness program quit. Except you. Not this time. #fbggirls I'm looking at you! ? www.annavictoria.com/guides

A photo posted by Anna Victoria (@annavictoria) on Jan 7, 2016 at 1:10pm PST

She decided to remind us all that what we are seeing in her perfectly flexed and filtered daily offerings, is not what she sees in the mirror every day. Posting a photo of her sitting down, with no filter and her stomach rolls clearly visible, she wrote: "There have been times where if I ever found myself in front of a mirror where I am sitting and I see my stomach, I automatically think "ew!" because this is what society has conditioned me to think. "Your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be healthy, your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat for you to love yourself, and your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be confident and beautiful and an all around amazing person."

There are two reasons I want to share this with you ladies: one reason is because I want you to know having skin fold over on your stomach when you sit or to have "rolls" is not anything to hate or be ashamed of. The other reason is because while I say this, there have been times where if I ever found myself in front of a mirror where I am sitting and I see my stomach, I automatically think "ew!" because this is what society has conditioned me to think. Your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be healthy, your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat for you to love yourself, and your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be confident and beautiful and an all around amazing person. As a society, we shouldn't let physical characteristics set the standard for whether we deserve to love ourselves or not. Everyone deserves to love themselves, however I know that's easier said than done. What's amazing to me and what I have witnessed with the fbg girls is most of the time they start learning to love themselves more on their journey not because of the physical changes, but because of the mental and emotional changes that come from dedicating yourself, pushing yourself, and seeing just how strong you really are. (what we call "non-physical progress" and is just as, if not more important than physical progress). That type of strength and beauty can only be seen and felt from within. ?? #fbggirls www.annavictoria.com/guides A photo posted by Anna Victoria (@annavictoria) on Jan 16, 2016 at 9:37am PST

The raw photo obviously made a big impact, and received three times more likes than her usual #fitspo images. We hope this is a good omen for the future of social media.