Social Media vs. Reality – Do You See What I See?

Full body picture Stefanie Grace

"A Picture Tells More Than 1000 Words..." Does It?

There is this saying “a picture tells more than 1000 words” – this may be true in some cases, but when it comes to the topic “‘social media vs. reality” I can’t fully agree with it. I feel more like: “one single picture hides more than 1000 details” – you don’t see the whole reality. 

With all the different filters, lightings and angles our reality gets deceived. Only with the right pose, you can already hide a lot of what you don’t feel like sharing on your social media account. Because of that, it is getting harder to tell, if a picture of a body we see, corresponds to reality.
With this post I want to bring a bit more reality and authenticity to social media, by showing you some details you don’t see. 

Full body picture Stefanie Grace

Some Insights and Details of My Body Which You Don't See on One Single Picture...

The picture above was taken in a great lighting, with a good camera. Afterwards I changed the contrast and the highlights. While the picture was taken, I exhaled, contracted my abs and of course, positioned my pants a little bit higher, to highlight my waist.

Here is my reality and insights of other angles and poses.

The view over the body from above.

...my view of my body from above

The image of the body is changing a lot, depending on the angle you look at it. (I used to hate looking down to body like this).

Spare Tyres of Ligaya Stefanie Grace

...my spare tyres when I sit relaxed

When i sit relaxed on the ground, I'm not showing my abs, I'm showing my spare tyres (they have been with my all my life).

Cellulite of Stefanie Grace

...my cellulite on my thighs

You wouldn't see them, when I'm standing. But when I sit down and sqeeze my thights they pop up!

Stretch marks on the butt of Stefanie Grace Ligaya

...my stretch marks on my butt

A nice pattern on my skin (as my partner use to say) Kind of body art.

Scars and bruses on the shins of Ligaya Stefanie Grace

...my scars and bruses on my shins

The side effect of training jiu-jitsu, jumping around like a monkey the whole day and the habit of not being able to leave wounds like they are (I can't help myself, I really like to scratch).

Don’t let social media deceive your reality.

See YOUR Reality. Appreciate and Respect Your Body as It Is.

I had a time in my life, where I hated the reality as it is. I didn’t like my body at all. I edited every picture I took and deleted every picture, where I wasn’t happy about the reality. Due to my eating disorder I was struggleing with, I didn’t see myself the way others would see me. I was comparing myself with everyone else and everytime I did, I lost the competition. My body never was good enough.. 
I worked a lot on my mindset, with my body and my self image. With all the appreciation and all the gratitude I was cultivating towards my body – for everything it can accomplish – I cultivated respect and love towards my body. 

Now I am able to see and feel the reality and actully like it. And of course there are days, on which I don’t feel 100 percent happy with my appereance, but I also always know why I feel this way – may it be because I had pizza the night before, may it be because I am bloated, because I have my period, or antything else – and this is Ok too, because I see and accept the reality, rather than deniying and hating  it.