08 January 2023 , 10:20
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A woman has told people to take things they see on social media "with a pinch of salt" after she shared two photos of herself taken just one minute apart, which showed how easy it can be to change your figure for a picture.
Molly Ava is an online fitness coach who is known for sharing body-positive content with her 100,000 Instagram followers, and in a recent post, she shared one of the ways in which she takes flattering photos of herself - which aren't always a true reflection of what her body looks like when she isn't posing for a snap.
The woman posted two side-by-side pictures, one of which showed her looking toned and lean, while the second snap - which was taken one minute later - revealed her natural stomach as she relaxed her body.
The fitness fan shared snaps taken one minute apart (mollyavafit/Instagram)Molly insisted the pictures were not a "before and after" but were instead both snaps of her natural body - the only difference being that in the toned picture, she's using clever tricks such as pulling up the waistband of her leggings to make herself look slimmer.
And in the post's caption, Molly - who posts under the username @mollyavafit - explained that while there's nothing wrong with wanting to look your best when taking a photo for social media, you should remember that "what you see online won't always be what real life looks like".
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She wrote: "Not a before and after. Just my body posed vs my body relaxed - both very much my body just in different forms.
"What you see online won't always be what real life looks like. Whilst there is a lot more transparency now online you still need to take everything you see on social media with a pinch of salt.
"It's ok to want to pick the best photo, pose, and outfit but remember that you shouldn't compare yourself to that one snapshot of someone else's life or body or anything.
"Focus on where you are and where you want to be - don't worry about anyone else."
And commenters on the post were quick to praise Molly for her body-positive message.
One person said: "The real is beautiful."
While another wrote: "You are wonderful. Thank you for being you, you literally make my day sometimes."