Why should "beautiful" be defined by numbers on a scale and a reflection in a mirror? When we think of who society sees as beautiful, the first people that come to mind are flawless models and perfect celebrities. With people like this setting society's beauty ideals, we begin to forget what beauty actually looks like.
Body images and weight goals are circulated on social media with the obligatory before-and-after images. Along with these pictures are weight-loss programs, diet pills, eating itineraries, etc. We are all so consumed in the body ideals that celebrities and the media have set forward for us that we often to aspire to forget every woman's true beauty.
We all have that friend who posts before-and-after photos of him/herself on social media to flaunt a drastic weight loss and body aspiration. However it's rare that we see the opposite: one who takes pride in, and is comfortable in, their own skin, regardless of body size, type, weight, etc.
Taryn Brumfitt, a mother of three in Australia, is the greatest example of what it looks like to shut the doors on these beauty ideals. A few years ago, she resented living in her own skin; she hated her body to the point where she wouldn't leave her house. In fear of her daughter learning to one day hate her own body, as well, Taryn decided to sign up for a body-building competition to change her body and her life.
Something changed, but it wasn't just her body. It was her mindset.
She did it. She became a body-builder, lost a ton of weight and gained a ton of muscle. But, most importantly, she developed a new outlook on beauty ideals.
After finally changing her body into the one she always envisioned and dreamed of, she realized that super-skinny and super-toned is not the only type of beautiful there is.
After her realization, she uploaded the most shocking before-and-after picture—one that definitely stands out from the others. On the left, where the before picture is, was a picture of her at her skinniest, most muscular state. On the right, where the after picture is, was a picture of her feeling the most beautiful and healthy, after she added some pounds back on.
Taryn is someone who did, at one point, strive to fit into the beauty ideal of toned and skinny. Then she realized she was happier when she completely embraced her own healthy and beautiful body! This amazing before-and-after picture gained tons of media attention, and it encouraged Taryn to start a campaign in redefining what it means to be beautiful.
Join Taryn in a fight to raise awareness for what beautiful really means with her creation, the Body Image Movement . Through her personal experiences and observations, Taryn's goals are to teach not only her daughter, but all women, to embrace their bodies and create change.
Every body is beautiful. Join Taryn in inspiring all women to embrace their beautiful bodies and shut down these mediated beauty ideals.
Image via Embrace
