Talk about keeping it real. California fitness blogger Anna Victoria‘s popular Instagram account is full of gorgeous bikini and workout videos.
But a recent selfie she snapped in the gym elevator where the “bad lighting” emphasized her arm cellulite has gone viral. Watch Victoria tell her story in the video above!
“I zoned in on the cellulite on the back of my arms. Yes, cellulite on your arms is a thing! I’ve had it since the beginning of my journey and while it’s lightened up since then, it’s still not totally gone… because I’m human,” the 28-year-old personal trainer wrote on the post, which has now been liked more than 36,000 times. “So, do I love the look of my arms on the right? No, but I don’t hate it or myself for it, either. And you shouldn’t either.”
Hundreds of people have commented on the photo, a majority of them praising her message and for being so honest and open about her flaws. Anna Victoria told Us Weekly that many are relieved that even someone who works out six days a week (three days cardio and three days of strength training) can still suffer with cellulite.
The creator of Body Fit Guides, an online fitness and diet regimen, said she’s thrilled with the response to the photo. “I have girls of all ages looking up to me,” she said of her 1.3 million Instagram followers. “I don’t want the only pictures I share to paint a picture that I am perfect. I’m human, I have flaws and I want to share about that while I also want to inspire people to go after the fitness journey and achieve their goals.”
The married Yuba City, California, resident said women can be particularly hard on themselves. “We tend to think that we are the only ones with stretch marks or with cellulite, and I wanted to bring to light the fact that we all have it and its not an indicator of our health or that we aren’t fit.
“What I want people to get out of this message is that you don’t need to be perfect to be on a fitness journey or to be wanting to better yourself and that you shouldn’t let it keep you down.”
