This picture finally puts an end to the "beach body" question

This is my body. This is not a before picture. This is not an after picture. This just happened to be my body looks ...

Posted by Molly Galbraith on Friday, January 01, 2016

A woman in a bikini is walking on the beach and posting the picture on Facebook. A photo that looks like a holiday and a rest - but Molly Gailbraith wants to make something important with this image: A body is perfect when its owner feels comfortable with it - no matter what other people say.

One year without self-optimization

Gailbraith knows what she's talking about - she's the founder of an online women's training portal and has spent many years finally reaching the "perfect" bikini figure. Tirelessly, she always forced her body a little thinner, a little bit more trained, a little closer to the ideal she had in mind.

But suddenly she had to pull the emergency brake: When it turned out that she was suffering from autoimmune weakness and metabolic disorder, Gailbraith found herself forced to rethink her priorities.

At the beginning of January she woke up with the good feeling that for the first time in her life she had not made a "good resolution" for the New Year, which is putting her body under even more pressure. Apparently an insanely liberating feeling:

"Not before, not after - just my body, point."

With this text under the picture, Molly clarifies why she was finally tired of tormenting her body:

That's my body

This is not a "before" picture. This is not a "after" picture.

This is just my body, as it looks on any Tuesday in December 2015 - it's a LIFE picture.

This is a body that loves protein and vegetables and cheese and ice cream. This is a body that loves dumbbells, pull ups, weights and sleep.

This is a body burdened with fast food, late work and stress. This is a body that has been brought to the limit of thinness with fitness competitions and powerlifting meetings. This is a body that has begged for mercy when it found an autoimmune disease and metabolic disorder.

This is a body that as

- too fat - too thin - too masculine - too strong - too weak - too big - too lean

was named - all within the same week.

Who should my body like?

Above all, the last sentence makes it clear how absurd the attempt is to meet foreign demands. No matter how hard you strive, you will never be able to please everyone.

And why should you even do that? Your own body has to please only one person: ourselves! Molly intends to never again meet any foreign standard and hopes that many women will follow suit.

Here are some more reasons why it is good that we are exactly as we are:

These pictures have a clear message: Love each other as you are!

For more self-acceptance: The illustrator Frances Cannon struggles with her art for a more natural approach to her own body, proving to all women that we have no reason to be ashamed of him!

1 of 11

"Accept yourself." This is the foundation for a positive self-image.

2 of 11

This image prunes all Zeifel: Each side of us is beautiful - their mistakes and peculiarities make them something special.

3 of 11

Be nice to yourself, be nice to others, enjoy your life, it's the only one you have. " And you should not let this precious lifetime take away from unnecessary self-doubt!

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"Hello body, you look wonderful today and I promise you to treat you lovingly." When did you last lovingly look at your body? He deserves it every day!

5 out of 11

Fight together with other women for more self-acceptance, instead of putting each other in the way of imprisoned ideals of beauty!

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"This is my body and I love it! Why are you afraid to love your body as well? All parts of your body deserve love, care and respect!" ... because they are the ones who carry you through life reliably every day.

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"This Love is Home" Having a partner who loves us as we are is a great gift!

8 out of 11

"I am strong"

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Even the natural processes of the body are no reason for a negative image of ourselves!

10 of 11 © Frances Cannon

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...and anyone who says otherwise, you should not listen anyway!

More works by Frances Cannon can be found on her official site.