As a fitness model with one of the most toned figures in Australia, it’s clear Steph Claire Smith has worked extremely hard to retain her physique.
But the 24-year-old has spoken out about her seemingly perfect pictures in an effort to promote body confidence among young women.
Taking to Instagram, the young woman shared a series of side-by-side selfies to demonstrate how different her body can look in photographs, depending on the angle, lighting and posture.
Model Steph Claire Smith (pictured) shared a series of side-by-side selfies – all showing different angles, poses and lighting
The young fitness blogger wanted to demonstrate how different her body can look in photographs, depending on the angle, lighting and posture
The 24-year-old has spoken out about her seemingly perfect pictures in an effort to promote body confidence among young women
‘Just a little Instagram vs reality reminder for you all,’ she said.
‘Sure I look fine in both pictures of course, but remember that lighting, angles and posing can make the world of difference sometimes.
‘We all do it.. and that’s okay. But for those of you who constantly look at what’s on Instagram and compare your lives to what you see… don’t.
‘We all put up some sort of shield before sharing things with others, and that’s okay but I think anyone with a certain amount of following should remember it’s important to be real and relatable… and show that life isn’t always as perfectly put together as we post it to be on our feeds.
‘If you’re having an off day remember that everyone has those. Keep on keeping on and focus on what’s right and real and beautiful in the world and it should turn your day around.’
Her latest body positive post comes just weeks after she shared an eye-opening snap of how her body has changed since she was 18 – a photo she dubbed ‘a different kind of before and after’.
‘I was 18, ate whatever I wanted (a lot of junk),’ she captioned a photo of her slender 18-year-old frame.
The fitness blogger previously opened up to fans about her self-esteem and body issues
And on Wednesday, the 24-year-old shared an eye-opening snap of how her body has changed since she was 18 (left) in a photo she dubbed ‘a different kind of before and after’
‘Me now, age 24 eating a balanced diet going off the 80/20 rule majority of the time (I weigh about 10kg more),’ she captioned a current image.
Steph shared the image in a bid to help girls struggling to accept unexpected changes in their bodies.
‘When my metabolism slowed down, I gained weight and couldn’t get away with eating whatever anymore. I went through a stage of being incredibly confused and upset,’ she said.
‘I couldn’t understand why, when I started eating well and exercising, my body was still not going back to how it was when I was 18.’
Steph said it took her a long time to realise that it was simply her body ‘developing into its womanly figure’.
‘Now everyone is different, every woman’s body is different, some change a lot over time, some have the same body type their whole life, but for me, I went from being lanky and skinny to curvy and muscular,’ she said.
‘Through the pressures I put on myself through modelling I continued to get upset at the thought of never having those measurements again. Makes me sad thinking back at that mental state of mine.
‘I feel strong, fit, healthy and confident now but it really was a journey. Being the best you isn’t the skinniest/smallest you… being the best you you can be comes from being healthy and happy and embracing what you’ve got.’
‘I couldn’t understand why, when I started eating well and exercising, my body was still not going back to how it was when I was 18,’ she said
The model didn’t get ‘hips, boobs and a bum’ until she was 19 – the age where she had to ‘actually think about what I was eating and how I was exercising’
Steph, who is the co-founder of Keep It Cleaner, shared a similar snap in 2017 and said when the photo of her at 18 was taken, she absolutely did not have an ‘eating disorder’.
‘I had an incredibly fast metabolism. I was still in my ‘childlike body’ and I was a late bloomer,’ she said.
The model didn’t get ‘hips, boobs and a bum’ until she was 19 – the age where she had to ‘actually think about what I was eating and how I was exercising’.
‘Believe it or not, I thought I had chubby thighs. It was scary for me (as it is to a lot of girls and guys) when true puberty hit and I suppose I was growing into my ‘more womanly figure’ and I was putting on weight,’ she said.
Steph has also struggled with binge eating over the years – an issue that stemmed from the pressures in the modelling industry.
‘We are denied for jobs more than we are accepted… it took a while to get over that. You have to go through that though and you’ve got to learn to be able to accept yourself,’ she said in a candid vlog.
‘We are denied for jobs more than we are accepted… it took a while to get over that. You have to go through that though and you’ve got to learn to be able to accept yourself,’ she said
Steph has now changed her mindset towards food and started Keep It Cleaner to teach others about wellness
Steph lived in America for 10 months at age 20 and was told that she needed to lose weight as her measurements had changed too much.
‘They told me I had to lose weight and it was something I hadn’t heard before. I was working really well in Australia,’ she explained.
‘I started working out even moreso than I already was, I started to not want to eat out, I started saying no to friends inviting me out just because I wasn’t in control of what I was going to be eating.
‘I started to stay in a lot and by doing that and being super strict on my diet (I used to treat myself quite a lot) and I ended up getting into an extremely bad habit of binge eating.’
Steph has now changed her mindset towards food and started Keep It Cleaner to teach others about wellness.
She also works out five to six times per week – from HIIT workouts and boxing to long walks – and follows a balanced, nutritious diet filled with nourishing smoothies, eggs, high protein salads and healthy snacks.
If you need help or support for an eating disorder or body image issue, please call Butterfly’s National Helpline on 1800 334 673 or e-mail support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au