Personal trainer's before-and-after photo isn't what it seems

If you prefer Instagram for the cute animals or photos of what your favourite foodie is eating, you’re not alone. But no one is immune to the fitness movement taking over social media – thankfully, one personal trainer is using her page to prove that popped triceps and toned thighs aren’t a requirement.

Sophie Allen, a personal trainer from Melbourne, Australia, has more than 146,000 followers on her Instagram account where she promotes healthy living through sharing her fitness tips and personal workouts. She recently received praise for a selfie she took in front of her bedroom mirror in which she discussed how misleading an Instagram photo can be.

“I have cellulite, too, and it appears when I squeeze my butt and disappears with the simple act of slightly tilting my hips out! Don’t ever let Instagram take away from your achievements, because there’s a lot of editing, tilting, posing, angles, lighting and all the rest going on,” she wrote.

The post has already received more than 21,000 likes, with many of her followers sharing their own body image struggles with Instagram filters, angles and edits.

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“Thank you for these. Posts like this are huge for people that don’t understand that the time of day, food and lighting change everything. You’re so awesome!” commented one user.

“I honestly can’t even explain how seeing this post with pictures makes me feel; I’m not a big person but I struggle SO much with body confidence. You hear a lot of really fit Instagramers or YouTubers say what your post says, but just saying it rather than posting pictures with it is quite different. This is really inspiring. Thank you,” wrote another.

Allen was overwhelmed by the response to her post, thanking her followers for being such a positive community that supports and encourages each other.

“Let’s all focus on supporting each other in being the best version of ourselves we can be. All I ever want to do here is motivate, inspire and connect,” she said.

Her honesty and dedication to showing her followers all aspects of Instagram fitness has grown her audience significantly. Debunking angles, poses and lighting, her followers get an idea of just what it takes to post the perfect fitness selfie.

“I still have cellulite on my butt and the thing jiggles! Just remember when you’re scrolling through Insta and you think… why doesn’t my booty look like that? We’ve all got poses, angles, lighting, certain activewear/clothes that do the things we want them to, to maximize the gains!” she wrote in another post.

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Another popular photo of Allen’s features photos of her taken just hours apart, proving that what you eat and your activity can impact your body immediately, whether it’s through bloating or toning.

“We have to embrace and love our bodies as they are, whilst working towards our healthiest, strongest selves,” wrote the personal trainer.

While Allen may appear to be another Instagram fitness blogger, her message goes much deeper than promoting cleanses and detox juices. Sharing her personal experience while also being honest about what it takes to be fit, Allen’s passion for fitness resounds with her online audience, inspiring her followers to do what makes them healthy and happy.

“Healthy looks different one everyone! Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance, there’s a different recipe for everyone to get there.”

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