‘I can hide my belly in seconds – it’s easy to look thinner in photos’

It’s no secret that social media is not reality.

As much as we love to dive in and make our profiles look nice and exciting, life is far from a snapshot of someone’s profile page. And one woman is on a mission to prove it.

Sophie Hughes is a curvy model who has over 59,000 followers on Instagram thanks to her uplifting content. She is known for her candid conversations about body image and how she once longed to be small.

Now she spends her time showing off her fuller figure in lingerie, bikinis and glamorous outfits – and people can’t get enough. But she recently revealed some tips and tricks that go into her behind-the-scenes routine.

She shared two snaps side by side to show the difference between Instagram and reality. In one snap, she poses, sucks in, and has her belly scar cut away.

Meanwhile, in the other, her body is relaxed, she looks fuller and her scar is also visible. Sophie did this to show that “none of it is real”, and she wants people to be “very aware” while scrolling, because things are not always as they seem.

Sophie said in the post: “It’s time to be very, very aware when you’re scrolling. Aware that almost all the images you see are altered, that the women you’re comparing yourself to don’t exist.

“Please don’t compare yourself to a completely unrealistic standard of beauty and convince yourself that you’re not good enough. You weren’t born insecure, you were taught to be insecure and now is the time to heal.”

Since Sophie shared the post, over 2,000 people have liked it and several of her followers were quick to comment, telling her she looked “gorgeous” and raving about her colorful bikini.

One person said, “Beautiful in both.” Another commented, “Every day you make me feel better about myself. You’re beautiful so why can’t I be?”

A third replied: “I have already mentioned your wonderful page to many friends, especially us menopausal women, whose bodies are not the same as they were a few years ago. You give us hope and inspiration.”

Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Insta pretends you’re beautiful but reality ‘reveals’ 100% pure beauty.”

Earlier this month, Sophie also encouraged women to embrace their bodies this summer. In short, she said that life is too short to hide it, so women shouldn’t be afraid to wear bikinis to the beach.

Everyone has insecurities, but the body positive advocate wants women to embrace and celebrate them. After all, life is for living.

Sophie wrote on Instagram at the time: “80 summers. That’s it. If we’re lucky, we’ll get 80 summers. This has become my new mantra. I tell myself it every time I put on a bikini.

“Because we’re wasting them here. We’re focusing on the wrong things. Wishing we lost more weight. Thinking that if we took up less space, we’d somehow be happier.

“Bodies grow, they fluctuate, they evolve, they look completely different from one angle to the other… from one summer to the next.”