Model Iskra Lawrence reminds us that health doesn’t actually relate to size

If there’s one thing you read today, we hope it’s model Iskra Lawrence’s post about her relationship with her body. In the past, the Aerie Real model has championed diversity in the modeling industry, made an important point about thigh gap photos, and has embraced all the traits that make her unique. Now, she’s opening up about what it was like battling with her body.

“I had almost forgotten what I used to look like when I was battling with my body and my own thoughts of self loathing,” wrote Iskra, to caption a side-by-side image on Instagram. “One of my dearest gfs @iammelwells sent this pic to me today of us both when we were trying to break into the modelling industry. ?I never knew that she was struggling with the same thoughts as me and neither did she know I was. ?‍❤️‍?”

At the time, Lawrence reveals that both herself and her friend Mel would focus on their imperfections as they coped with body dysmorphia (a preoccupation with an imagined or slight body flaw). She adds that even though she was thinner at the time, that doesn’t mean she was healthier.

“No health is NOT a size it is a state of wellbeing. I did not have healthy thoughts or love myself,” asserts Iskra. “It took years to get to this point and there are still days were I let the dark thoughts creep in.” Lawrence states that, the other day, she dealt with such thoughts when she went to try on a pair of jeans and couldn’t pull them up above her knees. This situation triggered Iskra, reminding her of the time when she thought her happiness was connected to her weight and size.

“[T]he truth is YOU get to decide your self worth no one or nothing else. You have to turn around to yourself and take control and say I am good enough, and I will be happy today and I know that I am beautiful because I am me,” writes Iskra. “So please know that you are not alone, you may think you are the only one who hates what they see in the mirror but trust me a LOT of us have felt or still do feel that way. But you deserve to love yourself, it may take time but start today and never give up.”

Not only are Iskra’s words a beautiful ode to body positivity – they also remind us all that we are never alone in the way that we feel.