Ask me what I dislike about my body and I will tell you I hate my thighs. They are huge and disproportionate for my petite, 5’0 frame. Ask me what I like about my body and I will tell you I love my thighs. They are what make me unique and attractive. We all have issues with our body image. No matter how flawless Beyonce` says we are, we will always look in the mirror and see all of the little imperfections that even others don’t. Nobody is perfect, but in today’s society everyone seems to be striving for perfection.

I recently did a photo shoot which showcased my body. As uncomfortable as it was at first, I enjoyed embracing my body in front of the camera. If you look at the edited and unedited photos below, you will see some of my imperfections and how I compare to the photoshopped Barbie dolls of the world.

I work out on an average basis, but no amount of running, crunching or squatting could make me look like the edited image above. According to social media, if you want to be someone’s Woman Crush Wednesday, this is what you should look like. We’ve all seen the models with perfect curves; thin in the right places and thick where it counts. Oh how we’d love to look like that!

Here’s some truth for you. Nobody looks like that. Photoshop works miracles and even if you are blessed with a Coke bottle shape, there’s bound to be a dimple or a stretch mark to ruin your hopes of perfection. Women everywhere are going to great lengths to achieve this look; surgery, shots, extreme dieting and even reshaping the ribs with waist training. I just want to take a moment to say it’s ok if you don’t look like you just stepped out of the cover of Black Men Magazine. 99.9% of us don’t.

Embrace who you are and what makes you beautiful. It’s time for a reality check.