'[I'm] too much, but at the same time not enough,' the plus-size model complains about negative responses she received after posting on Instagram a photo of her looking slimmer.
- Aug 3, 2016
AceShowbiz - Ashley Graham is tired of people commenting on her body. After getting criticized for appearing slimmer in one of her recent Instagram photos, the plus-size model slammed those critics in an open letter in this week's edition of Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter, reminding them that she could do whatever she wanted with her own body.
"People were upset because I appeared to be slimmer. (Knowing my angles is one thing, but I must be a magician to make people think I went from a size 14 to a size 6 in a week!) The reality is I haven't lost a pound this year. In fact, I'm actually heavier than I was three years ago," she wrote.
She said she "[accepts] my body as it is today," but it wouldn't be anyone's business if she one day decides to lose weight. "I work out not to lose weight but to maintain my good health. And anyway, if I did want to lose weight, it would be no one's decision but my own. I love to sweat it out at the gym," she continued.
She went on to voice her frustration over people's negative opinions on her. "To some I'm too curvy. To others I'm too tall, too busty, too loud, and, now, too small - too much, but at the same time not enough," she said. "When I post a photo from a 'good angle,' I receive criticism for looking smaller and selling out. When I post photos showing my cellulite, stretch marks, and rolls, I'm accused of promoting obesity. The cycle of body-shaming needs to end. I'm over it."
She concluded the letter urging women to support each other and let her decide what she wants to do with her body. "If you see another woman taking a selfie or a photo in her bathing suit, encourage her because she actually feels beautiful, don't give her the side eye because you think she's feeling herself too hard," she said. "Why waste time and energy spewing negativity? Let's worry about our own bodies. My body is MY body. I'll call the shots."
