Woman Dominates Body-Shamers With Brave Before-And-After Photos

Women’s bodies are scrutinized at every shape and size. Society’s skewed standards of beauty can lead women to believe they’re never skinny enough, never pretty enough, never perfect enough.

Simone Pretscherer, a makeup artist from New Zealand, had enough of being told that she wasn’t enough. So when she received negative feedback about her body, she decided to push back against the haters.

For the past 11 months, Pretscherer has been publicly documenting her weight loss. On the Facebook page for what she calls “Simone’s Journey to Health,” Pretscherer talks about her lifelong battle with her body. “I have always struggled with my weight,” she writes, “and have often resorted to easy fix diets where I would loose a lot of weight but as quickly as I lost it I would gain it back.”

After maintaining healthier habits and losing 188 pounds, Pretscherer posted a before and after selfie to Instagram. And here is where the trolls felt the need to weigh in, accusing Pretscherer of faking the “after” photo.

I am officially half the person I was 11 months ago! From 169kg to 83.85kg, I can’t even begin to explain in words what this accomplishment feels like. I set my self a goal that seamed so far out of reach at the time but I have stuck to it and with a lot of determination, will power, drive, motivation compromise I have achieved my goal. Proud doesn’t even begin to describe this feeling! Every 5am start, every single workout, tear, crying fit has all been worth it! From a BMI of 51.6 to 25.6. Now by no means does this mean my journey is over, from here I am setting my self many more goals, from maintenance, to toning, to increasing weights at the gym, half marathon to full marathon, more ocean swims and more sporting teams. This is just the beginning of a brand new and improved me, one who won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of achieving what ever I decide to put my mind to. COME AT ME WORLD!!!!

A photo posted by Simone Anderson (@simone_anderson) on Jul 10, 2015 at 1:19pm PDT

On Instagram, Pretscherer wrote that she was “hurt” by these accusations. But she decided to knock down the haters by posting another photo — and showing more skin. Since dramatic weight loss is often accompanied by excess skin that can usually only be removed through surgery, it’s refreshing to see more women refusing to be ashamed of their bodies.

I don’t no why but every single comment that called me out for being fake and a liar really bothered me far more than it should. I think it’s because it took hours of crying and debating whether to share my story online and for others to see, posting the first picture online along with my weight for the world to see what the hardest thing I have ever done. Throughout my whole journey I have tried to be so honest about the whole experience and tell people it exactly as it’s happened so to be called a fake hurt a lot. And then when it came to posting about my lose skin well that was equally as tough. So here we go I hope this helps all the “non believers” – my face uncovered, yes my hair and eyebrows are a different colour as I’m going back to blonde, yes I have changed my phone from Samsung to apple and have moved house so the background has changed (it has been 11 months people, things change!), my skin colour varies in every single post as I get a spray tan once a week on a Thursday and often change the depth of the colour I get depending on what event I have that weekend, yes I have lose skin and stretch marks but I don’t feel the need to show them in every single photo I post online, I have shared my excess skin picture before so if you had bothered to click on my page you would have seen it and as for my ears changing in appearance?! Well I can’t see that haha so who the hell knows!!! Maybe weight changes ears lol. Hope this helps ???? now lost 85.7 GO ME!

A photo posted by Simone Anderson (@simone_anderson) on Jul 12, 2015 at 4:54pm PDT

“I hope this helps all the ‘non believers,’” Pretscherer wrote in the caption, “my face uncovered, yes my hair and eyebrows are a different colour as I’m going back to blonde, yes I have changed my phone from Samsung to apple…yes I have lose skin and stretch marks but I don’t feel the need to show them in every single photo I post online…GO ME!”

Oh ?hell yes. Go Simone.

H/T: Bustle

Also On HuffPost: