Woman Shows Realities of Weight Loss with Honest Photo of Excessive Skin

The anxiety posting this is REAL. Taken a few minutes apart, flexing in the first. “How did you avoid loose skin and stretch marks?” Heyyyyy, I didn’t! Its all there. High waisted bottoms have become my bff. Do I regret losing weight? Hellllll noooooo. NEVER. Not even a slightest thought. I am more FIT than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Happier. HEALTHIER. I’d be lying if I said my loose skin wasn’t an insecurity of mine.. But I refuse to let it consume me. It doesn’t hold me back like the weight used to. This stomach has grown two beautiful boys.. Has been through a 90lb+ gain and loss (100lb+ lost from my highest weight while pregnant!) Will you have loose skin after losing weight? I can’t answer that for you, everyBODY is different. Will it be worth it, regardless? YES. Also for those who have asked.. I do plan to have surgery some day, but in the mean time I’m just working on self loooovvveeee. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ BE KINDDDD, I delete negativity 🤗 (No itworks, creams, lotions, yada yada) #nofilter #stretchmarks

A photo posted by My Weightloss Journey! (@losinggravity) on Aug 15, 2016 at 11:52am PDT

This mother of two has lost over 90 pounds and has documented the hard work she has been doing on her weight loss Instagram account. Throughout the process Rachel Graham has tried to be as honest and open with her followers as possible.

Recently, that meant showing some of the side effects of significant weight loss: loose skin and stretch marks.

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“The anxiety posting this is REAL,” she said alongside the picture showing her bare stomach and skin. “Taken a few minutes apart, flexing in the first. ‘How did you avoid loose skin and stretch marks?’ Heyyyyy, I didn’t! Its all there.”

Even though she had to face one of her insecuities to share the picture, Graham felt it was an important reality to reveal.

“Ever since I started my Instagram, I’ve wanted to keep true to being honest about every aspect of this journey. The good, the bad … insecurities and all,” she explained to PEOPLE. “I find that sometimes it’s easy to pick which photos I like the most of myself and add them online – but there’s more to my journey than just posed pictures at the best angles. I want to keep it ‘real’ to those following my journey, and my excess skin is my reality.”

The brave mother is no stranger to confronting her fears in a public forum. She confessed that starting the Instagram account in the first place took a good amount of courage.

My journey began when I stopped seeking the next “quick fix” to lose weight and realized it was going to take time. Work. Dedication. Commitment. It began when I realized a LIFESTYLE change was what I needed. I had tried sooo many gimmicks before I made this realization. What really needed though was healthy food and exercise, not a short term attempt at a solution. I calorie counted for agggges to make sure I wasn’t eating too much or too little. Also, losing weight isn’t a “one size fits all” thing. Find what works for YOU! ❤️ ⬇️90+lbs

A photo posted by My Weightloss Journey! (@losinggravity) on Aug 3, 2016 at 7:29am PDT

“I’ve always struggled with my self-esteem, and I was hesitant to make myself so vulnerable to such a large audience,” the Nova Scotia resident shared. “My excess skin is an insecurity of mine, and while I’m learning to love this body – loose skin and all, I was nervous putting myself so ‘out there’ for everyone to see.”

Fortunately, the community she has built online has nothing but respect and love for the mother’s journey.

“I have received such an outpouring of love from so many people who can relate,” she said. “I truly didn’t anticipate this much encouragement and support from everyone. Reading the responses really left me emotional!”

She hopes her posts will offer others inspiration and encouragement so that they will know they too can love their bodies, flaws and all.