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Before and after pics are all over our Insta feed, but Insta star Steph Claire Smith has posted a different take on these body transformations. “A different kind of ‘before and after’ photo,” says Smith on Instagram of the photos below. “The one on the left, me at 18 years old, first year modeling. On the right, me now, 23 years old. I decided to do one of these because a few of you have either followed me since then, or had scrolled down far enough to see that I was quite tiny back in the day!”

A different kind of 'before and after' photo.. the one on the left, me at 18 years old, first year modeling. On the right, me now, 23 years old. I decided to do one of these because a few of you have either followed me since then, or had scrolled down far enough to see that I was quite tiny back in the day! And I'd like to clarify a few things for you. Firstly, no I didn't have an eating disorder (although back in the day I continuously got told to 'eat more' on social media) I had an incredibly fast metabolism. I was still in my 'childlike body' and I was a late bloomer. It wasn't until 19 when I got hips, boobs and a bum and started to have to actually think about what I was eating and how I was exercising. In the left photo I was eating crap everyday, and lots of it. I was a sporty kid, but didn't do much physical activity at 18, so that was my body naturally. Believe it or not, I thought I had chubby thighs ? It was scary for me (as it is to a lot of girls and guys) when true puberty hit and I suppose I was growing into my 'more womanly figure' and I was putting on weight. I work hard now for the body that I have. I may be 10kgs heavier than I was but that's life… our bodies change overtime and we have to accept that and love and work with the body you've got! That's not to say I don't have off days where I question the way I look… we all do. EVERYBODY HAS INSECURITIES! And I mean EVERYBODY! But as my good mate @laura.henshaw has taught me, you have to focus on what you LOVE about yourself and your body, and try your best to ignore the 'bad' stuff. We all have transformations, whether they are through training, or eating or just getting older… you're going to change. My message to the younger girls who follow me is to just go with it! Don't be too shattered when you start seeing lumps and bumps appear, and DON'T WEIGH YOURSELF in the process, or ever really. It can be the most damaging thing mentally for you! Just eat well, enjoy life and keep active ❤️I am going to do an 'in depth' YouTube video soon on this topic, so please COMMENT BELOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO TOUCH ON. ? #selflove

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Smith explains this dramatic difference isn’t down to a past eating disorder. There’s a much simpler explanation: just growing up! Smith says of her 19-year-old self, “I had an incredibly fast metabolism. I was still in my ‘childlike body’ and I was a late bloomer. It wasn’t until 19 when I got hips, boobs and a bum and started to have to actually think about what I was eating and how I was exercising. In the left photo I was eating crap everyday, and lots of it. I was a sporty kid, but didn’t do much physical activity at 18, so that was my body naturally.”

The Adidas ambassador said that despite her lean figure both then and now, she wasn’t happy with her body at 19. “Believe it or not, I thought I had chubby thighs,” she says. “It was scary for me (as it is to a lot of girls and guys) when true puberty hit and I suppose I was growing into my ‘more womanly figure’ and I was putting on weight.”

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Now, Smith’s got a healthier attitude about her body. “I work hard now for the body that I have. I may be 10kgs heavier than I was but that’s life… our bodies change overtime and we have to accept that and love and work with the body you’ve got! That’s not to say I don’t have off days where I question the way I look… we all do. Everybody has insecurities! And I mean everybody!” she explains. These days, Smith loves to smash out a boxing workout to put her fit body through its paces.

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Her secret to body confidence? “You have to focus on what you LOVE about yourself and your body, and try your best to ignore the ‘bad’ stuff. We all have transformations, whether they are through training, or eating or just getting older… you’re going to change. My message to the younger girls who follow me is to just go with it! Don’t be too shattered when you start seeing lumps and bumps appear, and don’t weight yourself in the process, or ever really.” Sounds like great advice to us.  

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