The fashion influencer says the positive feedback she’s received from followers has helped her feel more “liberated.”
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Samantha Pamela (@midsizesammi) regularly shares uplifting body positive messages on her Instagram.
The midsize mom has been sharing realistic “Get Ready with Me” fashion videos for over three years with over 80,000 followers.
“A lot of my content involves being in my underwear, especially for my ‘get ready with me’ videos,” Sammi told lingerie brand Pour Moi.
“I also post a lot of underwear reviews and fuller bust bra recommendations – so a lot of my content involves me showing off the lingerie I’m wearing that day.”
“To be honest, I just started as a way of normalizing my body type as I hadn’t seen much of the same online.
“Having a ‘mummy tummy’ had a big impact on my confidence and I just didn’t see other women online showing the same kind of postpartum body as me.
“I thought if I started to show mine, then other women could look at me and feel valued and seen.”
Since she started sharing photos and footage of herself, her sense of purpose and confidence have soared.
“The main benefit is feeling like I have a purpose, I know that I’m helping other women to accept the bodies they have and know that they aren’t the only ones with lumps and bumps and more,” she said.
“Knowing that I’m making other women feel more confident in their own skin just makes me so happy.
“Since posting my body in underwear I’ve battled past those negative thoughts I had about my body and my mental health has improved so much. I feel so much more content and motivated towards life, and that’s by far the biggest benefit.”
Her followers have also shared that they’ve been inspired by her journey.
“One of the best messages I received was from a lady who was planning on getting herself into debt to pay for surgery on her stomach. She couldn’t afford it but was not able to accept her body as it was,” Samantha said.
“She messaged me to say since finding my account she cancelled her appointment and has changed her mind on surgery.
The main benefit is feeling like I have a purpose, I know that I’m helping other women to accept the bodies they have and know that they aren’t the only ones with lumps and bumps and more.
Samantha Pamela
“This was the most amazing message to read and honestly, I think about it all the time.
“To have that impact on somebody is just unbelievable. I think about that whenever I feel doubtful or need to remind myself of why I started this account.”
While the feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, Samantha shared how she refused to let negative comments bog her down.
“Most of the messages I get are positive and encouraging, there are some negative comments on my videos, even from other women saying they don’t think I should be in my underwear,” she said.
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“It’s hurtful at times and I have found these kinds of comments hard to ignore in the past but as time has gone on I’ve learnt to deal with them.
“I now understand these comments are just someone else’s opinion, and I just remind myself why I started my account. I want to inspire other women.
“If I need to pick myself up after reading something hurtful, I’ll go to my messages and read some of the positive feedback I get, which reminds me of the good that showing off my body in my underwear can do.”
Her new outlook on life and her body image has allowed her to find a sense of self-appreciation like never before.
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“Since starting my account, my confidence has dramatically increased!” she said.
“I used to hide my body all the time, worrying about showing my stomach and stretch marks.
“I always felt like I was hiding a part of me. Since showing my body has given me a new found freedom, as I no longer feel like I have to live up to expectations of what I ‘should look like’ anymore.
“People can see what my body is and I love openly showing up as myself online.
“Getting positive comments from other women has helped I will say, they make me feel empowered and made me realise things about my body I hadn’t noticed myself (in a good way!).”