We've all seen those dramatic side-by-side body transformation shots plastered all over Instagram by now.
However, sometimes there really is more than meets the eye.
Fitness coach, Lauren or Loz Fitness, has taken to her Instagram - where she has an impressive 84.5k followers - to share the truth about what's at play with Instagram body snaps.
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Lauren uploaded two photos together, taken in the exact same location whilst wearing the exact same outfit, and captioned it: "Same body, different poses, both beautiful."
While the photos were taken mere seconds apart, Lauren's use of lighting, angles and clothing adjustments give off the illusion that her body looks very different in each shot.
The caption continued: "I really love doing these as it reminds me that what we see on social media is what people want us to see."
Opening up about her social media presence as a fitness coach, Lauren revealed: "It’s the best photo out of many, it's the one which they thought made them look good. Lighting, angles and posing all play a major part in how bodies look online."
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Using her platform to both spread awareness as well as body positivity, the fitness trainer added: "Don’t compare yourself to something which isn’t real life. Both these images here are beautiful, and we should embrace the real bodies that we have.
"Embrace the hip dips, cellulite, dimples, scars and stretch marks, because everyone has these things, they’re normal, natural and something to love," she explained.
Not only did Lauren shine a light on how Instagram can sometimes perpetuate false information, but she went as far as outlining exactly what differed between each shot.
In the left photo, Lauren revealed she had her "hips pushed back" and was "tensing [her] stomach" while in the right photo she shared how she was feeling "relaxed and embracing me."
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Ending the post, Lauren was sure to alert her followers to the ways in which social media can sometimes present false realities.
"Both these photos are Instagram worthy," she wrote, "they both show me; one shows an image of how you all see me, and one shows an image of how I see me, highlighting my insecurities.
"I want to show you both images, beautiful and posed ones as well as natural and real ones.
"Every single body is perfect, but every single image is not, understand this.
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"Normalise normal bodies. Love yourself for what makes you different, cherish your stretch marks and care for them as you should. You are perfect, in every way," Lauren concluded.
The candid post has since amassed nearly 20k likes and dozens of comments with many Instagram users congratulating Lauren for using her social media platform as a way to spread an important message.
One person wrote: "People sometimes forget how useful are this kind of posts for some people. Thanks."
"Thanks for showing both sides, makes me realise I was normal," a second added.
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A third rushed to share their support, writing: "I love the shift in women's mindsets in the fitness industry the past few years! Finally accepting our bodies for how they are and not being afraid to show the sides that most would never! Keep it up girl!"
Rhiannon Ingle