Ariana Omipi is not the type of gal who would just give up after a few bumps on the road. In 2012, she promised herself she’d lose all the extra weight that was holding her down. And despite all the hate she received on her weight loss journey, she continues to work towards a healthier lifestyle. Now, she wants to show the world what your body goes through after massive weight loss, (over 140 pounds in a year, and counting!) and how she took control of her life.
She Wanted To Be Healthier
In 2018, the 24-year-old from New Zealand felt she was already beautiful. But in her heart, she knew she wasn’t healthy. She had struggled with her weight most of her life. “I’ve always been happy and satisfied with how I looked, however, I realized that my body was not in a healthy place and therefore wanted to change,” she told Bored Panda. So, in an effort to finally take charge, Ariana decided to undergo the gastric sleeve procedure. She endured a lot of hate online both before and after she got the procedure done. But it did not derail her from her mission to become healthy.
Massive Change
One of the issues Ariana encountered when she started losing the weight was the amount of excess skin she was left with. But instead of hiding under a blanket, she decided to document her journey on social media. Her body wasn’t the only thing that changed as the numbers dropped. She realized that her mindset had also changed along with her body. It was Ariana’s newfound philosophy that helped her remember how beautiful she was even with the extra skin.
A Whole New Body
“I have excess skin in lots of areas of my body and I have had stretch marks all over my stomach particularly,” she explained. “I think it’s important to embrace them and wear it with confidence but if you want to minimize their appearance that’s okay too.” So in essence, if you feel like having extra skin will deter you from living a happy healthy life, get rid of it! If not, wear it with pride!
Ariana Continued to Document Her Journey on Instagram
As a result of her transformation, Ariana started to work out and tighten her skin. Along with the change in exercise and weight, she was focused on eating better and keeping her eating habits in check to match her new body. But the toughest part for Ariana was handling all the hate she started to receive online.
People Can Be Really Cruel
She knew online criticism was going to happen. It was inevitable. She eventually took them in stride and chose to focus on herself and realize that loving yourself is more important than anything else. She said, “Online criticism and sharing my weight loss journey publicly was definitely difficult at times. There’s a lot of jealousy or misjudgment that was directed towards me and people are often cruel with their words so I took that tough.”
She Stayed Focused
One of the most important things Ariana did during her journey was to celebrate her small victories, no matter how insignificant they may have been. It didn’t matter what it was, Ariana still celebrated them all. This wasn’t without people trying to make her feel bad about doing so. But did this detract her from her weight loss goals? Absolutely not! Each part of her journey made her stronger.
Celebrating Life
At the end of the day, Ariana’s extra skin is like a badge of honor. She sees the beauty and all the tears and sweat she endured to get to where she is today. She believes that all her rolls, stretch marks, and extra skin are just a part of who she is, just like with any other woman.
She’s Proud Of Herself, No Matter What
“It’s always hard when you’re constantly working on
You Can Be Beautiful At Any Size
Ariana is really proud of her journey, and her self-love is echoed all over her social media accounts. It may have taken her a few years, but this young woman finally realized you can feel beautiful at any size. The key is to make sure you’re healthy too!
Her Journey Has Taken Her Really Far
Deciding to document her entire weight loss journey took a lot of courage. In the end, Ariana wants people to know that you can venture on your own journey if you fully commit to it. She doesn’t want you to look back on your life and say “I wish I would’ve done that.” The fitness blogger believes anyone can go out and make positive changes in their life.
A Healthier Future
She wanted to get her body and mind to a healthier place, even if she might’ve had a few detractors. Ariana takes all the positive and negative comments and uses them to fuel her mind and spirit. “I believe the more we talk about these things along with