Ashy Bines divides people with jeans video. Photo / TikTok
Ashy Bines divides people with jeans video. Photo / TikTok
Fitness star Ashy Bines has hit back after being accused of missing the mark for sharing that she felt insecure wearing jeans.
The Gold Coast-based influencer posted a video to Instagram and TikTok this week revealing she felt self-conscious and "ashamed" of her "rolls and excess skin".
Bines told news.com.au she decided to post the video after she "noticed my jeans collecting dust at the back of my wardrobe".
"[I] realised it's been ages, probably years since I've worn jeans and yet I feel so good within myself," she said.
Bines, who posted the videos to encourage other women to wear something they feel insecure about, said she hasn't shared enough of the fact "I do have stretched skin from having a baby".
Ashy Bines says she hoped people realised it was "okay and valid to have our own insecurities". Photo / Ashy Bines via Instagram
In the video caption on Instagram, Bines said she had stopped wearing certain clothes because she felt insecure.
"But today I rocked them and stopped hating on my rolls and excess skin," Bines wrote, showing off her toned stomach when she stood up and then her "rolls" when she sat back down and slumped over in a chair.
In the TikTok caption Bines said: "Today's the day I finally wore jeans and stopped being ashamed of my rolls and skin. YOUR TURN!"
While many people on Instagram praised Bines for showing that even an fitness influencer could feel "vulnerable" about how she looked, others accused the star of missing the mark.
"Ashy. Come on. You're beautiful and appeal to a lot of women but you do not have excess skin and rolls," another said.
"You literally sit down, breathe in, push out and hunch over to appear to have these things. I get what you're trying to message but you missed the mark."
"This is embarrassing," another commented. "Excess skin?! Righto love."
Bines told news.com.au she was a "bit surprised" by the mixed reaction but said she tried to "come from a place of understanding" when she received negative comments.
"I do get that this could be quite triggering to someone who may be a different size to me," she said.
"However, I really also want to spread the message that it doesn't matter how different and unique each one of us is, we are so totally okay and valid to have our own insecurities, feelings, thoughts."
Many people also defended Bines and said it was "frustrating" she couldn't post about her body insecurities.
"Even at my smallest, I was STILL so self conscious of myself. It's an unfortunate never ending battle in my head. So I totally get it!" one person said.
"Totally agree with your point, yes you look amazing but you're human and we all have our insecurities! Thanks for trying to be real!" another said.
"It's refreshing to be reminded that we all have rolls or skin folds no matter how lean we are and that's normal!!" another said.
Bines said the video had been about showing "that no-one is perfect or flawless" and she hoped those that criticised her realised people could be insecure at any size.
"At the end of the day it shouldn't matter whether I have two rolls or 10 rolls or if I've got a little bit of stretched skin or a lot of stretched skin," she told news.com.au.
"If I'm feeling insecure myself and if I'm trying to empower my audience to embrace their own bodies, there really is no rule book on what's right and what's wrong when it comes to body positivity and self love.
"You could be a size 6 with no cellulite and no rolls and still hate your body.
"Whether you're a size 6 or a size 20, you should be able to go online and talk about your experience, your feelings and discuss your self confidence."
