Comedy·GREAT EXPECTATIONS

'Just love your body!' says woman with jaw-dropping physique

Wearing a chic, size 4, off-the-shoulder tunic dress, Samantha insists that the secret to real beauty is easy.
(Shutterstock / 2shrimpS)

TORONTO, ON—In the face of society's unrealistic and damaging expectations surrounding female body image, Samantha Hines, health guru and owner of the popular self-help beauty blog Health At Any Smize, is taking a unique approach to combating the epidemic of low self-esteem by telling her clients to "Just love yourselves!"

Throwing her silky hair up into an effortlessly messy-sexy bun, Samantha insists that the secret to real beauty is easy.

"I think everyone should just love their bodies!" exclaims Samantha, wearing a chic, size 4, off-the-shoulder tunic dress.

"I can't imagine any situation in which someone would feel shame about the skin they live in. I moisturize mine with coconut oil."

Her lifestyle philosophies are simple: eat what you want, and wear what feels good.

"If it just so happens that what feels good to me is to eat a bowl of pomegranate seeds for dinner and wear designer sweatpants after I Instagram a photo of my toned abs, I shouldn't have to be made to feel guilty by society for marching to my own drum."

When asked if she ever feels as though it might not be her place to speak on behalf of women who may not feel like they fit into society's 'ideal woman' as easily as she does, she asked "What does 'not fit' mean?"

Ingrid Lang of Victoria, BC, says she would consider herself a 'hate-follower' of Health At Any Smize.

"I initially clicked 'follow' in a vain attempt to lead a healthier lifestyle," admits Ingrid.

I can't get past how much white this very fit woman wears. And no stains on anything. I can't wrap my mind around it.- Mary Nelson

"Almost immediately, Samantha's posts made me feel like a failure. The photos of her weekly meal prep organized by food colour stressed me out, man. I'll never have my shit together enough to do make food for an entire week, and even if I did, I'd get excited and eat it all on the same day anyway."

"She wears a lot of white in her blog posts," remarked Mary Nelson, who recently started following Samantha's blog for health tips.

"I can't get past how much white this very fit woman wears. And no stains on anything. I can't wrap my mind around it."

"I was bullied relentlessly for the size of my body when I was in school," says another follower of the blog, Heather McMahon, tearing up. "It has taken me a long time to learn to accept my body without trying to change it, and it certainly wasn't as easy as simply making the decision to do it because a conventionally beautiful woman in white pants on the internet told me to."

Samantha Hines completely agrees that the road to self-love is a long and winding one.

"Once I learned to accept my flat stomach and perfectly toned butt, I realized that I could do so much more with the energy I was spending on worrying about my physique," she says.

"Now I use that energy to Instagram my workouts.'

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allana is currently performing with the Mainstage cast for The Second City’s 80th revue, Party Today, Panic Tomorrow. She is a two-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee & past winner of the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award. Most recently, her credits include writing for Comedy Network’s THE BEAVERTON, on which she also plays Beauty Expert, Amber. Her solo characters were featured in both the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival’s Best of the Fest shows, and earned her a spot in JFL42’s New Faces Character showcase. She can be seen performing around Toronto with troupe, Panacea (Top 10 Comedy Shows of 2015, Now Magazine & Torontoist). Allana is a proud alumna of The Sketchersons. Yes we blam!