by Nicole Karlis
(Content warning: discussion of weight loss)
Cellulite is natural fat that accumulates beneath the skin, so why are we still conditioned to be embarrassed about it? According to body activist Kenzie Brenna, the beauty industry is to blame — but she’s tearing down the negative stigma they’ve created.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMzXtTjhDBh/?hl=en
Today, Kenzie is redefining what it means “to have cellulite” one Instagram post at a time. Her mission is help women love their bodies, not be embarrassed or ashamed of them. Every Saturday she posts a photo of her own cellulite on Instagram with the hashtag #CelluliteSaturday. Since she’s started this movement, hundreds of women have followed.
When she’s not on Instagram, she’s on YouTube talking about her journey to self-love, writing, or pursuing her career as an actress.
I recently spoke to Kenzie about her #CelluliteSaturday movement. Here’s what she had to say:
WYV: Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a body activist?
KB: It started off as a weight-loss journey, I was losing weight and hitting all these goals, but it slowed down and I became unhappy again. I had lost all this weight, but I still had moments of self-hate. I questioned if I was doing everything right, why do I still feel this way? I looked up the hashtag #selfacceptance on Instagram and it changed my life. From there, I slowly but surely became influenced by these women loving themselves and began my own self-love journey!
WYV: What’s the story behind the #CelluliteSaturday hashtag?
KB: I was tagged in a cellulite meme by @nourishandeat. It made me think more than it made me laugh. I ended up sharing my cellulite and found a lot of women flooded me with supportive comments, and stories with the relationships they have with their own. That Saturday I made another post asking if #cellulitesaturday could be a thing and the overwhelming response was “yes, this absolutely could be a thing.” And from there, the movement was born.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMtjMjrBO4p/?hl=en
WYV: What has surprised you the most since starting this movement?
KB: The support! People often ask me “how do you deal with the hate?” But what hate? I am always surprised and so elated with the amount of support and love I get it. It’s overwhelming at times. I ask myself: “How did I get so lucky with this amazing community?”
Related: Ashley Graham Gets Her Own Body-Positive Barbie
WYV: Let’s talk about cellulite. How did we get to a point where women are taught to be embarrassed about it? It’s natural!
KB: At some point in our beauty culture and mainstream media both decided that this was ugly and unacceptable for women to have. That it meant you have a bad part of you and you must work to change it. The evidence still shocks the hell out of me because I’m so conditioned to believe that it is a hostile, unappealing, unlovable part of my body that has to look different. But the facts remain the same, no matter where you search. Cellulite is not an indication of health; it is a genetic predisposition for women as much as a birthmark, a freckle or beards for men.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3Fc0jBVBb/?hl=en
WYV: What advice do you have for women on how they can embrace and love their cellulite despite what the beauty industry advertises?
KB: Start looking at women who have it.
Even if you don’t really like it, if you understand the facts and statistics of it (90 percent of women have it) and you want to work on loving it, you have to be surrounded by it. For women who don’t care to love it, don’t want to see it, this message isn’t for them. Be inclusive, maybe post a picture if you’re feeling brave, remain loving to other women who proudly show it!
WYV: Do you feel that you have become more accepting of your body and cellulite by sharing photos of yourself? Why or why not?
KB: Yes, absolutely! Exposure therapy works. It’s scary, you cry because you’re vulnerable, but then you cry because you are supported and still loved. That is the best part of healing; you need to take that one little scary step and you’re in.
WYV: What did it feel like the first time you shared a photo of your cellulite?
KB: Scary. I was angry at my body. I was angry that I had to do this, upset that this is something I have to constantly get over and continually tell myself the facts and stats. The first time I thought “fuck this is so ugly, people will probably unfollow me.” Which obviously wasn’t the case.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIXaNSEBnxX/?hl=en
WYV: What inspires you on a daily basis?
KB: All of the women in the world who fight for themselves and others to make the world a better, safer place for us all.
WYV: When do you feel like the truest version of yourself?
KB: When I’m doing something that frightens me. It pushes me into a better version of myself, which feels like the true me.
Nicole Karlis is a freelance writer, journalist and yoga teacher. Her work has been published in The Daily Beast, 7×7, Avenue magazine and The Bold Italic. Currently she is working on a collection of short non-fiction essays. You can read her work here.
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