Over the course of my life, I have always struggled with how I looked because I never looked like the girls in the magazines. In the past few years, I have discovered some amazing women in the social media atmosphere who are advocates for plus size women. These women have helped me learn how to love who I am and how I look. They have helped me realize that I am beautiful, and that not everything is about how much you weigh.

1. @Iskra on Instagram is a plus-size model who has 4.6 million followers.

Iskra was in the first #AerieREAL campaign, which is a body-inclusive lingerie campaign showcasing all shapes and sizes. She posts updates on her life and how she is trying to be as healthy and happy as she can. Iskra posts body positive pictures weekly. She was recently pregnant and she embraced her body how it was. Iskra teaches girls to love their size, and that being skinny is not the only value a girl should strive for.

2. @ashleygraham is a plus-size model who boasts 10.9 million followers on Instagram.

In 2016, Ashley was the first plus-size model on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover. She constantly posts about about her body, stretch marks, imperfections and brings a new light to them. Ashley wants people to embrace their "imperfections", because it is what makes them unique. She also started a podcast called Pretty Big Deal about owning who you are and loving yourself no matter what. Ashley also started the hashtag #beautybeyondsize on Instagram to help women embrace who they are and to show that they are worth more than their size.

3. @raeannlangas has 93.8k followers on instagram and 98.3k followers on TikTok.

She is an upcoming plus-size model who is a co-founder of the Confident Collective, along with @fittybritty and @kristinazias. The Confident Collective is a blog run by three plus-size, body-positive models to empower women and to help them gain confidence in all aspects of their life. Raeann posts pictures of herself wearing clothes that traditionally plus-size women are not encouraged to wear (ie. crop tops and bikinis). She also tags all of her clothes that she wears so followers can shop her closet. On her TikTok, she gives style tips and does try on hauls for plus-size women to help them find stylish and affordable clothes.

4. @fittybritty is a plus size model who has 276k followers on Instagram and 77k on TikTok.

Britney is a plus-size woman who is inspiring others to love their body. She's a co-founder of the Confident Collective, along with @reannlangas and @kristinazias. She is constantly promoting a healthy and active lifestyle by putting out recipes and workouts on her blog fittybritty.com.

5. @kristinazias is a plus-size blogger with 121k followers on Instagram.

She is a co-founder of the Confident Collective along with @raeannlangas and @fittybritty. She posts pictures of her outfits and tags all of the clothes that she wears so followers can shop her closet. Kristina has done partnerships with Not Your Mother's hair products and the Sephora Collection. She also shows the realities of her body and how people always post their "best angles" and that is not what they really look like in real life. She also talks about how she was always insecure about her weight because she thought no boy would ever like her, until she met her husband. She says that the right guy will come along because he will encourage and support you no matter what you weigh.

6. @denisemmercedes is a plus size content creator with 661K followers on Instagram and 1.7 million followers on TikTok.

On her TikTok, she shows that no matter what size you are, you can wear and pull off any outfit you want to as long as you feel confident in it. She also talks about her experience when she was 120 lbs and not confident vs. her now at 180 lbs more confident than ever. Denise is not afraid to show off her body and to embrace her curves.

7. @loeybug is a plus size woman with 2.7 million followers on YouTube and 654k on Instagram.

She is a brand ambassador for Rihanna's SavageXFenty lingerie line. Loey also has collaborations with Fabletics, Shein Curve, and promotes a healthy lifestyle as a plus-size woman. She also started Love Any Body Brand, which is a body-positive self care line for plus-size women.

8. @yourgirlkarly is a 22 year old plus size content creator who has 190k followers on TikTok and 17K on Instagram.

She started her own clothing line called Confidence Club to help women become more confident in their own skin. Karly recently started the podcast Hey Bitches about sex, love, and dating as a plus-size woman and how to be comfortable with yourself.

By following these women, my confidence improved greatly and I am positive they can help you too!