Top 10 Body Positive Instagrammers You Should Follow in 2017

Many of the bloggers and Instagrammers on our list today are featured because of their promotion of healthier beauty standards in terms of size and shape, but Mama Cax stands out from the pack. Née Cacsmy Brutus, who goes by Mama Cax online, lost her leg to cancer as a teenager. She has gone on to travel the world, advocating for people with disabilities and promoting a healthy body image for those who suffer from them. Her Instagram feed features gorgeous shots from her global travels and glamorous beauty shots of herself in a variety of exotic locations.

The plus sized fashionista who goes by the moniker “Glitter and Lazers” online is the perfect person to follow if you love clothes and want fashion inspiration, along with a dose of body positivity in your Insta feed. “Glitter” runs a popular blog and YouTube channel, both of which focus on some of the obstacles faced by plus sized ladies who want to embrace their sartorial side. She posts shopping guides, model shots and more, showing that you don’t need to be a size zero to have fun with clothes.

Candice Huffine is considered a “plus sized” model by industry standards, but to most she simply looks like a solidly average sized woman. In fact, she wants to get rid of the word “plus” all together, since she was actually put in that category when she was only a size six at age 16, which is significantly smaller than the size worn by the average American woman. She’s an avid runner, and promotes healthy lifestyles for women, as well as the elimination of only a single body type being represented in magazines and on runways.

Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher who works under the principle that yoga is for everyone, regardless of body size. Her book “Every Body Yoga” follows the same thinking, and her YouTube yoga classes make her teachings available to all. If you’re an aspiring yogi, you should definitely follow her on Instagram where she posts photos of herself in intricate yoga poses as well as short videos. No matter what your size, you’ll feel inspired to breathe and stretch after scrolling through her page for a while.

While plus sized models have long had a place in the commercial fashion industry, in high fashion they have been distinctly underrepresented. At New York Fashion Week in 2014, Bidot broke records by becoming the first plus sized model to walk in several runway shows for straight size brands. She has been part of several body-positive campaigns like the "Beach Body. Not Sorry" campaign for Swimsuits for All and also created the "There Is No Wrong Way To Be A Woman" movement. Her Insta features lots of inspiration quotes that will always make you feel good about yourself.

Lifestyle and personal style blogger Gabi Gregg is better known by her Instagram handle @gabifresh. She has gone from casual online to personality to full time influencer by working with several brands and collaborating on campaigns. She created a swimwear collection for Swimsuits For All called “Gabifresh” and was the face of a plus sized line for Target. She has been in the scene long before body positivity had the traction it has now, so you could even call her one of the pioneers of the movement.

Megan Jayne Crabbe took the Internet by storm when she posted “reverse” before and after photos of herself. Her before photo featured a thin girl in workout clothing, while the after photo showed a smiling and curvy girl in a bra and underwear. The point of her post was to show how much happier she was after she stopped starving herself and working out for many hours a day. Overcoming an eating disorder was a turning point for Crabbe, who has gone on to amass a huge social media following where she shares cute body positive cartoons, uplifting quotes and photos of her looking happy and healthy in her body.

Born Ryann Maegen Hoven, plus sized model Tess Holliday suffered from a difficult upbringing before achieving the success that she enjoys today. Because of her short stature–she’s only 5’3– and her weight, Holliday struggled even within the plus sized modelling industry. Since her rise to fame, she has become one of many women who have decided to embrace the term “fat”, taking away the stigma that goes along with it. Holliday has even penned a book titled “The Not So Subtle Art of Being A Fat Girl,” which releases in September of 2017.

This model and body-affirming social media star has risen in the ranks to amass over 3.5 million followers. She now holds the role of “Global Role Model” for the brand Aerie and is also a brand ambassador for National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Iskra avoids using the term “plus sized,” because although she doesn’t fit into the straight sized modelling mold, she wants to push the message that just because you don’t have the dimensions of a runway model, doesn’t make you in any way outside of the norm. Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions. Healthy Is The New Skinny Precious Lee Katie H. Willcox

Ten years ago, it would have been inconceivable to imagine a plus sized super model becoming a household name, but Ashley Graham has exceeded expectations and proved to be a tour de force in the fashion industry. She has graced the covers of some of the biggest magazines in the world including Vogue, Glamour and Elle. She is redefining the meaning of sexy by displaying her confidence for all to see. Her Instagram gives fans a behind the scenes look at her modelling career, her lifestyle and her winning personality.