Only those who face it, know what it really takes to break body image issues. Anshula Kapoor, who has undergone a drastic transformation over the past few months, admits she is slowly and steadily learning to embrace herself – complete with its rolls and folds. Breaking the barrier of body consciousness, the 31-year-old shared her bikini look on social media, making a strong pitch about body positivity.

Of course, Anshula Kapoor’s royal blue bikini looks bright and lovely. But what adds true royalty to the picture is her caption, which exudes feelings of empowerment and self-confidence.

From what Anshula shares, she was averse to the idea of wearing a bikini just 3 months ago. Recounting a conversation she had with a friend on swimming costumes, she adds, “I remember telling her I would never wear a bikini. ‘I just couldn’t pull it off and I don’t have the confidence to be comfortable in one’.”

But her friend asked her “why not?”, declaring that Anshula should “totally wear one”. It made her wonder why she was so hesitant.

Anshula Kapoor says she always wanted to hide her body

An entrepreneur, daughter of film producer Boney Kapoor and sister of actor Arjun Kapoor, Anshula Kapoor reflects, “I’m so used to thinking that I need a particular body type to be able to wear certain clothes… I’m so conditioned to wanting to hide my body and ‘play it safe’. It’s like my default setting is to always be like ‘No, I can’t pull that off’.”

But gradually, she is learning to change this. Anshula Kapoor dedicated a year to shift towards a healthier lifestyle. She undertook a fitness regime and a diet which helped her weight-loss transformation.

Know some of Anshula Kapoor’s weight loss secrets right here in this video!

During a recent holiday, Anshula changed her mind and wore a bikini! But it wasn’t until now that she mustered up the will or the comfort to share it with the world.

“This image has been sitting in my drafts for a couple of weeks, because I still have what we call bad body image days. And on days like that, I convince myself that only ‘perfect’ photos belong on the (Instagram) feed.. I’m still learning to un-hate my body, I’m learning to be okay with my body even on days when she’s bloated or not looking her best,” she adds.

Also read: “I’m celebrating every inch, every curve”, Ileana D’Cruz turns spotlight on body image issues

Stretch marks are normal: Anshula Kapoor

What she has realized over time is that “it is okay to be covered in stretch marks, it is normal to have cellulite and texture, skin is meant to fold and roll, and my FUPA is always going to be a part of me and that’s okay too!”

If you don’t know it already, FUPA stands for fat upper pubic area, or simply lower belly fat. It may be one of the hardest spots for fat reduction, but the right diet and proper exercise can make it go away if you stay patient.

Even if it doesn’t, you’ve got to learn something from Anshula Kapoor’s powerful body positivity message, isn’t it?

At the end of the day, she is glad she took a chance and bought the bikini.

“This was one of my favorite days on our holiday.. I felt confident, I felt comfortable in my own skin. This is me chasing joy instead of perfection. And I actually can’t wait to wear this bikini again,” she says on a positive note.

As a concluding note of inspiration for others struggling with body image issues, she writes, “If you’ve ever wanted to wear something that you’ve liked on someone else but you’ve convinced yourself not to, maybe it’s time to just chase joy and listen to your heart.”