Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Urban Arts PartnershipWhile curvy supermodel Ashley Graham continues to inspire people with her positive body image, like many people, she has had some moments of self-doubt.
The 29-year-old, 5'9", size 16 trailblazer, who last year became the first curvy model to grace the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and Maxim, talked about her struggles this week at the Urban Arts Partnership 25th Anniversary Benefit, where she was honored.
"This confidence is not something that happens overnight. I have been working on it for a long time," she said, according to Page Six. "You can eat a whole bowl of pasta and then you can go and do a lingerie shoot the next day, and I say to myself, 'What the hell was I thinking?' I am just like any other woman and I think I am the 'fattest woman alive'—but it is really about how you handle your situation."
"I look in the mirror and do affirmations...'You are bold. You are brilliant. You are beautiful,'" she continued. "If my lower pooch is really popping out that day, I look at it and say, 'Pooch, you are cute!'"
In addition to Sports Illustrated and Maxim, Graham has also appeared on the covers of Glamour, Cosmopolitan and British Vogue. She also has her own clothing and lingerie collections for curvy women.
"My career has been a huge testament to how the industry has changed," she told Page Six.
In January, Graham told V magazine, which featured her in a racy photo spread, that she "has been given the opportunity to be on so many covers and to have a voice" for so many women that have not been represented in fashion, film or TV.
"I don't take that lightly," she said. "Some days I forget that and then someone comes to me crying and says, 'Because of you, I wore shorts today,' or I'll get an email that says, 'I had sex with my husband with the lights on,'" Graham said. "At those moments, I'm like, Wow, you are changing people's lives, and you're doing it by just being yourself."