Lucía Rivera in Bathing Suit Says "For the Record…"

Model Lucía Rivera is being honest about the work it sometimes takes to get the "perfect" online social media image. Rivera, 24, shared pictures of herself posing in front of a mirror in a purple bikini, but made it clear this is not how she looks all the time. "For the record, this was before breakfast, with strategic poses and a lot of fighting with myself," she captioned the post. 

Rivera says she has noticed her body changing as she grows older, but refuses to adopt any restrictive or damaging diets. "Before, I didn't gain weight, and now I say why I wanted to gain weight," she says. "I notice it more with age that I am gaining more kilos than before. People do not have to stop eating to lose weight. Stopping eating is very sad. Eating is important and having good food above all."

Rivera enjoys a diet rich in vegetables, and leaves space for chocolate if she wants it. Instead of being too restrictive, she balances out her diet with exercise. "In my diet I give myself my whims," she says. "If I [want] a chocolate bar I eat it, then I go for a run. I eat pasta and brown rice, a lot of vegetables… I practice dancing and running."

Rivera loves the mental and physical benefits of dancing and sports. "I had given up sports for a while because I was too skinny but now I've gone back to playing sports and I feel a change in my mind, I needed it," she says. "They told me that dancing toned [you] up a lot and since I like it so much I put on headphones, I stand in front of the mirror and I start to dance. It is one of the most complete sports, you are moving all the time."

Rivera is careful about protecting her mental health, especially as depression runs in her family. "It is important to pay attention to these signs, because if our head is not right, everything else becomes dark, gray, difficult," she says. "And although depression during youth may be seen as far away, it may be closer than we think if we don't take care of ourselves. If we don't know this disease well, it can come and get us at any time."

Rivera says hydration and sun protection are non-negotiables. "I sunbathe a lot and you see me very brown but I protect myself a lot," she says. "So being hydrated is super important. I'm not a girl who likes to put on makeup a lot, I like to see myself wearing makeup but I think letting the skin breathe is vital, but I have some makeup products that I love like mascara by Yves Saint Laurent."