Lifestyle Health 'Pretty Little Liars' ' Sasha Pieterse Takes On Body Shamers in Emotional Note Pretty Little Liars star Sasha Pieterse addressed her body shamers in an emotional Instagram note By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is a Senior Digital News Editor and the Sports Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She's worked at PEOPLE for over seven years as a writer, reporter and editor across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Super Bowl to the Met Gala. She's been nominated for the ASME NEXT Awards for Journalists Under 30, and previously wrote for Us Weekly while on staff at Wenner Media. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 15, 2016 02:25 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Tommaso Boddi/WireImage Despite candidly opening up about her changing figure last year, Pretty Little Liars actress Sasha Pieterse says she’s still being body-shamed – and she’s had enough. In an emotional and moving new letter shared to Instagram, the star – who portrays Alison DiLaurentis on the popular Freeform series – contended that “loving yourself is one of the hardest things we as humans can do.” Pieterse said that women are constantly judged based on their appearance – in and out of the spotlight. “I’ve always struggled with my weight and in my early teens I realized health was very important,” Pieterse, 20, explained. “My whole mindset and lifestyle changed for the better and I was really happy and confident in my body and the way I looked. I was proud that I had gotten to a place I was comfortable in and had done it in a healthy way. Then there became a point where my body changed dramatically.” That point, Pieterse revealed last year, was when she learned that she had a hormone imbalance. At the time, she wrote on Instagram, “I want to assure you that I’m healthy and getting everything back on track!” Now, Pieterse said that people were “angry” she had gained weight. In fact, addressing it only led to more people commenting on her body. “It disturbed me that so many females were so quick to tear me down on a subject that we all struggle with,” Pieterse wrote. Related Video: Pretty Little Liars Star Shay Mitchell Spills Her Beauty Secrets! In the wake of such harsh commentary, Pieterse is instead focusing loving herself at “every stage and chapter of my life.” “No long term happiness comes from instant gratification,” she advised fans. “Do not lower yourself to people who refuse to grow higher.”