This Blogger’s Emotional Post Went Viral About ‘Living in a World That Celebrates Weight Loss at Any Cost’

One of the things that people hate most about themselves is their weight. Whether it’s the way they feel or just the number on the scale, it seems like happiness is hard to reach. The goal is usually set at “lose weight,” and not “get healthier.” And that’s where the biggest problem lies.

At my thinnest, I wasn’t at my healthiest. I was massively stressed out at work and depended on caffeine — instead of actual sleep — to get me going. At one point, I started having heart palpitations. Luckily, it all went away the second I found a new job. Naturally, I gained some weight back and just felt better about myself, despite that feeling of seeing numbers on a scale climb up. It was a good reminder that thinness and health weren’t always related.

That’s one of the many points that body-positive Instagrammer Meg Boggs tried to make when she posted a selfie in her underwear. The 31-year-old is known for founding the #this_is_postpartum movement, showcasing postpartum bodies of all sizes. It’s true that your body often doesn’t look the same way after giving birth — but, nobody posts pictures of it, making new moms feel a little alienated. Especially with the pressures of “bouncing back.”

Boggs provided a safe place, with that hashtag, for women to share their real photos

Currently, over 7,000 pictures have been posted. It’s a reminder that so many moms share a similar struggle.

And perhaps by showing off postpartum bodies even more, more people will get used to seeing them. Women won’t be afraid to flaunt the fabulous bodies that brought new life into the world. It was a movement that was necessary, showing that the celebrity “bounce back” lifestyle isn’t obtainable for most of us.

Her main goal is to promote the fact that all bodies are different.

She’s not against thin people, but she’s against people who think that’s the only body type out there.

“Do you know what’s never okay?” she wrote. “Shaming another for not fitting the mold of a societal “perfection”. Shaming another for their body type. Or the clothes that they wear.” Not only do people have different DNA, but they often carry weight in different places — and that’s okay. That’s one of the many things that makes us all so unique.

Boggs lifts weights, so she’s partaking in a very healthy activity.

She knows the importance of staying active for general health.

She’s also not just sitting around, feeling sorry for herself. Aside from promoting positivity and working out, she’s also a very doting mom. Her daughter Maci is guaranteed to have a wonderful role model by her side while growing up. Boggs likely just wants her daughter to be comfortable with herself and the skin she’s in.

The post that went viral is about how she’s tired.

When you’re larger, there’s a lot of criticism that comes with it.

It’s not just from family. It’s from strangers, doctors, professionals, and everyone. There’s judgment waiting at every fast food drive-thru and family dinner. She’s also tired of being called “brave” for simply putting her body out there — the body that she finds sexy. She’s also tired of “living in a world that celebrates weight loss at *literally any cost* – it is mentally and emotionally exhausting.⁣⁣”

She also made a point to call out Weight Watchers.

Boggs believes that the company, which has rebranded as WW, is “prescribing eating disorders to children.”

WW released a new app that’s meant to create healthy habits in kids and teens — but Boggs and others believe it’s causing more harm than good. “It’s dangerous to promote dieting behavior in children; an app like this can easily lead to kids fearing food and fearing weight gain for years to come,” life coach Sami Main said to Refinery29.

It’s kind of upsetting how many eating disorders start young.

Competitive bodybuilding led me to disordered eating because I dieted & tracked my food excessively. Weight watchers is now doing this to our kids & targeting them as young as 8 🤦🏻‍♀️ #wakeupweightwatchers https://t.co/96wyDJHyeA

— ChaneeMomoko (@ChaneeMomoko) September 8, 2019

And putting pressure on kids and making a big deal over food is a good way for them to get paranoid.

Teaching healthy habits to kids is one thing, but making them track foods so early is something else. The program is reportedly called Kurbo, and according to Refinery29, it’s not cheap. Instead, it’s $69 per month, which includes live chats with a coach. The program is geared towards an age range where bodies are changing naturally anyway, thus making the program even more likely to cause issues.

Boggs is also tired of the weight-loss ads.

Have you ever sat down and thought about all the different programs there are out there?

Boggs mentioned that she was tired of “all the weight-loss ads about how to easily stop all of this with a new, shiny version of starving ourselves.⁣⁣” That may be why she got into weight lifting. She wanted to be a stronger person, not a thinner person. And she’s becoming stronger every day.

She believes that many of these ads target larger people with false promises.

They often make it seem like when you lose weight, all of your problems go away.

Boggs has a different viewpoint on the matter. She thinks that most of these “problems” are started by people who are trying to shame larger individuals. She even states that the problems are “are only real problems because of how we’re treated.⁣⁣” Why is it the world’s concern if someone else weighs more?

Health reports that the viral post happened because of one infuriating incident.

Boggs was messaged by a troll who, as you may have guessed, told her to lose weight.

You can imagine the kind of hate that Boggs gets for loving her body. She was reportedly in the midst of a workout session when the comment came in, so that helped fuel her desire to respond to this message in particular. Can you believe that people spend time targeting a beautiful, confident woman online who’s trying to promote good?

Boggs never talks about embracing completely unhealthy decisions.

Instead, she talks about giving people a break — especially moms.

Motherhood isn’t easy, but it makes us review our bodies in a new way. Our bodies create and nourish a child, which is incredibly amazing. We should focus more on that, and less about what outsiders may think. Moms only get stronger every day, which is a point that Boggs makes sure to promote.

Boggs also talks about mental health.

It’s yet another important topic that needs to be out in the open.

On Instagram, Boggs admitted that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts twice in her life, the most recent happening after she gave birth to her daughter. “It took one moment in the shower. Where I felt my eyes scanning what would help me take it all away. The panic took over and I grasped the towel rack doing everything possible to stop.⁣⁣ To breathe.⁣⁣ To live.⁣⁣ To not give up,” she wrote.

Not only is she inspiring, but she’s a talented writer.

She seems to know how to reach her audience and keep building it.

And it’s all about being real. Boggs doesn’t hide who she is or pretend to be someone else. She’s just a real, honest woman who wants people to know that fatphobia needs to end and that we all need to embrace ourselves as we are. Life is too short to hate the way you look.

It’s important to remember that everyone you see who’s thin isn’t necessarily healthy.

And not everyone who is larger is unhealthy. And sometimes, we don’t have much control over what our bodies look like.

It’s kind of like getting a haircut — five people can come in and get the same haircut, but it’d look slightly different on everyone based on the fact that they have varied types of hair. Boggs is larger but still makes her body a priority by hitting the gym. She also gave birth, which means she’s got stretch marks — which are natural and a lovely reminder of what her body did.

Never forget to listen to your body.

Your body is an incredible tool.

And, you only have one of them. You want to take care of yourself, stay hydrated, eat foods that make you feel good, and remember that nobody out there is perfect. Putting severe restrictions on your diet is really tough, and not a good method for a lot of people.

 Consider following Boggs if you want more messages of positivity.

Her pictures are beautiful, and showcase women of all sizes.

She doesn’t just post selfies — she posts gorgeous pictures with other women of varying sizes. She’s also quite fond of motivational messages. When you’re scrolling on your Instagram feed and feel bad about yourself — maybe due to a weekend of snacking — it’s a great way to remember that today is a new day. Purging, starvation, or complete self-annihilation is never healthy, and not the right solution.