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Girl Sticks It To Body-Shaming Bullies With Incredible Transformation

Girl Sticks It To Body-Shaming Bullies With Incredible Transformation

She was called 'thunder thighs' by bullies and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression before making the change

Anonymous

Anonymous

For the many people who struggle with body confidence issues, Instagram can be a minefield.

The site is full of fitness models who use the platform to share pictures of the bodies they've sculpted through hours and hours in the gym - something the majority of people would really struggle to commit to but nonetheless compare themselves to.

Those fitness promoters on Instagram use the site as a form of self-motivation and do not necessarily intend to compare themselves to others, but it is hard to avoid a feeling of envy at the pictures they post.

Caters

But while pressures of body standards are more normalised than ever nowadays, that does not mean the more overt body-shaming bullies no longer exist.

It was those bullies, as well as resentment over a lifestyle of heaving drinking and taking drugs, that persuaded 21-year-old Meghan Gilbert from Dallas, Texas to make a drastic change.

Meghan's eating disorder and a sustained unhealthy lifestyle led to people calling her names like 'thunder thighs', and she was eventually diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

She decided she was unhappy with the way she looked and made a change towards a body she was happy with.

She gained 69,000 Instagram followers as she posted pictures detailing the progress of her transformation, helped by strong support from her personal trainer boyfriend.

Caters

She explained: "I had no self love or self respect. I was lost. When I learned to love myself I wanted to treat my body well. I wanted to eat healthy, stop taking chemicals and drugs, stop drinking sodas, and get exercise."

She said learning to love herself was a long, day-by-day process and speaks openly about her own fluctuating weight, even after her transformation, and tries to dispel misconceptions about fitness models being perfect.

Caters

Meghan said she initially tried starvation diets, but they left her feeling exhausted, so opted instead to eat more healthy options.

She said: "Today I no longer pay attention to the scale. I'm also more lenient with my diet, I eat healthy most of the time but treat myself when I want.

"I love that I found a balance that keeps me happy, healthy, and loving my body."

As well as finding her own way to love herself, and encouraging her followers to do the same, she also has a host of fitness endorsements.

What a great way to stick it to the bullies.

Words: Nathan Standley

Featured Image Credit: Caters

Topics: Instagram, Inspirational, Social Media, Community, Fitness