This woman’s “before and after” anorexia photo reveals an important point about weight gain
Society would have us believe we need to be thin to be or feel beautiful. (Wrong.) We’re told over and over through misguided media, unrealistic standards, and false ads that we aren’t beautiful otherwise. (Wrong again.) This is why Megan Jayne Crabbe’s side-by-side anorexia photo is so, so important.
Crabbe, an anorexia and eating disorder survivor, showcases her weight loss/gain journey on Instagram as a way to promote positive body image. The 22-year-old from England is determined to help others by way of example and we have to admit—she’s a total inspiration! Through her website, Bodyposipanda, she encourages others like herself to forget about the numbers on the scale and to embrace those curves in order to cultivate a positive body image. We’re all about what she has to say about this important topic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL_l35WBwbk
"Do you wanna know the truth about gaining weight? Because I've done a whole lot of it," Megan wrote on Instagram. "I used to believe that my life would end over a couple of extra pounds on the scale. I used to believe that losing weight was the most important thing in the world. I used to believe that there was no such thing as going too far, getting too thin, losing too much."
"Then I nearly lost my life," she continued. "There were only two options left: gain weight, or die. So I gained weight. More and more."
"Anorexia morphed into binge eating disorder and within a year I'd gone from 65lbs lying on my death bed to 180lbs, right back to self loathing and wanting to lose weight more than anything in the world. I lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. I'd clawed my way back from the edge and still I believed that happiness could be found in the dropping numbers on a bathroom scale."
"Until I realised that no weight loss had ever made me happy. No amount of disappeared pounds had made me stop hating my body. And chasing thinness had made me lose much more than weight - I'd lost myself."
"Now I know that no matter how much extra jiggle might come along, nothing important about me will have changed. I'll still have the same heart, the same mind, the same passion, the same love. The scale will never be able to tell me anything about myself that truly matters. It doesn't have the power to define me - only I do. And I refuse to keep chasing that empty promise of happiness granted through restriction and self hatred. I'll take my happiness right now. We are all so worthy of it, exactly as we are."
"Don't be afraid of gaining weight, my love. There's a whole life for you to gain when you stop letting those numbers dictate your worth. 💜💙💚🌈🌞"
Preach, girl! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Thank you, Megan, for bringing your incredible journey to light. We’re hoping it’ll help those of us with similar battles look past the numbers on the scale and focus on living our best lives — regardless of our weight.
