Remember Maria Kang? A couple of years ago, she set the internet aflame when she posted this photo that goaded mothers everywhere about their post-baby bodies.
Here’s a refresher:
Now do you remember? This image went viral, but for all the wrong reasons. Kang was in great shape just 8 months after giving birth (good for her) and was trying to become a source of fitspiration to other women, but instead became, as ScaryMommy puts it, “the most hated mum on the internet”.
Well, now she’s back, and she’s gone through a lot. She’s gained 10 pounds, and a lot of wisdom since 2013.
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Her message now is a lot more empowering. “Beauty is in our minds and is reflected in the eyes of the people who truly love you,” Kang told People. “It doesn’t matter if you are skinny, fit, overweight or obese, if you don’t live in gratitude, you will never see what you truly have and who you truly are.”
Kang has been through a lot this past year. “I struggled with my reflection for some time,” Kang continued. “I stopped feeling beautiful. Like most moms, my hair is always in a bun, my life is always on the go and my fitness goals are always one of my last priorities.
“I struggled with motivation, I’ve gained some weight and am experiencing difficult marital challenges. I let the world consume me this last year. I let events, people and things influence my perception of myself and I literally felt broken.”
“I’m finding my beauty again”
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Before she does a photo shoot, Kang usually diets for 3-4 months and amp up her exercise routine. She usually has an elaborate beauty regime that would take hours and hours. But Kang decided to be brave and get her photo taken, in spite of how “unready” she felt. She hadn’t exercised in four days prior to the shoot, and even ate a donut earlier that day.
At 10 pounds heavier, she still looks great, but she admits that she gets hard on herself for being larger than the images she sees in magazines.
“So here I am,” she wrote. “This is a raw photo with absolutely no retouching, no preparation and no shame. I’m finding my beauty again, I’m discovering my strength again and I’m relearning what it means to be brave, bold and unapologetic about where I am in my life’s journey.”
Maria, you’ve come a long way. Good on you!