This is blogger Jacqueline Adan. She's got almost 60,000 Instagram followers, and a few weeks ago, she shared a powerful story with them about this photo — which has amassed almost 30,000 likes.
Jacqueline — who was once 510 pounds and has now lost 350 pounds — said she was in Mexico on vacation. "It was the first time I had worn a bathing suit in a long time, and it had been even longer since I wore a bathing suit without a cover-up."
She said she was nervous to take her cover-up off and go to the pool or beach. "I still felt like that same 500-pound girl," she said.
"Then it happened," she said. "A couple sitting by the pool started laughing and pointing at me and making fun of me as soon as I took my cover up off."
This is what Jacqueline did: "I took a deep breath, smiled, and walked into the pool. That was a huge moment for me. I had changed. I was not the same girl anymore. Yes, I still have a lot of loose skin, I may still feel insecure at times, and yes, I may still get made fun of. Yes, it bothered me. But...I am not going to let what other people think of me stop me from living my life."
Jacqueline ended the post with a message for others: "It does not matter what others say or if they try to doubt you or try to bring you down. What matters is how you react to it. How you feel about yourself. Loving yourself just the way you are is hard. Others might not like that. That's ok. I hope you love yourself. Love your body. I hope you keep doing you and just keep smiling!"
Thank you for your story, your message, and your strength, Jacqueline!
