Recovered Anorexic Girl Becomes Instagram Star With Body Positive Photos

Working my bumpy thighs ✔ working my chunky calves ✔ working my chubby belly ✔ working my bopo magic and not caring how many trolls try to bring us down ✔ ??????? #effyourbeautystandards

A photo posted by Megan ? (@bodyposipanda) on Sep 8, 2015 at 10:37am PDT

A former anorexic who nearly died because of the eating disorder now shares photos of her weight gain in a bid to promote body positivity.

Megan Jayne weighed only 4st 6lbs at her thinnest, and first suffered from body image problems back when she was five, The Mirror reports.

One day you’ll see. The moments of your life that you’ve missed. The memories that were made to light up your mind with smiles in vivid colour. But instead, they are dull. They were dulled. By a mind that could never truly live in that moment, too consumed by the ever present mirror forcing your reflection to the forefront of your thoughts. You cannot truly live with that mirror, looming over all that you do, and all that you are. One day you’ll see, that it was inside you all along – the power to smash the mirror into pieces too small to ever pierce through your self esteem again. One day you’ll see, that you could have lived unburdened by lies about your worth residing in your reflection. That you could have laughed with your whole body shaking. That you could have devoured every bite without shame. That you could have lived every moment, for yourself. One day, you will see. And I can’t think of a better day than the one you’re living right now. ?????

A photo posted by Megan ? (@bodyposipanda) on Nov 2, 2015 at 9:58am PST

At 14 she was diagnosed with anorexia and she spent a summer in a youth mental institution, before being hospitalised, where she was told by doctors she only had weeks to live.

Megan, 22, told The Mirror:

At my lowest weight size four clothes were falling off me, my hair thinned and I was constantly freezing cold.

Thin would never be thin enough. The eating disorder overcame me so much that I believed it was all that I was and all that I had.

She recovered with help from her dad, but found she had replaced starving herself with binge eating.

So a couple of you mentioned that I hadn’t done a #donthatetheshake video lately! YOU KNOW I LOVE #DONTHATETHESHAKE ? For those of you who are new, @donthatetheshake is an AMAZING movement started by @yourstruelymelly designed to glorify all of our wonderful bodies in motion! It’s not about being a world class dancer, it’s about showing off all of your jiggle and having fun! It’s about appreciating what our bodies allow us to do and not worrying if the world isn’t ready for this jelly. EVERYONE is invited to do their own videos, and all bodies are welcome to adapt to their abilities, their comfort levels and their music choices (yes, I still love Mika, no shame!) Make sure you check out the @donthatetheshake page for loads of amazing body positive moves! ?????

A video posted by Megan ? (@bodyposipanda) on Oct 14, 2015 at 9:03am PDT

After years of battling with her weight and never being quite being happy, she stumbled across a photo of someone promoting a philosophy of embracing your body and loving yourself exactly as you are. Now Megan runs her own body positivity account on Instagram where she posts photos of herself in bikinis – cellulite and all – with confidence and a smiles.

HERE’S TO UNFLATTERING. To all the pictures we’ve deleted. To all the ones we’ve avoided. To all the spotlights we’ve hidden away from. To all the outfits we’ve been too worried to wear. To all the moments we’ve been too scared to embrace. ‘That’s my bad side’ ‘The camera angle is all wrong’ ‘Always dress for your shape, remember to disguise your flaws’ ‘When I’ve lost the last 10 pounds, then I can finally be happy’ Life is not meant to be lived through the lens of how other people see you. It is for you, and you alone. Stop trading away your memories because you didn’t have your makeup on. Stop forfeiting things you love because people say that your body doesn’t suit them. Stop hiding in the shadows because you don’t think you deserve the light. These pictures were taken 30 minutes apart. One is not a lie. The other is not an embarrassment. They are both me, and I choose to embrace and love them both. So here’s to redefining that word, because the only thing that’s truly unflattering is a culture that convinces us that any version of ourselves is unacceptable. We are spectacular, in all of our forms. ????? #effyourbeautystandards

A photo posted by Megan ? (@bodyposipanda) on Oct 6, 2015 at 9:27am PDT

She says:

I try to show people that the impossible beauty standards on our screens and in our magazines are not requirements for happiness.

If I can fall in love with my body after all I’ve been through anyone can – they just have to believe that they deserve it.