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Body-Positive Blogger Says Being 'Strong' Doesn't Mean Hitting The Gym

There's so much truth in this.

For many people, feeling stronger may mean picking up a pair of weights.

But for body-positive babe Kathleen Elizabeth Tyler, it's more than just how you look on the surface.

The blogger and Instagram role model (seriously, she's so kickass), posted a photo of herself last week reminding us what it really means to be #StrongNotSkinny — a hashtag recently blowing up on the social media site.

"I often times see people in recovery saying that they aspire to be "#strongnotskinny," so tonight I wanted to let y'all know that there are ways to achieve this goal that don't involve daily visits to the gym," she wrote on Instagram.

In the photo, Tyler posts a side-by-side photo of herself, one in which she's wearing a sports bra and the other, a tank top.

She continued, "I don't exercise, and no that doesn't mean I sit around all day doing nothing, it simply means that I find ways in my daily life to move around without making my life about when I am going to fit in my daily mandatory visit to the gym: but I still am so very strong."

Tyler added that for her, feeling strong means kicking her eating disorder's ass, reporting her sexual abuse and deciding every single day to wake up and love herself.

"The next time you are getting down on yourself because you chose extra fries over exercise, please remember that strength isn't only found in lifting weights and sometimes choosing the extra fries is exactly the kind of strength that will allow you to defeat your demons," she said.

Think of a someone you know and love inside of your mind, and then allow your thoughts regarding them to flow freely throughout your brain. Now try to convince yourself to say some of the horrible things we say about our own bodies but make it about them. Its a miserable concept to even ponder because when you have had the chance to truly experience the beauties inside of another person’s soul, physical traits no longer hold very much ground in your opinions of that person. But what I find most interesting about this concept, is that often times people don’t realize that this phenomenon applies to how they view themselves as well. Once we really now ourselves, we begin to accept that we have worlds of beauty inside of us. Before I had embarked on my journey of self discovery, I described myself based only on my outer appearances and what the life experiences I had faced… I was my stretch marks and my cellulite. I was my acne and my bushy eyebrows. I was the outer shell of a girl who had been hurt I was my scars and the discolorations on my stomach. I was my stomach rolls and my thighs that touch. Fast forward to now and I have spent great amounts of time working towards appreciating both my body and my mind for where they are right now and coming to know that no matter what happens to me, my body will always be my own. I now know that will these things are a part of my body they are not the only thing that makes me beautiful. So yes I do have stretch marks, scars, and stomach rolls(which believe it or not also contribute to my beauty), I have so much more as well. I am my radiant smile. I am my heart that yearns to help others. I am my mind that never gave up even during the toughest of battles. I am me, and I am beautiful and no amount of hurt, violation, or hatred from anyone will ever be able to tamper with the self love I have come in touch with again. #rollsarentjustforcinnamon

A photo posted by Kathleen🤘🏼 (@fallingintoselflove) on

And if you follow Tyler on social media, it's clear she lives by this motto.

From posting countless non-traditional photos of herself in bras to showing off her scars, Tyler always reminds her fans to love yourself first.

In December 2016, the U.S.-based blogger posted several images on social media, writing that accepting your body isn't always so easy, Metro U.K. notes.

"Before I had embarked on my journey of self discovery, I described myself based only on my outer appearances and... the life experiences I had faced… I was my stretch marks and my cellulite. I was my acne and my bushy eyebrows. I was the outer shell of a girl who had been hurt I was my scars and the discolorations on my stomach."

She continued, "I now know that... these things are a part of my body they are not the only thing that makes me beautiful. So yes I do have stretch marks, scars, and stomach rolls (which believe it or not also contribute to my beauty), I have so much more as well. I am my radiant smile. I am my heart that yearns to help others. I am my mind that never gave up even during the toughest of battles. I am me, and I am beautiful and no amount of hurt, violation, or hatred from anyone will ever be able to tamper with the self love I have come in touch with again. #rollsarentjustforcinnamon."

And with the hashtag #StrongNotSkinny filled with beautiful women with toned bodies, curvy assets and six-pack abs, it's refreshing to see so many young women on social media keep it real.

You go, girl!

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