At some point or another, most of us are likely to struggle with body issues in our lifetimes. It might just be a passing phase when you were in your teenage years, or a more pressing problem as you got older - or it could be something you're going through right now.
No matter the cause of a weight problem or insecurity, it's always hard to deal with. However, it is especially difficult for people who have just given birth, as the excess baby weight can take years to shed.
So, when Amy posted a picture of herself with a flat stomach just three months after she had her third child, people were reluctant to believe that she'd achieved the results naturally. Even worse, many people left negative comments on the pictures and insulted Amy - who is a fitness blogger - for how she looked while she was expecting.
Fortunately, she was more than prepared to stand her ground and defend her amazing transformation.
Before she shared the images of her progress following giving birth, she shared a few choice comments from followers who were inexplicably bitter about her achievements.
"You look like a whale! How can your belly be over one meter!" wrote a couple of spiteful followers.
"You are too skinny now! Eat a burger! WHY ARE YOU IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET BACK INTO SHAPE?" said others.
But, despite the contradictory messages being thrown at her from every direction, the mother-of-three spoke up about how she'd made such quick progress - and also why she doesn't need to take any rubbish from her haters: "I took care of my body, so I could move again without pain, so I could get off my medications, so I could carry my older kids without feeling like my body was falling apart."
And, by the looks of it, her actions really paid off:
"The physical results that came from eating healthy and working out was just a bonus. I was equally happy when I was 1-month pp vs now," she explained. "The only difference is that I don’t need help to take care of my kids. I can shower without having to sit on a chair. I can walk further than 5 min from my home."
And, even though Amy found it relatively easy to cut the excess baby weight, she understands that other women are under far more pressure to do so. "I feel Our society is so off sometimes," she explained. "If us moms don’t get back into shape after giving birth, we are lazy and don’t value our health."
Amy's message with the pictures was not to show that new mothers should always feel the pressure to get back into shape after having a kid, but that it is possible to have three children and have a healthy body - even if it takes a while to get there.
So, if you ever find yourself in a bad place with your body, just remember that anything is possible with a little hard work.
