Dad Posts Shirtless Selfie Triumph Over Body Insecurities

Tony Posnanski’s selfie. (Photo: Facebook)

In an ideal world, no one would feel self-conscious about her body or how it looks in a skimpy swimsuit. But in the actual world, that isn’t the case — so we’ll settle for knowing that guys feel just as anxious about their “beach bodies” too. Hey, misery does love company!

Tony Posnanski, a dad of two who’s been documenting his body struggles on social media for the past several years, posted a photo and accompanying text on Facebook earlier this week that resonated with thousands of people across the Web. And though the photo was a shirtless mirror selfie, the message couldn’t be further from the kind made famous by Kim Kardashian.

Posnanski begins his post by describing his body image issues and fluctuating weight, writing, “I have lived a life of hating my body and myself. It didn’t matter if I was 135 pounds with my ribs sticking out, 420 pounds not being able to use the bathroom, or a ripped 195 pounds. I have always hated my body.”

His weight had recently ballooned, and with it, his self-hatred — so much so that he considered not going to the beach for his young son’s birthday in June.

“Earlier this year my son asked me if for his birthday I would go with him to the beach or a water park,” he wrote. “I don’t take my shirt off in public. Never. I have always hated the way I looked. So I gave him the old ‘We will see’ response.”

But it was his kid’s simple request that inspired Posnanski to make a change. He started working out twice a day and eating better, and ended up losing enough to see the results that many people fear: loose, sagging skin, “man boobs,” and a tummy.

In spite of it all, Posnanski says he was happy with what he saw in the mirror, “and honestly who doesn’t love boobs!” (True.)

“I don’t have to wait to do things a normal person should be able to do. I shouldn’t have to wait 40 years to take my shirt off at a pool. I always hear about women being shamed in bikinis and they come on Facebook and defend themselves. This is not like that. Looking at myself I also see a coward. Why in gods name did I hold back for so long? Why didn’t I love myself earlier. Why did I ever think I am ugly?”

So just in case you figured the concept of a “beach body” is only a women’s issue, think again. Men are just as insecure — and Posnanski’s courage to come right out and say it is nothing short of commendable.

See his post in its entirety, below.

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