This former bodybuilder’s photo of herself after gaining 25 lbs. has a beautiful, body-positive message

This former bodybuilder’s photo of herself after gaining 25 lbs. has a beautiful, body-positive message
This former bodybuilder’s photo of herself after gaining 25 lbs. has a beautiful, body-positive message

Having chiseled abs isn’t always worth it. That’s according to Jolene Jones, a former bodybuilder, who has recently learned what works best for her and makes her truly happy. Now, she is sharing her message with the world.

Jones recently took to Facebook to express why she’s happy that she has gained 25 pounds.

“A six pack didn’t make me happy. I was never enough and always needing to improve,” she wrote. “Your worth and joy isn’t weighed by what you can lift or what the scale says. My worth is weighed by those I surround myself with and the smile on my face.”

Body builder to body lover. This isn't your typical transformation photo. I went from being controlled by my grueling...

Posted by Jolene Nicole Jones on Saturday, July 1, 2017

Jones refers to her post as an atypical transformation photo, the opposite of what we’re used to seeing — i.e. going from “big” to “small.” (Ugh.)

But recently, there has been a rise in sharing this type of atypical “after” picture, especially in the fitness world. Fitness Instagrammers are revealing how much posing and lighting goes into their muscular selfies, and women like Megan Jayne Crabbe — aka Body Posi Panda on IG — frequently shares details her journey from having an eating disorder to recovered and happy. And we can’t get enough! It is definitely something to celebrate if someone wants to lose weight or get fit and achieves their goal, but we appreciate hearing the other side of the story as well.

Extreme fitness just isn’t for everyone.

Jones wrote in her post that embracing her new lifestyle has totally changed her social life for the better.

“I went from being controlled by my grueling gym regimen and weighing chicken and having protein shakes in my purse to fully enjoying a social life. Some people might say this is ‘letting yourself go,’ but you can’t put a price tag on happiness.”

Jones decided to leave bodybuilding behind when she was told that she needed to lose an additional 30 pounds. The sacrifice of most food other than chicken and vegetables hindered her social life and made her unhappy.

When she quit bodybuilding and gained her social life back, she became happier than ever.

Jones looks beautiful. It is so nice to see her radiant smile and healthy message.

To friends, happiness, and not needing a six pack!

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