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Bathing Suit: c/o Target

If you had said a year ago that I’d be posting a picture of myself in a bathing suit on the internet, I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, here I am, 20 pounds lighter, healthy, facing my fear. The first real “bikini” I’ve bought in almost three years. I never wanted to be “that” girl who posted pictures of herself in a bikini on the internet. It just never seemed like me but also I’ve never been in the place where I felt comfortable to. Also I’ve felt that modesty is a personal comfort, I’m not here posting pictures on the internet because I want the world to see how good I look (although I do feel pretty great) – but to show other girls who I know struggle with this: hey, it’s ok.

Bathing suits are tough. I wrote a post last year about how trying on bathing suits made me cry and were a weak spot in my confidence. And here I am. As I’ve said, losing weight doesn’t solve problems but being healthy: that’s an incredible difference. One of my goals for 2016 was to LIVE and embrace my teenage years (to some extent). I can’t tell you how many times last year I didn’t do something because I was scared. While I do still have an irrational fear of driving, I don’t want to sit around and watch these years of high school pass by. Last summer I avoided going to the pool as much as possible thanks to my lack of confidence and in almost all camp photos where we were in bathing suits, I wore a tee shirt over because I didn’t want people remembering me that way.

Now, don’t get me wrong, publishing this is incredibly scary and I’ve had to text several friends for reassurance. I had to have my mom take over a 100 different pictures just for this one shot because I was afraid of how I looked. And with PCOS, trust me it makes these normal female fears even more scary.

But that’s where Target’s latest campaign comes in. For this upcoming warm weather season their campaign is focused on #nofomo which means not missing out on things because you’re wearing a swimsuit. I’ve partnered with them to help promote a healthy body image and to help grow confidence.

So that is my challenge to you, maybe not going to the far depths of posting a bathing suit picture but not being afraid to be happy with yourself. I’m hoping you take a step out of your little box and not miss out on life just because your body doesn’t look like a photoshopped model.

xoxo

Maggie

“To me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.” – Taylor Swift

(Post title: Taylor Swift’s Fearless)

(This bathing suit was sent to me by Target, but as always my intentions are not to make money and this is my true honest opinion.)