Mom flaunts 'permanently flabby' bikini body in viral Facebook photo

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
One mom's inspirational bikini photo about being proud of your body went viral this past weekend.
creativeContent-@MsRachelHollis / The Chic Site

One mom's bikini photo has gone viral for the inspirational message it sends to be proud of your body.

Rachel Hollis, 32, founder of lifestyle website The Chic Site, posted an image of herself to Facebook on Saturday wearing a two-piece swimsuit.

"We were just hanging out drinking tequila and I thought my monogramed bikini top was really cool so I asked my husband to take a photo of me," Hollis told Yahoo Parenting.

"When I saw the photo, I noticed my stomach and realized that I had never seen a really honest bikini shot on social media, so I thought, 'I'll just post this for the moms.'"

The empowering photo and message quickly went viral, receiving over 350,000 likes and over 45,000 shares. Other moms began sharing images and stories of their own bodies.

Men also shared their touching stories in the comments. One Facebook user discussed how he had lost his legs from a landmine encounter.

The Facebook post did receive some negative comments as well, with some saying the photo was just a cry for attention, and that Hollis was being shallow. However, Hollis still remains touched by the majority of positive comments.

"It made me teary to read all the comments from women, all of whom had unique reasons for struggling with their weight," Hollis told Yahoo Parenting. "It's a reminder that we shouldn't judge anyone."

You can learn more about Rachel Hollis at her website The Chic Site.