Plus-Size Model ‘Dipped in Melanin’ Shares Her Journey to Self-Acceptance

Wilhelmina Curve model Monique Robinson is proud of the skin she’s in — and more than happy to share her body positivity with the world.

On Tuesday, Robinson posted a photo of herself in the mirror wearing only a bra, underpants, and a watch. Accompanying her photo was a heartwarming message that read, “This is what my plus size body looks like. It’s dipped in melanin, marinated with cellulite, and covered in stretch marks. I’ve worked extremely hard at taking care of this body over the last two years. I’ve lost 60 pounds off this body in the last five years. I debated really hard on rather or not I wanted to share this picture, but I’m so proud of myself and how I’ve taken control of my health. So deal with it.”

Many have loved her post, which has gotten more than 9,000 likes. “You go girl, my former mentor!!, you were always a role model glad to see your success,” wrote one of her fans. Someone else wrote, “Don’t know you, but you look amazing You Go Girl, you should be EXTREMELY proud of yourself.” Another person added, “I found you amazingly awesome. And gorgeous. Be you! And I hope you are alright. And hell yea — be proud!”

Proud is one thing Robinson most certainly is, and it shows in her beautiful Instagram photos. The day that she took her recent selfie, she was working and noticed a large mirror in the designated area for changing clothes. She couldn’t help but stare at herself because she was happy with what she saw. “For this entire time, I kept looking and saying to myself, ‘Ma’am, is that you?’ I was looking at my rolls, like ‘Hey, boo,’ and just looking at all my stretch marks thinking, ‘You’re working a dream job, a job you never thought you could do because of your body rolls, your stretch marks,” she told Yahoo Beauty. “I felt like I was looking at a different version of myself for the first time, and I felt proud. When the shoot wrapped, I snapped the picture.”

Of course, a few people weren’t as positive about the message she was trying to relay and told her how unhealthy she was, how she should eat better, how she doesn’t work out, but all of those points are far from the truth. While she does mention that her journey to eating healthier and having a steady fitness routine has been slow, she has managed to lose 60 pounds and be pretty good about keeping a balanced diet.

“For me, it has always been about being strong, and wanting to be strong means you can’t focus on the scale because muscle weighs more than fat and I want muscles,” Robinson explains. “So for me, I was really into lifting weights, which is part of the reason my weight loss has been steady and slow. I just recently started focusing on cardio, but for about a year I maintained and then all of sudden it was like, ‘Where did this body come from?’ Oh wait — I’ve always had it. I just have muscles now.”

She says she rarely eats meat and can be a really picky eater these days. “I’m really particular about that now. Going to a grocery store is dreadful for me because I read the labels, so I typically eat the same boring food. It’s really about finding the balance that works for you.”

While Robinson has landed major modeling gigs, she has found herself having to question if she has “the right” body type to be a model. “I’ve had clients say I was too small for their brand. I’ve lost clients because I look too small, not that I am too small, but ‘I look’ too small,” she notes. Even at her heaviest, she always had a small waist and flatter stomach than other plus-size models, which unfortunately can sometimes be an issue.

Robinson might share more body positive photos in the future because of the large amount of support from her friends and fans. “I really don’t understand why people are so upset about other people’s bodies. Like how do you have that much time on your hands to worry about yourself and all these people you don’t know, also? Get a hobby. Let people live how they want to live. I promise them they would feel so much better about life if they were focused on what they should be doing instead of focusing on what someone else is doing.”

She declares, “It’s more about me not being afraid of loving me fully and completely, and also not being afraid of letting the world know that I love myself no matter what people think when they see me.”

Cheers to that! Monique — you glow, girl!

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

• Plus-Size Model Shares Cellulite in Photo: ‘It’s Nothing to Be Ashamed Of’
  

• Woman Shares Mastectomy Scar and Powerful Message: ‘Representation Matters’
  

• You Have to Hear the Inspiring Story Behind This Beautiful ‘Body Positive’ Photo

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