A 21-year-old wore a bikini for the first time and sent a powerful message about loving your body

Lesley Miller was in Weight Watchers at age seven and underwent weight-loss surgery at age 11. She spent years using a number on a scale to determine her self worth. 

Now she's proudly posing in her very first bikini for the entire world to see. 

Last week, Miller shared her moving story with the Facebook page Love What Matters. In the post, she details her lifelong weight loss struggle and her constant feelings of shame because her body never looked the way it was "supposed to."

Then, at age 21, she decided she was fed up. She bought a bikini for the first time in her life, put it on, and captured this photo: 

PostbyLove What Matters.

Here's the text that accompanied the snapshot:

Miller's transformation captured the hearts of thousands of people who commented with words of support. The post's viral reach is a huge win for what's known the called body positivist movement. Its core tenets: There's no one body type that's "right," and all bodies are good bodies. 

Most importantly, Miller's post proves it's possible to love yourself no matter how you look, even if you've spent a lifetime believing otherwise.  

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