[Pics] Black Women Documenting their Weight Loss Journeys Online are Striving for #ThickFit Instead of Skinny

It used to be that black women were congratulated simply for getting to a lower number on the scale. But as perceptions of what is healthy and beautiful evolve, black women are focusing less on a number on a scale and more on how their bodies feel, and what is healthy for them individually.  As a result, a new wave of body transformation photos is on the rise on social media with hashtags like #PrettyHealthyAndThick, #ThickFit and #FitThickArmy.  These hashtags feature women who have made healthy lifestyle changes while also maintaining thickness and curves.  Here are some of these beautiful black women we found on Instagram:

this goes out to all the women who say they don’t want to lose weight because they don’t want to lose their curves. I really hate hearing that, mainly because I used to be that girl! I thought I had curves because I had big breast and thighs… Don’t be afraid of change! Yes, I’ve lost my breast, but they’re still big. My thighs are still thick, but they don’t rub together, burning holes in jeans and sending up smoke signals! The overall advantage is my improved health & no longer having to be on high blood pressure & cholesterol meds! So, just trust the process. No, it’s easy, but the benefits of going through it is so much greater than you realize. – @taimcqueen

Soooo usually I don’t do this but uhhhh.. I struggled with ups and downs with my weight for as long as I can remember. I could barely go up a flight of stairs without becoming winded in the left picture. I started a healthy lifestyle because I did not want to be another statistic, and I want to be around for a long time for my daughter and set an example for her.

The 1st picture was taken in February 2015 at 198lbs ?. .. Last year I decided to get serious again about my health, I started eating better, working out again, and the inches just started coming off. The second picture is me today at 181lbs… Do I want to be 155 again? Probably not lol (and the way I got there was by practically starving myself) – @ozellec

We are loving these transformations!