If You've Ever Felt Bad About Not Fitting Into a Dress, Read This

We've all been there before: you try on your favorite pair of jeans (or a dress) and you can't fit into it anymore. As frustrating as it can be, one woman decided not to let her weight gain get her down. Food stylist Lucy Litman shared a photo of herself unable to zip up her "favorite [size 2] dress from 3 years ago" on Instagram, and it's going viral for all the right reasons. In the body-positive post, Litman explains why beauty is more than a number.

"Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my body image and health, after a 'friend' told me that I've let myself go and should stop eating so much bread," Litman wrote before revealing that she struggled with an eating disorder in high school and college. "I used to weigh myself 5 times a day and the number I saw would dictate my happiness and the activities I 'allowed' myself to do."

Litman recalled how crippling it was to obsess over her weight. "This restriction on my own happiness and life ended a lot of friendships and relationships because I'd isolate myself at home so I didn't have to be around food."

Thankfully, Litman was able to overcome her eating disorder and is now sharing a powerful message for women out there who are still fighting their way through it. "To all of you out there who are still struggling, know that you're more than a number and that having a thigh gap is irrelevant (and physically impossible for some people's bone structure), but most importantly that you are not alone and are loved."

Litman says she hopes to use her platform to "show a more playful side to what we eat and get people thinking about colors, shapes and textures instead of calories or how much exercise they'll have to do to burn it off." And we couldn't be more inspired.