13 Women Break Norms and Share Their Before-And-After Weight Gain Photos

Some women find it really hard to look at the scale. If you were skinny once, like maybe in high school or in your 20s, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be skinny forever, and that’s ok. Having kids, no longer playing a school sport, and learning to enjoy cooking are among just a few reasons why some women see the numbers on the scale creep up over the years.

Instead of being sad about weight gain or going on starvation diets to try to look like a model, some women are embracing their curves and realizing that they look amazing. Size is just a number, and beauty truly comes in all sizes.

Scroll down to see before and after weight gain photos of 13 women who are proudly embracing their larger than once-upon-a-time dress size.