So here’s the big secret: I’ve been working on a campaign that helps women build each other up rather than tear each other down. Although I haven’t really worked out all the kinks yet, I really wanted to launch this project in June. Why June? Well, June is officially the start of summer, which in turn is a time when many women feel insecure.

I know so many women who dread summer, and for a long time I was one of them. See, I’ve never been thin OR had a perfect body; and when summer rolled around, that’s all I could think of. I would spend months dieting and worrying about my bikini body—and the worst part was that bikinis were my ONLY option. Being an almost 6 foot tall woman with an incredibly long torso meant that one pieces were out of the question. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that I purchased my first one. So I was forced to wear two piece bathing suits with my less than perfect body.

Anyway, this isn’t a sob story because, as most of you know, I have fought relentlessly to improve my body image to myself. And, although I still have my moments, I feel like it’s worked. Putting myself out there, not editing my pics, actively trying to embrace the real me has made me like and accept my body more and more every day.  It’s also helped that I have surrounded myself by women like me on social media: women who embrace themselves and build each other up. And, of course, the body positive movement, which has allowed me to feel like I belong—including all the retailers that finally make clothing that fits me… Needless to say, I feel better than I ever did 40 pounds ago, and that’s what this is about right?

Feeling good about our bodies.

Except I have noticed something: only “plus-size women” are allowed into this club, and I disagree.

See, I know PLENTY of women who are thin and suffer from eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Women who harm themselves to try to fit an impossible image. I know women who hate parts of their bodies—women whom many would think are “perfect.” So it bothers me that we exclude some women from the body positive movement. I’ve had women tell me that I can’t be body positive because I’m proportionate or because I’m not a “true plus-size”(as if being a size 22 is more valid than being a 14/16 despite my enormous stature). I’ve seen women put other women down for working out and eating healthy foods because they are “trying to lose weight and if you are trying to lose weight then you’re not body positive.”

And, well, I think it’s wrong.

Body positivity should be about loving the body you have at the moment… whatever body type that may be. Whether you are on a weight loss journey or a fitness one or none at all. Whether you are someone who can’t lose weight for medical reasons or someone who can’t gain weight for the same (they exist, I know plenty). I feel it’s so messed up to only allow one group of people into a movement that was made to battle one thing: and that’s the image that the media and society wants to force us to fit into… and so many women are victim to this, NOT just fat ones. Simply put: it’s counterproductive to EXCLUDE people in an INCLUSIVITY campaign. Period.

So for my first woman-building challenge, I’m asking all of you to please use the hashtag #bodyinclusivity because that’s what I feel is more appropriate. Let’s stop bullying the skinny girls or the fit girls or the fat girls. Let’s allow all the girls (and boys) to do what they want with their bodies and to feel good about them because, after all, isn’t that what this is all about?

Feeling good or positive about your body no matter what it looks like?

Then, let’s really stand by that. Let’s build each other up. Let’s be happy for whatever decision our peers make if that makes them happy. Let’s be women-building women rather than critics and enemies.

And thank you for joining me on this journey. I will try to have new challenges every week or every other week for all of us to participate in and become women who love ourselves and each other because we are the future! Love you,

América