Natalie Hage (confronting body shamers)

Many remember when Natalie Hage confronted a body-shamer on a plane. Since then, the self-proclaimed “plant-based plus-size southern powerhouse” has preached positivity to all her followers, which include 138,000 Instagram fans.

The beauty of Hage‘s story is that she wasn’t always the confident young lady you see today; ultimately, it shows us all that we can grow to love and accept ourselves. “I was angry and sad about my body for longer than I’d like to admit,” she says. “I spent many years seeing my body as something I had to overcome, something that was a consequence, something I had to punish. I decided one day that I would try something different, and I started forgiving myself and working with my body. Life has never been so good and I’ve never been so happy.”