How Do You Feel About Brooke Birmingham's Bikini?

Brooke Birmingham has a lot to be proud about. The author of the blog 'Brooke: Not on a Diet' shed more than 170 pounds and kept it off. But when the 28 year old attempted to tell her story to SHAPE, she was told the fitness magazine wouldn't print the picture of her in a bikini, loose skin and all.

According to an article in Buzzfeed, when Birmingham submitted her photo in the 'Success Stories' portion of SHAPE, she was asked to resubmit another in which she was covered up in a T-shirt. When she questioned the logic, Birmingham was told the magazine's editorial policy required her to be "fully clothed, simple as that.”

“I felt like my body wasn’t good enough to be featured on their website,” said Birmingham. “When you log onto their website, the first thing that pops up is a woman in workout pants and a sports bra. There have been other success stories with women in bikinis.”

Of course SHAPE was quick to distance itself, blaming the "misunderstanding" on the freelance writer covering the story.

But Birmingham was adamant: if the magazine refused to portray her authentic self, then she would share her story elsewhere. She blogged, and the rest is viral history.

“It all boils down to, I want people to know they shouldn’t feel ashamed of how they look,” Birmingham said. “I get that [SHAPE's] a business. I get that America is judging on appearance, but at the same time, some of us need to see the real thing.”

This pregnant woman was told to cover up or lose her gym membership.