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Mom of Three’s Bikini Body Photo Goes Viral: “I Am Proud” of My Stretch Marks, “Permanently Flabby” Figure

Rachel Hollis stretch mark bikini photo
A mom of three's bikini body photo has gone viral after she shared an inspiring message about how she's "proud" of her stretch marks and "saggy" belly button -- see the pic and read her message

She's redefining the bikini body. Rachel Hollis, a mother of three from L.A., posted a photo of her bikini body last week, sharing a message with her fellow moms about how she takes pride in her stretch marks.

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"I have stretch marks and I wear a bikini," Hollis, 32, wrote on Facebook. "I have a belly that's permanently flabby from carrying three giant babies and I wear a bikini. My belly button is saggy… (which is something I didn't even know was possible before!!) and I wear a bikini. I wear a bikini because I'm proud of this body and every mark on it."

Indeed, Hollis beams as she proudly shows off her physique in an orange and navy bikini in the accompanying vacation snapshot, which features her on a pristine beach in Cancun.

Related: PHOTOS: Celebs' pregnant bikini bodies!

The happy mom to three kids — ages 8, 6, and 2 — posted the pic to the social media pages of her blog, The Chic Site, on Saturday, saying she wanted to show off the marks on her body as a badge of honor.

"Those marks prove that I was blessed enough to carry my babies and that flabby tummy means I worked hard to lose what weight I could," she continued in her Facebook message. "I wear a bikini because the only man who's [sic] opinion matters knows what I went through to look this way. That same man says he's never seen anything sexier than my body, marks and all. They aren't scars ladies, they're stripes and you've earned them. Flaunt that body with pride! #HollisHoliday."

Related: PHOTOS: Celebs' amazing post-baby bikini bodies

As of Thursday morning, her Facebook post had acquired more than 370,000 likes and over 46,000 shares.

Hollis — who stands at 5-foot 2-inches — said the photo started off as an amusing moment with her husband. "I had tried to take this posey, pretty shot, and I looked so awkward that it didn’t work. I started laughing, and that's when he happened to get that picture," she told the Today show.

Related: PHOTOS: Celeb moms share their breastfeeding pics

"It touches my heart that people are having this reaction to it," Hollis continued, revealing that the photo was taken one week after completing her first marathon. "I thought, it’s not going to get better than this. You ran the 26 miles, and I had been training for six months. My body is never going to be smaller than it is right now, so if there’s ever time to show off your belly, this is probably it."

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