It's hard to believe it's been five years since we first heard about Maria Kang, the fitness model who was accused of "mom-shaming" other parents on social media.
Kang made headlines after sharing a photo of herself flaunting her abs next to her three sons on social media. What drew controversy was Kang's question "What's your excuse?" written above the picture.
Other parents accused Kang of shaming them with unattainable and unhealthy beauty standards, but the mother-of-three refused to back down.
Even when she offered an "apology" for the photo, it struck many as less than sincere.
"What you interpret is not MY fault," Kang wrote. "It's Yours. The first step in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn't create them. You created them. So, if you want to continue "˜hating' this image, get used to hating many other things for the rest of your life."
Kang doubled down on her critics, arguing she was being "fit shamed" for her healthy lifestyle.
Now, five years after igniting a national debate, Kang is making waves again with an update to her original photo.
Kang turned the negative publicity from her photo into a fitness empire, launching her "No Excuse Mom Movement" workout program and her book The No More Excuses Diet.
To mark five years since the original post that started it all, Kang posted a recreation of her famous photo on Instagram. She even got her three sons to copy their poses from the original photo. But this time, the fitness model is asking her followers "What's your reason?"
While that sounds more positive, it's debatable how much Kang has actually changed her tune.
"After you address your excuse, you need to find your Reason," Kang writes. "Five years later I'm still seeking the hard route, after all, in a country where you are the healthy minority, you must do different."
"You know what's right, just don't follow the habits and lifestyle of the majority of overweight/obese people who do it wrong. Many asked for a side-by-side so here you go! What's Your Reason?"
While Kang may still come across as confrontational in her new post, she has opened up about the dark side of her fitness journey before. Kang revealed she suffered from an eating disorder in her 20s, and last year she posted an untouched photo of herself after gaining 10 pounds.
"There were constantly events, children, stress and even some depression, that prevented me from following through on my quarterly goals," she said in the picture's caption.
After five years, it's hard to tell if Kang has really learned her lesson.
[H/T: Yahoo]
