A fitness model and single mum has shared how trolls call her “repulsive” or say she is a “bad” parent purely based on her ripped physique.
Tina Fernandez,45, used to have a “turbulent” relationship with food and was “never happy” with her body.
After having a baby, which saw her gain over five stone, the mum started going to the gym but at first, just focused on cardio – but it left her feeling “skinny fat”.
It wasn’t until she started weightlifting that the 45-year-old found her true passion and fell in love with her body again.
“I had a really turbulent relationship with food [and my weight] went up and down,” the pro bodybuilder, who has 253,000 followers, told Need To Know.
“[When] I had a baby, I had gained 75lbs.
“So I started going to the gym regularly but only really did cardio.
”[Then] I had two more babies and embraced pregnancy, but worked out and only gained 35lbs with both of them.
“[But] I was never happy with my body – [it] was just ‘skinny fat’ and I wanted to be toned.
“I was [also] scared of food.
“[So I set a New Year’s resolution] to eat more and lift weights, and change my body extremely and gain confidence.
”That’s when I took it seriously and was determined to feel great in anything I put on.
“My confidence now is through the roof and I’m so happy and proud.”
Tina, who has raised her three children on her own for the past nine years, says people stare at her in public and many give compliments or ask to take photos with her.
But online, it’s sometimes a different story.
She said: “I get so much love and compliments but I also get an extreme amount of hate– mostly from men but women too.
“People love trying to humble me – but it doesn’t work.
“I’m just confident and that seems to bug insecure people.
“They call me repulsive, hideous, I hear daily [that] nobody would want me.
“ I’ve been told to kill myself and that I’m an awful mom.”
Tina, who was also bullied growing up, has finally healed her relationship with her body.
Now confident in herself, she refuses to let the trolling get to her.
She added: I don’t let it bug me, I just feel sad for them.
“I actually grew up severely bullied, so now I’ve been on both sides but I’m still bullied.
“Now, I laugh about it and I have a tremendous amount of empathy.
“I don’t need attention.
“I’m actually a huge loner that if I had my way I wouldn’t even have social media, but it’s necessary for my living, so I try to do what I love: Motivate and make people laugh.
“I’m very much true to myself.”
Tina lives in Chino Hills, California.
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