Lena Dunham says she's 'happy, joyous and free' after weight gain

Elizabeth Di Filippo
·Lifestyle & Features Editor
·2 min read

 

Lena Dunham is embracing her recent weight gain — and we’re here for it.

The star and creator of the HBO series, “Girls,” recently shared photos of her 24-pound weight gain to Instagram, debunking the myth that being thin leads to happiness.

Dunham shared side-by-side photos of herself taken in April 2017 after she had lost a considerable amount of weight, and a recent photo in which the star is heavier.

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On the left: 138 pounds, complimented all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work. Also, sick in the tissue and in the head and subsisting only on small amounts of sugar, tons of caffeine and a purse pharmacy. On the right: 162 pounds, happy joyous & free, complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter, subsisting on a steady flow of fun/healthy snacks and apps and entrees, strong from lifting dogs and spirits. Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly, until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and onto my proverbial knees. As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades. I lean in.

A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Jul 10, 2018 at 10:34am PDT

In 2017, Dunham was busy promoting the final season of her television series and experiencing serious health problems and chronic pain caused by endometriosis.

The star reflects on her smaller frame in the caption by writing, “On the left: 138 pounds, complimented all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work. Also, sick in the tissue and in the head and subsisting only on small amounts of sugar, tons of caffeine and a purse pharmacy.”

The 32-year-old Golden Globe winner then addresses her weight gain.

“On the right: 162 pounds, happy joyous and free, complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter, subsisting on a steady flow of fun/healthy snacks and apps and entrees, strong from lifting dogs and spirits,” she writes.

Lena Dunham. Image via Getty Images.
Lena Dunham. Image via Getty Images.

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Dunham has always been candid about her struggles with anxiety, depression and OCD. She publicly attributed her weight loss to the 2016 election of Donald Trump as President of the United States during an appearance on “The View” last year.

“I know that the right wing media had a field day with that and said, ‘Liberal So Weakened That She Can’t Eat Food Because of Donald Trump,’ but what I was trying to express is this has been triggering for many of us in so many different ways,” she said. “And I know that if I’m not hungry, then we have a real freakin’ problem.”

Later that year, the star experienced complications after undergoing an elective hysterectomy to treat her endometriosis, and split from her longtime boyfriend, music producer, Jack Antonoff — major life changes that Dunham is still healing from.

However, the long-time advocate for body positivity and diversity is using her platform to remind fans and followers that a person’s mental well-being and physical thinness are not inextricably tied, no matter how intoxicating the illusion may appear.

“Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly, until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and onto my proverbial knees,” she writes. “As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades. I lean in.”

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