When I was a sophomore in high school, one of my classmates looked at my legs one day and commented on how my thighs were "thunder thighs." At the time, I didn't know what this meant or whether it was bad or good. I always had big thighs to begin with and when I started dancing competitively, they only got bigger and more muscular.

When I first got my gym membership after my senior year of high school, my friends told me that I shouldn't try to use the free weights or the machines at the gym because I’d “look too bulky.” So I stopped using the machines and restricted myself to intense and strenuous amounts of cardio. I spent hours aimlessly moving from the treadmill to the elliptical, and then to the stair master.

After doing some research online, I learned the real truth about weightlifting. Solely lifting weights wouldn't make you look "bulky" and a lot of how your body looks and its composition is based on what you eat. This new information changed my whole view on exercise and eating. So last semester, I began to get really serious about fitness.

I did even more research on proper form and watched endless amounts of Youtube videos from female fitness gurus who not only looked lean and fit, but who lifted weights. These were strong women who fed their bodies the right nutrients and pushed their limits at the gym; women who encouraged others to embrace their own bodies and reach their true potential. These were strong women.

I pushed my body and began to work on the three main compound movements -- squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. I learned about new isolated movements for each body group and I began to feed my body with wholesome and fresh food. Each week, I went to the gym with the mentality that I was going to push myself to reach all my personal records for every single exercise.

Most importantly, I started seeing results. I started seeing some toned muscles and I felt happier and healthier. I was amazed at what the human body could do; how much it could transform and be able to lift weights that at one point in my life seemed impossible to lift.

As I proudly displayed my newfound love for the gym on social media and through the more figure-fitting clothes I wore, I found myself getting criticized, yet again, for my body. “You have way too much muscle for a girl now. You should probably just stick to cardio,” someone said.

Why is there a stigma surrounding physically strong women? Why are women constantly told that they need to be petite and fragile? Why do we succumb to endless hours of cardio? Why are we only expected to have a tiny waist and a big butt? Why can't we be strong and be proud of it?

Gaining strength in the gym has not only changed me physically, but I’ve become mentally and emotionally stronger. After a long and tiring workout, I walk out of the gym oozing with confidence. I wake up the next morning with sore muscles, but I see progress in the mirror. I see change and growth. I mentally challenge myself to push my limits. I practice self-control and discipline with the things I eat. I get shit done.

With this newfound confidence, I’ve learned the value of self-worth and self-love. I learned that the lack of exercise and junk food that I used to eat were hurting my body. I fill my body with nutrients that it needs and stay active to better my health every single day.

I started to love myself. I started to see the value in myself. I’ve cut out toxic people from my life and surrounded myself with those I love who reciprocate, if not give more, love to me. Because I now know that I am worth it.

I began to take care of my mental well being. The gym has turned into a safe haven for me -- a place where I go to let go of all my worries and focus on bettering myself.

Lifting weights has changed me in immense ways. I look at my thunder thighs as a strong foundation. I look at my growing lateral muscles as opportunities for improvement. I look at my triceps and see growth and accomplishment. I look at my body and I thank it for holding me when I was weak in my toughest times and transforming as I grew and overcame new obstacles.

So, are my legs thunder thighs? Yes. Because they are strong and powerful. Is it a bad thing to have thunder thighs? No. Nothing is wrong with a strong woman.