Living

Lena Dunham is 'happy, joyous and free' after gaining 24 pounds

Lena Dunham is happier at a higher weight.

The star, writer and producer of HBO's "Girls" posted side-by-side photos Tuesday on Instagram: an earlier one where she says she weighed 138 pounds and a later one at 162. In the accompanying text, she says she's doing better at the higher weight, an opinion that runs counter to the reaction one might traditionally expect.

She offers a compelling rationale with the accompanying minuses and pluses: "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."

Commenting on the second picture, she says: "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."

She acknowledges the pull of traditional expectations, but says she's happy with the additional weight:

"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."

Her message appeared to reach a receptive audience. The post had more than 450,000 likes by Wednesday afternoon.